Bug Jam

you checked the header tank for petrolly smells I take it? probably just a pipe somewhere

my SRS light has been on for the last 18 months - the Rover garage said it's the passenger airbag that's triggerig the error and resetting the ECU doesn't help (for long). They would just replace the airbag, but that's about 400 smackers I think, and since it's evidently NOT an MoT failure, it's not something one absolutely has to do something about.

Bigus

Translation. Just take the bulb out.

Fraser

That doesn't sound good !

That'll be it's second one then ! Both Lordy's TIs had dead alternators too - I wonder if they're in a crap place and get excessively hot (cos they aren't DIRECTLY ABOVE the manifold or anything ... oh, wait...)

Once you've replaced the alternator, you need to reset the SRS light. I've got some instructions if you need them - all you need is a paperclip. Or you can pay your local dealer to do it.

Fishman's has only triggered cos the alternator has died. The SRS system detects the drop in current, and assumes the wiring has gone duff, so it flags a fault. But it never thinks to re-check after you've fixed the alternator, so it will remain in fault-mode until it's reset :)

Aha, and sitting in lots of traffic jams over the weekend meant plenty of heat build up under there...

The SRS light hasn't come one since Monday now (and it was going on and off when I changed speed or went over bumps on Sunday and Monday). But my battery was totally flat this morning - not even the central locking worked and I had to use the key! That's like as old fashioned as houses! Good job I bought that jumpstart pack from Maplin a couple of years back...

I think my battery might be lunched. I did some checks with a multimeter last night and it showed about 12.75 volts immediately after stopping the engine dropping to 12.23 volts about five hours later. Another six or so hours later and it was totally dead. With the engine on, it was reading over 13 volts, rising to over 17 volts if I revved it. Not sure if that's quite right though? (I had nothing electrical at all turned on inside the car)

Is my altenator overcharging when revved and has that lunched the battery? I'm not familiar with this aspect of cars as it's pretty much the only thing that's gone wrong with a car I've owned so far that I haven't come across until now :S

Sounds lunched to me ! They cost pif-all, so just replace it. My local garage man only charges £29 or something for the full-on huge-o-big size.

That sounds rather high to me ?

Sounds feasible, but I too have no idea how the charging circuits work ! Burgerman does though ! Ask him what the battery voltages should be under load/free/revs/etc.

The voltage immediately after charging is a bit meaningless, but put the headlights on for a few minutes to remove the surface charge, then switch 'em off and measure the voltage. A battery in good nick will show about 13.2V, dropping to 12.6V over several hours.

It's best to disconnect the leads from the battery whilst you do this, in case the (knackered) alterator is discharging it.

It is. Charging voltage shouldn't go over 14.7V Voltage also shouldn't change with engine speed.

17V is outside the safety limits the engineers would assume when designing the electrical gubbins - the alternator needs swapping ASAP(!), before it kills the ECU, radio and any mobile phone chargers or similar which are plugged in.

Yeah, the alternator is knackered.

Arse.

Heh, bastard isn't it?

I made a right f*ck up today with my Ti. I've had some water leaking from the water pump.(I think, it goes into the garage tomorrow.)

Anyway, I topped it up and forgot to put the cap back on. 8 miles later I wondered what the f*ck was wrong when I saw shit loads of smoke coming out from under the bonnet. Turned out to be steam as the water had all boiled up and erupted everywhere. Hoping to get a replacement cap later this evening.

Silly bastard me.