Xantia Alternator Smoking

there could be a short somewhere causing the alternator to overload making it smoke this doesn't mean the alternator is junk. It probably still works fine. You should find the short first before you drive it again and fry the alternator and probably some wires too.

In message , k&mautomotive writes

Thanks - having checked with a multimeter it is indeed working - but I can't replicate the problem. Have tried turning everything electrical on, but the alternator remains stone cold.

Any advice on where to go from here?

There would need to be a fair current to cause the alternator to smoke. Apart from a short-circuit somewhere, the only other thing that would cause that would be glow plugs staying on. Check with a test light or multimeter to see if they're switching off. Check the connections on the timer relay to see if they look if they've got a bit hot.

John

In message , John writes

Thanks for the reply - the connections on the timer relay seem fine. It ran normally for a few minutes this morning and the alternator remained cold. Then there was a very nasty crackle on the radio and the burning smell returned and alternator started to warm... so it sounds like something is shorting out at random intervals.

Where do you start looking, for short like this?

In news: snipped-for-privacy@xtreme.pipex.net, snipped-for-privacy@invalid.co.uk decided to enlighten our sheltered souls with a rant as follows

I had a Peugeot 405 diseasel [1] which did this.

Was a slight fuel leak which dribbled into the alternator on a long run.

Like a bloody Ultravox video when I first spotted it after a 200 mile run.

Sounds like an internal short in the alternator. You'll have to replace it.

John

The main cable coming out of the alternator , then the alternator itself.