| Author | Message | ||
     Jason McCombs (Jasonmc) Member Username: Jasonmc Post Number: 135 Registered: 06-2003 |
i got some real probs here and i dont know what to check first. I drive in to work fine today, nott a long drive probably 15 minutes, part highway, part city. She drive fine all the way here, started up fine no problems at all. now 1 block form work i drive over a small bump in the road doing maybe 20-25mph and the abs light comes on then 100 yards later the battery light comes on. 100 yards after that the service engine light starts intermitantly glowing very pale, not ar full strenght along with the low fuel indicator. i sat in the partking lot looking at my dash board of horror, wondering what the hell? i shut off the truck and when i went to start it back up it was really, really week like a bad battery, but it slowly turned over. it sounds like its running ok no noises or faltering but the same lights are on doing the same thing. the battery is a red top optima i bought it maybe 6 months ago. Last night i had changed the oil, and changed the fluids in both difs so what did i do wrong that led to this. it would seem to me that proper maintenance shouldn't have adverse affects. any and all help please. for reference sake it's a 96' | ||
| Matt Anderson (Disco01) Member Username: Disco01 Post Number: 156 Registered: 10-2003 |
I am gonna guess you have a bad alternator, and that it is coincidental you did some maintenance work yesterday. I would go by an autozone afterwork and have them do a free battery/ alternator test. Also, if you had just hit a bump, make sure the battery cables did not come loose. | ||
| Bill Mallin (Billmallin) Member Username: Billmallin Post Number: 72 Registered: 09-2003 |
You had the oil changed or you changed it? I'm praying your drain plugs are where they should be... I'm praying they put oil back in it after draining it... "really really weak" sounds like the battery... alternator? | ||
| Jason McCombs (Jasonmc) Member Username: Jasonmc Post Number: 136 Registered: 06-2003 |
ok quick update i just went out and checked her again because i couldn't even begin to concentrate on wokring wiht my Disco not being happy. i checked my oil level to make sure i didn't do something idiotic like underfill or overfill, i checked to make sure my oil filter didnt fall off. LOL they checkout. i checked the battery leads. then i remembered that when i was changing the oil yesterday i was alos cleaning up the engine some looking for leaks etc..there was some oil leakage on the front of the engine right behind where the alternator is nothing extreme but it was decently grimmy so i fished my hand sround behind the alternator and cleaned up as much of the oil and dirt as a i could. Now im thinking did i mess up some of the wiring harness back there? beciase today after i went back out to the truck i sort of wiggled the wires around and rechecked the battery terminals and the leads going to the alternator. well after i jostled them around a bit i restarted the truck, and voilla. no lights no hard start. she ran beautifully, i drove her around the tarmac here where i work and drove like an asshole doing some haard turns and driving over bumps to see if the lights would come back on. i know thats not exactly a controlled scientific study but its the best i could do for the moment. i thought that i read somewhere a while back about bad wire leads from the alternator to the battery that can cause all sorts of probs like this. Maybe thats it i don't know. so.. anyone got any ideas? | ||
| Jason McCombs (Jasonmc) Member Username: Jasonmc Post Number: 137 Registered: 06-2003 |
Bill. i changed the oil myself. and i am hyper critical, bordering paranoia, about checking my drain plug. Can anyone tell me a good way to check/ test the battery/alternator wire leads? | ||
| Blue (Blue) Dweb Lounge Member Username: Blue Post Number: 1075 Registered: 04-2003 |
sounds like alternator wiring problem to me the moral of the story is "a dirty engine is a happy engine" | ||
| Jason McCombs (Jasonmc) Member Username: Jasonmc Post Number: 138 Registered: 06-2003 |
lol, yeah thats exactly what i was thinking blue. i should have left well enough alone. Heres another thing that got my heart racing this AM. After all the lights had just come on i was sitting in the parking lot at work. i shut the engine off and all of a sudden i smelled this horrible acrid burning tar smell. The first thing that went through my mind was, " F*** i just toasted my engine. What the hell am i gonna do now" ? In my panic state it took me about 30 seconds to remember that they are re-taring the roof of the WWII era airplane hanger where i work. but i tell ya.. before my mind was able to piece it all together i was already trying to figure out how to explain to my wife how this had happened and that it really isn't "better" to take it to the quick oil change places.. LOL | ||
| eric johnson (Eric2) Member Username: Eric2 Post Number: 221 Registered: 05-2003 |
To save money, British car companies get some guy to calculate the smallest gage wire that can be used in a particular application. They assume that the wires will never lose insulation, live in a moderate temperature, never corrode anywhere ever and the wire will never vibrate when the car is running. Leave electrical wiring to folks who have advanced beyond steam engines. | ||
| Jason McCombs (Jasonmc) Member Username: Jasonmc Post Number: 140 Registered: 06-2003 |
i have more woes now. i took to the rover to lunch and drove to the resturaunt fine probably 3 or so miles. then on the way back to work after about 2 miles. The abs light went on followed by a dimmly light battery light. i pulled over and left the engine running and fished around at the connections for the battery and the alt. and got back in but no change. I got it back to the work parking lot and turned the engine off. when in went to restart the enigine it was barely able to turn over. so what do i do now? im not sure it will make it home the way its going. any suggestions? anyone with more rover knowledge then me anywhere near Alameda, Ca? please let me know. or give me a call at work. 510-749-6898 ex. 328 | ||
| Rob Caulfield (Wrldky) Member Username: Wrldky Post Number: 71 Registered: 02-2003 |
Jason, You didn't take off the serpentine belt when you were working in the engine? | ||
| Jason McCombs (Jasonmc) Member Username: Jasonmc Post Number: 141 Registered: 06-2003 |
no i didnt take any belts off. i was really just cleaning the oil and grime off. no tools just paper towels. | ||
| wayne reyes (Snodog) Member Username: Snodog Post Number: 60 Registered: 07-2003 |
Thats a good point check serp. belt make sure it doesnt have any kind of oil or grease on it so its not slipping on alternator.Because it does sound like a alt/battery issue.Good luck. | ||
| Jason McCombs (Jasonmc) Member Username: Jasonmc Post Number: 142 Registered: 06-2003 |
i had the alternaotr checked it was only showing 9 volts at the battery with the engine running. so after some serious hunting i tracked down a company locally ( Oakland, Ca) that had rebuilt OEMs in stock for $195 with a 1 year warranty. which is the best deal i could find. if anyone wants the contact info. let me know. |
