Engine earthing points
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Engine block if it has one.
I keep getting a charging warning message on dash display (not a standard charge light). Battery charging voltage is OK at 14.3V, I've exchanged alternator with a secondhand one in case it was the charging warning circuit in regulator. I've changed regulator block with a brand new one, cleaned and replaced the battery terminals with solid ones, cleaned the earth connection next to battery, changed battery and I still get warning message but never a flat battery. The message does go off after some time driving. Possible faulty warning unit as this seems to be independant from the conventional charge warning light circuit?
Engine earth is the only thing I haven't checked yet and this is more in hope than expectation. If the earthing had been poor I'd thought I'd also have starter problems, which I don't.
Very puzzling?
Len
As a matter of course, and it being an easy job to do one afternoon in went in search of all the earthing straps to remove, check condition, clean up and refit. on doing so I found the battery earth ring terminal to the car body to be almost ripped through, literally hanging on by less than a quarter of the brass terminal, therefore a possible fail for the future now rectified.
Now of the flat braid type earth straps, on mine I noticed the green corrosion, so what I do, is clean off the corrosion and cover the things in vaseline, sure, it picks up road filth, but at least it's not corroding.
Now of the flat braid type earth straps, on mine I noticed the green corrosion, so what I do, is clean off the corrosion and cover the things in vaseline, sure, it picks up road filth, but at least it's not corroding.
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Touch wood its actually behaving itself at the moment. Its due a service in the next couple of weeks and I'll give the connections a clean when the undertray us off.
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Seems odd to have an earth lead to the starter, they usually just have a heavy + feed from the battery and a small trigger wire to the solenoid.
The main earth wire will be from most likely from the top of the gearbox close (& going to) to the adjacent chassis leg. They are usually just about invisible because of the amount of pipework on top but need to be checked both ends as can cause all manner of problems.
The main earth wire will be from most likely from the top of the gearbox close (& going to) to the adjacent chassis leg. They are usually just about invisible because of the amount of pipework on top but need to be checked both ends as can cause all manner of problems.
Thank you for replying!
By gearbox you mean clutch bell-housing?
This shows my arrangement. Perhaps someone re-assembled it wrong in the past and attached earth to the starter? It looks like the starter may have come from a scrap yard. The earth leads directly to the battery not to the chassis.
These photos are from changing the clutch last year. I gave the bits a clean to remove grime, but not particularly well.
I'll clean it up better. Is the earth strap meant to be in another location?
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http://i608.photobucket.com/albums/tt169/tenson_uk/IMG_20141014_153722.jpg
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By gearbox you mean clutch bell-housing?
This shows my arrangement. Perhaps someone re-assembled it wrong in the past and attached earth to the starter? It looks like the starter may have come from a scrap yard. The earth leads directly to the battery not to the chassis.
These photos are from changing the clutch last year. I gave the bits a clean to remove grime, but not particularly well.
I'll clean it up better. Is the earth strap meant to be in another location?
http://i608.photobucket.com/albums/tt169/tenson_uk/IMG_20141014_153722.jpg
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Looks like that earth strap has always been in that location so I would leave well alone. You say a s/h alternator has been fitted but I'm wondering whether it's past its best as the intermittent non charge could be down to worn brushes. Can you check the brushes on the old alternator? New brushes can be bought for a few £ off ebay.
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I've got mixed up, diagnosis of worn alternator brushes was in response to Len earlier in the thread.
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