Bleedin battery/alternator!

[lammy]

Well my V6 died on me the other day...stalled on a main road in rush hour!..used my super human strength to bump it onto the kerb!..there just wasn't enough power in battery to start it again..however bumped off within a few yards!.. It seems that the alternator just does'nt like hot heather?...i've noticed the voltmeter going down to 10/11 amps as i'm driving around...Should I consider a 120amp alternator?..will this solve my problem and keep the battery fully charged all the time (battery is only a year old).

[dicky]

Is your alternator cooling fan working and is the ducting intact?
If not you may have fried the alternator.
You should hear it wering away when the engine gets warm.

[lammy]

Yeah, the cooling fan is kicking in and you can hear it for 10 to 15 mins after the engine is stopped...maybe it the age of it?

[Cozy]

<!--QuoteBegin-lammy+--><div class='quotetop'>(lammy)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Yeah, the cooling fan is kicking in and you can hear it for 10 to 15 mins after the engine is stopped...maybe it the age of it?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Have you got the ducting from the cooling fan going down the back of the block to the alternator like here





if not the alternator cooling fan will just be blowing air on the back of the block not getting it down to the alternator.

[lammy]

Ah..will check, but I haven't removed it unless the previous owner did?..does the cooling fan work when the engines running too, or only when the engine has been turned off?

[Cozy]

think its when the engine is turned off

taken from here

<a href="http://www.v6calibra.com/common/v6_calibra_coolant_system.htm" target="_blank">http://www.v6calibra.com/common/v6_calibra...lant_system.htm</a>

<!--fonto:Arial--><span style="font-family:Arial"><!--/fonto--><!--coloro:#000080--><span style="color:#000080"><!--/coloro-->Alternator Cooling Fan Motor <!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->(M23):
Small electric turbine fan. Sucks cool air in through the large flat black plastic duct to the right of the engine. It blows it through a duct pipe down to the alternator cooling shroud. The cool air is flowed around the alternator body helping to keep it cool. This 'feature' was added to help minimise premature alternator failure due to the high temperature environment of the V6 engine bay. It helps, but alternators are a consumable item on the V6.
This is another one of the noises you hear after then engine has been turned off when warm. It uses the run on relay to cool the alternator down after stopping.<!--fontc--></span><!--/fontc-->

[lammy]

Cheers Cozy, will nip over to my girlfriends and check it out this morning..I'm using her Clio while shes away on holiday! and i'm missing her already....my calibra, not the girlfriend!! lol

[lammy]

B*gg*r..just checked...ducting there..battery flat!..think i'll invest in one of those jump start power packs..and get my alternator looked at. I'm pretty sure it must have come to the end of its life (poor thing)...anyway i'll keep the powerpack for emergancies.

[dicky]

Hmmm, maye i should fit a new alternator to my engine before i stick the engine back in...

[lammy]

Got my power pack today..(£31.99p)..bump her tomorrow (the calibra, not the girlfriend!) and hopefully have the alternator sorted?..at least i'll have an emergancy start in the boot for the future!