Hi Basil,
might be best to get this transferred to appropriate forum as this is meant to be intro only - but you sent me a message so best to share it for all
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Thanks for your interest...
I tried to post this story earlier but must have hit the wrong key!
OK. This is what happened. Returning from shopping the car (1993 940 Estate auto) died with classic dying alternator symptoms. The RAC (Rescue) guy confirmed this - but noted that the brushes were not worn - and took the car to our local garage (small, honest two man operation). They replaced the alterator (recon one) and returned the car. Fine and dandy, except next day it was dead again. They collected it, looked at it and replaced the battery, thinking that the old alternator might have damaged the battery.
Next day, exactly the same. This time I called the RAC again, who sent an older guy who seemed to know what he was doing, particularly that no warning light means no charge. He demonstrated that by putting current to the alternator it would start charging... so back to the garage. They put a brand new alternator on, repaired the warning light, then found that although it was charging, it was 'overheating' - though less so with then old battery! Something is putting load on the alternator, but so far even an electrical expert has failed to find what it is. Thus my joining this forum. Someone in the world must have had the same problem. Oh... the only modification to the electrics is the addition of tow-bar and associated lighting. I'm no mechanic - not since the days of stripping down my '54 Morris Minor - so make any reply ****-proof!
Again, many thanks for showing an interest!
Basil (actually my father's name, but my own was too common!)
OK IMHO it is fairly clear that you have a short but the short is not a "dead short" or it would blow a fuse - I would suspect the tow bar plug as the cause but heres what to do
go to local made in China sweat shop Auto Accessory shop and for 5 quid get a multimeter of the digital type - now it has a separate active plug and switch posn to measure 10 Amps max IN LINE [for a short time]
go to fuse box and remove fuses one by one and put the multimeter in place of the fuse - you should see zero amps but one fuse will say maybe 2 amps or so which is enough to flatten battery overnite and put big load on altern to recharge the battery
then trace wiring for that fuse to find the short
if no fuses have amps then suspect the tow bar installer took supply from battery direct but I dont think so dumb to do that
now I never had a morris minor but spent a lot of time fixing Austin A40s of same 1950s vintage
Hello & Help!, New member's intro
Jul 25 2005, 10:12 AM
