electrical probs diagnosed to delux clock

[Ands1]

I,ve had problems with the battery running flat after 3 days of standing, so I fitted a new battery & the same problem persists - the only thing left on is the delux clock, so with me pulling my hair out I sent it to my local aircooled garage & he knows his way around aircooled dubs, he fixed lots of dodgey connections but said the drain was coming from the clock so he disconnected it - I argued it,s been in for several years & been ok - would the clock mess up & drain the battery like this? it was still keeping good time. I,m not convinced as he spent 2 hours on checking all the wiring & it cost me a considerable amount of money, any shoulders to cry on?

 

[58herbie]

It could well be the clock, just leave it disconnected for a week or so to test out his thoeory. If the problem still persists then its not the clock and you have a drain somewhere else, are you still using a regulator and dynamo setup as if the points in the regulator are not closing/ sticking this can cause the stored power from the battery to go back through the reg to the dynamo.. thus giving a drain on the battery.

but try with the clock first..

Jon

 

[Ands1]

Thanks for the reply John, yes it,s still on regulator & dynamo a charge is being put to the battery, if disconnecting the clock does,nt cure the problem then I will suggest the regulator to him.
Thanks Andy

 

[mIKe cAIn]

surely it cantr be the clock, it only uses a tiny bit of juice every 60 secs or sor to keep it ticking, its not a constant supply

try it disconnected for a week or so, i think it will be something else

 

[Ands1]

well fed up tried her tonight 24 hours after she last run & she coughed as I turned the key, phoned up the lad who,d charged me x amount of pounds & I got the impression he is wanting to wash his hands of it...
Would a regulator be costly from GSF?
Andy

 

[Araon]

try dropping all the fuses fella and seeing what that produces, then introduce a cct at a time......

once you've id'd the cct then your in with a chance....

or if you have access to an ammeter try seeing whats being drawn on each cct whilst ignitions off....

it may well be your regulator but at 46.50 diagnose first....

 

[Ands1]

try dropping all the fuses fella and seeing what that produces, then introduce a cct at a time......

once you've id'd the cct then your in with a chance....

or if you have access to an ammeter try seeing whats being drawn on each cct whilst ignitions off....

it may well be your regulator but at 46.50 diagnose first....

Mechanics I,m ok with but electrics I,m useless. I tried the pulling of fuses but could,nt find any drop on my meter (not even sure I had it on amps dc ) this is why I sent it to my local aircooled mechanic who got his so called auto electrcian in to suss it all. I looked under the dash at the wiring & I know things have moved as new connections have been recrimped etc. But if he knew his onions he would of found the proper problem.
Set off south on Sunday so it,s not looking good looks like i,ll have to take the booster with me.

 

[Araon]

when you get to your destination pull the fuses and chill with a few cidersleave it till the next day and try to start see what that does if its still draining then your heading in the right location towards a regulator problem then when your down there nip into GSF..... or the likes

or pull the plug to the ignition switch

 

[Loxy]

Ive got a 38 amp regulator doing nothing in a box beside me, its not new but is a quality bosch item and was working nicely on my van before my alternator upgrade.
Pretty sure I can beat the £46.50 that GSF want for a non-bosch one :wink: (but you do need to be sure its a 38amp regulator and not a 30 amp one)

 

[Ands1]

Ive got a 38 amp regulator doing nothing in a box beside me, its not new but is a quality bosch item and was working nicely on my van before my alternator upgrade.
Pretty sure I can beat the £46.50 that GSF want for a non-bosch one :wink: (but you do need to be sure its a 38amp regulator and not a 30 amp one)

Thanks for the offer, not sure what amps it is, I,ve just been out to the van & removed all the fuses so if it still drains i,ll need a regulator, I set off from Manchester to St Ives on Sunday so I,ll be needing one pronto - thanks again Andy

 

[Loxy]

No problem, lets hope its just something trivial, would have thought that measuring the voltage accross the battery while someone revs the engine would tell you whether it is charging or not should get something like 14v if it is charging, also shouldnt the generator light come on if it isnt charging?

 

[Araon]

they'll be a part number on that regulator somewhere being a Bosch item.....ten to the penny its on the base :lol:

try this

http://www.ratwell.com/technical/ChargingSystem.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[58herbie]

No problem, lets hope its just something trivial, would have thought that measuring the voltage accross the battery while someone revs the engine would tell you whether it is charging or not should get something like 14v if it is charging, also shouldnt the generator light come on if it isnt charging?

Loxy,

its not that it is not charging.. the points in the regulator are not closing back to the stop charging position so all the charge in the battery that has just been stored there is now heading back to the Dynamo. As well as regulating the volts/current the regulator acts as a big switch to turn the juice to battery on and off this is triggered similar to a relay ( well thats all it is in theory) you have a perm live fom battery, switched live being charge from dynamo, warn light as a earth etc.

Bet you a pint its the points in the regulator.

Jon

 

[Loxy]

No problem, lets hope its just something trivial, would have thought that measuring the voltage accross the battery while someone revs the engine would tell you whether it is charging or not should get something like 14v if it is charging, also shouldnt the generator light come on if it isnt charging?

Loxy,

its not that it is not charging.. the points in the regulator are not closing back to the stop charging position so all the charge in the battery that has just been stored there is now heading back to the Dynamo. As well as regulating the volts/current the regulator acts as a big switch to turn the juice to battery on and off this is triggered similar to a relay ( well thats all it is in theory) you have a perm live fom battery, switched live being charge from dynamo, warn light as a earth etc.

Bet you a pint its the points in the regulator.

Jon

I see not really up on the finer points of van electrics - perhaps theres a book for that as well?

 

[58herbie]

not found one yet, just years of playin and doing it for a living

 

[Ands1]

No problem, lets hope its just something trivial, would have thought that measuring the voltage accross the battery while someone revs the engine would tell you whether it is charging or not should get something like 14v if it is charging, also shouldnt the generator light come on if it isnt charging?

Loxy,

its not that it is not charging.. the points in the regulator are not closing back to the stop charging position so all the charge in the battery that has just been stored there is now heading back to the Dynamo. As well as regulating the volts/current the regulator acts as a big switch to turn the juice to battery on and off this is triggered similar to a relay ( well thats all it is in theory) you have a perm live fom battery, switched live being charge from dynamo, warn light as a earth etc.

Bet you a pint its the points in the regulator.

Jon

I took out all the fuses last night, so in theory only the regulator & starter were still live, this morning I put all the fuses back in & bang she turned over & started right away -(with the engine off) checking with a volt meter i have 12.8v from the battery at the bottom of the regulater but checking at the top of the regulator on the live wire that goes to the dyno there is 0 volts - this is correct - if it was faulty I would get a reading as if the relay was letting the voltage pass yes?
Me thinks I,m gonna have to take me chances, I,ve got a small booster thing anyway.