charging problems FJ45

[1SICK6]

hey everyone, my mates troopy is having a few dramas charging the battery,
will it just need a new alternator or can something else be changed first like brushes or an external regulator thing? any help would be great. thank you P Smith

[nilla60]

Stick a multimeter on the alternator first and see how many volts are coming out (should be nearly 14V). I understand (but am not sure) that regulators usually let too much juice through when they go. Is it full of mud?

I replaced my alternator earlier this year because the seal between the vacuum pump and armature had worn a groove into the shaft and oil was leaking into the alternator.

[red]

g'day mate
the first thing i would look for is to see what the charging light on the dash is doing, is it staying on? if so could be either brushes or the external reg. Another thing you could do if possible is to grab a multimeter and check the voltage output of the Alternator (you want to have a reading of about 13volts to 14.5volts) anything outside this range may indicate a problem with the reg only. If this is fine check to see how old the battery is, are the plates covered, is there a black deposit under the caps (really dark)
Also is it a diesel or petro, if it is a diesel with the oilpump on the rear of the alternator, check the seal on the shaft to ensure no oil is leaking into the Alternator.
hope you find some of this useful and let me know how you get on
cheers

shaun

[oldtrack123]

Hi
where do we start ?
1 how many ks has it done ,brush wear not usually a problem unless in HIGH ks 200000+
2 alternators can but rarely fail due to insulation ,diodes problems.
3 regulators are a more common problem
4 does it charge at all ? amps ?,volts ?
5 are bat terminals clean & tight?
6 check all terminals on reg as well

[toy yoda]

as said check your basics.....

* with engine off put amultimetre on battery..note voltage eg 12.5v
then again with engine off check voltage at the output terminal (nut) on the back of alternator.........SHOULD read almost same +/- .2volt ....This checks no blown fuse links in charge circuit... if there is a significant difference check fuse links batterey terminals ect replace where nec

* run vehicle should note an increase in voltage at the alternator output you may only pick up to 13ish volt and then pick up to 14.5 ish at say 1200-1500rpm....if voltage does not increase when engine starts/revs problem in either alternator/regulator...

throw the shitty ext regulator system out the windy..

the external regulators are mechanical and continually prone to failureallways have been allways will be

fit a bosch internal regulated alternator into it......more reliable and much higher amps eg an efi magna ( tn/m/p) or ea falcon have 110amp

the earlier bosc int reg alternators are a bit more reliable ( regulator wise) that the newer ones but the older ones were only good for say about 55-60amp

use the newer ones and keep a spare voltage pack your set

[1SICK6]

thanx for all that info. ill get in to checking it all out, I didnt have much time to play with the car i just put mt bettery in it then stated it then took the leads off the battery and the car died. how much is a new external regulator for the alternator ruffly? also does a efi magna alternator fit straight on the fj engine? thank you

[toy yoda]

cant really remember but think the reg is worth about $60-70

No the bosch alt is not a straight drop in , but its bugger all really to get to fit................well worth the effort though

[nilla60]

I presume a Bosch swap from a Ford is not a candidate for a diesel where you need to have the vacuum pump.

[toy yoda]

yep....but ive fitted dual alternators to deisels before, keep the orig to charge the dual battert and run a ford high amp to run you main battery to cope with lights ect.............( or keep orig alt with main batt if you wish)
..............plus then you can have security of 2 alts when away, if alt for main batt shits swap wires and set

my 2f runs a 110 amp bosch (ea) for crank batt and an 80amp denso (cause its small) for the dual .....
i run 2 bats in the truck and third in trailer........i still have the solonoids to run normal dual batts if im down to one alt!!

[toy yoda]

you can get high output alts with vac pump ( on evil bay too) but not sure if they are in or ex reg!!