G60 high battery drain ... Alternator?

[LJ 0]

Hi guys

Need some guidance!

Noticed that my alternator casing was quite warm to touch with ignition off, yet everything around it was cold; block, SC, coolant pipes. So no heat transferred from anything else.

So used multimeter to read current drain .... 3.5amps!

Pulled fuses out from fuse panel one at a time, no change.

Then did the same for all the relays, except for fuel pump after run? and fan after run? (sat on top of fuse panel) as I couldn't see how to release them. Anyway bar those two relays all others removed and still 3.5amps drain.

So next I disconnected the alternator and then it went to 0amps!

 

Do I need a new alternator?

 

Background; cars been laid up in my garage for "some time" :( trying to get her on the road again. Fitted new battery, coil, dizzy cap, dizzy rotor, cleaned all earths, cleaned all connectors, fresh fuel in the tank, new cam belt and set timing as per G60 timing thread.

....have yet to fit new fuel filter.

 

Anything else I can test or try before going refurbished alternator ?

 

Had my fling with new cars and now desperate to get back in a G60.

[davidwort 0]

yep, sounds like it's shot, draining power back from the battery and getting warm, try disconnecting it over night to check the battery is OK, but it's pretty clear the alternator needs replacing, can't remember exactly what causes this, possibly the rectifier diodes blowing, these could be repaired/replaced, but it's a bit of a specialised job with heavy duty soldering and access to the correct electrical spares, an exchange alternator is probably most cost effective.

[LJ 0]

Thanks for the reply.

So as I feared, I need a new alternator :(

 

Any recommendations of where to source one from or places to avoid ?

[LJ 0]

Well I've fitted a refurbished Bosch alternator from my local GSF, a 90amp to replace the failed 65amp. GSF parts guy said it was the last one in their stock, van'd from Harlow.

Came with regulator and pulley but was missing the suppressor. So I used the old units suppressor.

 

Plugged all fuses and relays back in and the current drain is, according to my cheap multimeter, about 0.1 Amps.

See if she'll start and run in the morning...