Bugger! Broken down in Tennant Creek! Busted Alternator?

[myminirocks Member Find all posts View Profile Close myminirocks]

Hey all, sorry, been quiet recently as we are on the road with very limited Internet. Our trip round Oz has been going great, until now. Pulled into the devils marbles yesterday and noticed the aircon had switched off, also there was no power to anything else on the dash, stereo, UHF, cigi plug etc.

Backed the camper in and just as I was about to switch the car off, the check engine light turned on.

So I checked the engine.... It was still there... Kidding (John(roo) you taught me better then that!) I checked every sensor I could get at to make sure nothing had just rattled loose, checked the fuel filters for water, checked the air filter (did some water crossings a few days ago) all looked good, so went to start up the car again and it did, only just, and then all the lights were on, handbrake, engine, oil, airbag, abs etc etc, so I switched it off again.

Knowing the crank battery was struggling to start the car more and more over the last few months I thought this could just be a caput battery throwing up fluctuating volts, so I started the car on the aux battery, no probs, no fault lights but as soon as I went back to the crank battery, lights galore.

Ok, sounds like the old crank battery has finally given up.

So I drove 5ks up the road the next day (starting car with aux but it then runs on the crank battery) to use a payphone to call the AANT (ie racq/racv equiv in NT) but because I was 13ks outside of their zone it would cost $280 to get a guy out.

Confident this was an electrical problem not mechanical, I decided to drive into tennant creek, well, 60ks out, every light lit up, and we lost all instrumentation (speedo etc). Mechanically the car still felt and sounded fine, so we babied it into tenant creek at about 70kph where the engine finally cut out in the main st. Mind you, there are worse places to brake down, outside a pub, across from autopro and a mechanic (closed though)

Long story short, I got a new battery, started the car fine, but the battery was going down not up...... Alternator???

So, purpose of this post is to clarify a few things so I don't get bent over tomorrow by the local auto lecky.

1. Guessing the battery was running everything with no alternator, hence the gradual lose of everything electrical, until it lost enough power to no longer run the fuel pump/ injector system, and finally stopped?
2. These alternators are 'water proof' and the creek crossings should not have killed it?
3. Possibly though we could have got some dirt and crap in the brushes?
4. How do I tell if the whole thing needs replacing vs just a clean up of the brushes
5. There is no noise, so assuming its not the bearings?
6. Finally, if I do need a replacement one...... What's it going to cost me, approx obviously, is $500 a reasonable estimate (trying to prep the accountant)
7. Oh, and am I right in assuming it is actually not too hard to get out? Remove drivers wheel, plastic flap, loosen belt/flywheel remove what looks like a top and bottom bolt?

Any other tips?

[photoprado Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close photoprado]

Hi, Hope it works out Matt. I found one relevent threads to read: http://www.pradopoint.com/showthread...Water-Crossing Cheers

[myminirocks Member Find all posts View Profile Close myminirocks]

Ha thx jasen, should have titled the post 'Prado Down'!

Off to see Kevin in about an hour.

I did end up butting the bullet and trawling the forum last night and had a read of some great threads,just such limited Internet on the road we have to watch every kB.

Looks like all my symptoms are pointing towards a bung alternator hoping it can be repaired.

I'll let you all know in about 5hrs

[LeighW Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close LeighW]

Hi,

First thing, check the ALT-S fuse in the main fuse box in the engine bay, if
you have a booster diode fitted, mark which way around it is before removing
else you may compound faults! replace booster with fuse and test.

If fault still persists, a common complaint is with the alternators dieing after a
water crossing, the main cause of failure is the carbon brushes getting stuck
in the holders due to mud.

It might also be possible that if you have been doing a lot of dust roads that the dust has
built up ion the alternator and that a creek crossing has caused the dust to turn to mud.

Try washing out the alternator with a pressure hose, if that does not work then I would
pull the alternator down and check the brushes manually. If you can't see anything then
no choice but a new or rebuilt alternator.

Cheers
Leigh

[D4Dforme Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close D4Dforme]

Yeah mate sounds like a crook alternator for sure........I had the same issue in an older 4Runner.....car would run on battery power alone but not for long.

I'm in Darwin and if I were you i'd be getting on to Peter Brown auto electrics to see if they have one in stock and see if it can come overnight via a courier which will be travelling up and down the track between Darwin/Alice every day/night or even a Greyhound coach etc.

Good luck with it mate and expect to pay some extra N.T tax on your purchase..........welcome to the Territory.


Dan

[tokhi Member Find all posts View Profile Close tokhi]

Hey mymini, not a mechanic, but the same thing happened to mates prado last year on a trip. We had 9 cars on trip, and about 130 odd kms. We were taking turns swapping batteries with him every hour to get him to the nearest town.
Local coppers came to the rescue by taking us to the local impound yard for deserted vehicles to get a replacement alternator at about 1am.

[myminirocks Member Find all posts View Profile Close myminirocks]

Hey everyone, thanks for your responses. Well I'm not really any wiser. The auto lecky was not interested in any sort of testing other then what I had done, less really, just tested the voltage off, starting, and running and then reving. Not interested in pulling it out to check/clean/replaces brushes. After seeing the battery going down rather then up, he just said he'll order a new one. Unfortunately he didn't have one on the shelf (every second car round here is a Prado, well, not including commondoors) so $550 landed tomorrow morning, then need to put it in. I can't imagine pulling old one out and new one in is any more then a 2 hr job?

