Another alternator problem (?)

[piers_finlayson]

Got 100 yards yesterday early morning when all the lights came on on the dash - not flickering, but solid on and didn't go ff. Decided sod it and carried on going - 30 minutes drive in the dark, and 30 minutes back again in the dark, and only just made it home

Anyway, I've checked all the cables I can find and these seem fine so been trying to get the bloody plug out the back of the alternator, but can get enough leverage with the a/c pump in the way. Is there any way to remove the a/c pump without letting all the gas out?

Any other suggestions/tips? If I can get the plug out and clean it and that doesn't fit it my next step was to take the whole alternator off and strip it down and rebuild to see if that fixes it.

Piers

 

[Chris]

That does sound like the classic sticking brushes. Might turn out to be worse of course. You can't take the AC to bits and not let the gas out. No. You can unbolt the pump and wiggle it out of the way but by far the easiest it to just take the air filter housing off. Plenty of room then. Obviously make sure that your belts haven't come off. It can be that simple.
The plug can get grubbed up and sometimes a bit singed too.

Chris

 

[piers_finlayson]

Ta. Belts still on and going round. There's a lot of crap on the pipe right next to the plug. I'll try the air filter housing.

 

[frank rabbets]

HI Boyo

My mother was born in Amanford and spoke welsh!
Anyway, back on track, did your voltmeter drop to 0 volts?
Off with MY alternator tomorrow.

Frank

 

[piers_finlayson]

I'm an immigrant so I speak no Welsh!

No, don't think the voltage drops down to 0V - it stays around halfway during starting, and then stays there. (Whereas with the alternator working it would go above halfway.)