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Battery not charging question....

Hi, guys and gals, I just bought an old banger and I have found that the battery is not charging as it normally should. The car is a Citroen ZX. I wondered if there is something that is generally the fault before I call the Auto electician and my bank manager. I have a circuit tester gizmo but don't know where to test. The car has had a new alternator fitted just a few months before I bought it. Also, there is a metal pipe jutting out from the front of the carb and I have no idea what it is for. I have the Haynes manual and the pix show the pipe but nowhere is there an explanation of what it is. It's about a quarter of an inch in diameter and an inch long. It looks like there should be a rubber hose on it but it is NOT the one that goes to the air filter or manifold. Any clues appreciated on either subject. Steve

Reply to
Steve
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The message from snipped-for-privacy@lifeofriley.freeserve.co.uk (Steve) contains these words:

Stick the meter on the mattery terminals with the engine off. It should read somewhere around 12 volts. If it's significantly lower then it's god a dead cell.

Now start the engine. You should get somewhere between 13 and 14 volts if it's charging. If you still get what you had before you started it then you've either got no connection to the alternator, or the alternator's dead.

Alternators depend on three connections - the thick lead to the battery, the earth via the engine (check the earth strap is there and not loose) and the sense wire which runs the red warning light on the dashboard. If that isn't lighting up when the ignition's on without the engine running then you've either got a dead bulb or bad wiring. If it is lit up and goes out when the engine runs then the battery lead's dead. If it's lit up and /doesn't/ got out then it's likely the alternator.

Reply to
Guy King

Thank you for the reply. The light on the dashboard works as you would expect it too so according to your reply, it looks like the lead from the Battery to the Alternator is goosed. If it ever stops raining long enough for me to get the bonnet up, I'll have a look at that. Cheers, Steve

Reply to
Steve

It's most likely the plug on the back of the alternator, look for the classic green "rust" on the crimps.

Reply to
Duncan Wood

It is still raining up here in the hills of Lancashire and I don't fancy the idea of rain trickling down my neck so I haven't been to look yet but I would be dismayed at the professionalism of the garage that fitted the new alternator in January of this year if the plug at the back of the alternator was rusty. Hang on, "Professionalism of the garage"??, What am I thinking? lol

Reply to
Steve

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