Anyway, it is what it is.

When asking what he thought could have done it he said basically the same as we all already know, maybe dust/mud in the brushes, maybe burn out running three batteries, He did notice where one of my spotties had fallen off last week and the terminals were still loose (just hadn't got round to taping them up yet) and he eventually settled on the most likely reason being that the spottie terminals lrobay made contact with the bull bar a couple of times shorting out and eventually burning the alternator out.

So moral of the story, if your spotties fall off, tape up and insulate those terminals immediately!

[myminirocks Member Find all posts View Profile Close myminirocks]

Tokhi that's a great story! Wish I has 12 other prado's to escort me to Darwin!

Unfortunately the mechanic/wrecker in town didn't have a Prado. Amazing because there really are so many of them round here.

I recon he'd be able to sell you a commodore alternator for about $100 though, he'd have hundreds!

[Anth120playdo Banned Find all posts View Profile Close Anth120playdo]

Hey all, sorry, been quiet recently as we are on the road with very limited Internet. Our trip round Oz has been going great, until now. Pulled into the devils marbles yesterday and noticed the aircon had switched off, also there was no power to anything else on the dash, stereo, UHF, cigi plug etc.

Backed the camper in and just as I was about to switch the car off, the check engine light turned on.

So I checked the engine.... It was still there... Kidding (John(roo) you taught me better then that!) I checked every sensor I could get at to make sure nothing had just rattled loose, checked the fuel filters for water, checked the air filter (did some water crossings a few days ago) all looked good, so went to start up the car again and it did, only just, and then all the lights were on, handbrake, engine, oil, airbag, abs etc etc, so I switched it off again.

Knowing the crank battery was struggling to start the car more and more over the last few months I thought this could just be a caput battery throwing up fluctuating volts, so I started the car on the aux battery, no probs, no fault lights but as soon as I went back to the crank battery, lights galore.

Ok, sounds like the old crank battery has finally given up.

So I drove 5ks up the road the next day (starting car with aux but it then runs on the crank battery) to use a payphone to call the AANT (ie racq/racv equiv in NT) but because I was 13ks outside of their zone it would cost $280 to get a guy out.

Confident this was an electrical problem not mechanical, I decided to drive into tennant creek, well, 60ks out, every light lit up, and we lost all instrumentation (speedo etc). Mechanically the car still felt and sounded fine, so we babied it into tenant creek at about 70kph where the engine finally cut out in the main st. Mind you, there are worse places to brake down, outside a pub, across from autopro and a mechanic (closed though)

Long story short, I got a new battery, started the car fine, but the battery was going down not up...... Alternator???

So, purpose of this post is to clarify a few things so I don't get bent over tomorrow by the local auto lecky.

1. Guessing the battery was running everything with no alternator, hence the gradual lose of everything electrical, until it lost enough power to no longer run the fuel pump/ injector system, and finally stopped?
2. These alternators are 'water proof' and the creek crossings should not have killed it?
3. Possibly though we could have got some dirt and crap in the brushes?
4. How do I tell if the whole thing needs replacing vs just a clean up of the brushes
5. There is no noise, so assuming its not the bearings?
6. Finally, if I do need a replacement one...... What's it going to cost me, approx obviously, is $500 a reasonable estimate (trying to prep the accountant)
7. Oh, and am I right in assuming it is actually not too hard to get out? Remove drivers wheel, plastic flap, loosen belt/flywheel remove what looks like a top and bottom bolt?

Any other tips?

Bit late maybe but, always check fuses first.
There is a 10a one that can blow, to do with Towbar plugs & water.
New brushes& bearings $150 or so, maybe double there? Plus r&r.
New alt, $200-300-400, that's chinese ones, out there $600?
They are not waterproof, but pretty good & water usually doesn't affect them too much.
Problem is water can wash crap into it, it you might get away, with a clean up.

[Anth120playdo Banned Find all posts View Profile Close Anth120playdo]

Hey everyone, thanks for your responses. Well I'm not really any wiser. The auto lecky was not interested in any sort of testing other then what I had done, less really, just tested the voltage off, starting, and running and then reving. Not interested in pulling it out to check/clean/replaces brushes. After seeing the battery going down rather then up, he just said he'll order a new one. Unfortunately he didn't have one on the shelf (every second car round here is a Prado, well, not including commondoors) so $550 landed tomorrow morning, then need to put it in. I can't imagine pulling old one out and new one in is any more then a 2 hr job?

Anyway, it is what it is.

When asking what he thought could have done it he said basically the same as we all already know, maybe dust/mud in the brushes, maybe burn out running three batteries, He did notice where one of my spotties had fallen off last week and the terminals were still loose (just hadn't got round to taping them up yet) and he eventually settled on the most likely reason being that the spottie terminals lrobay made contact with the bull bar a couple of times shorting out and eventually burning the alternator out.

So moral of the story, if your spotties fall off, tape up and insulate those terminals immediately!

Did he check fuses with a test light? If this fuse is blown it will not charge. It's not an alternator fuse I think it's ign1 or 2

The spotties should have a fuse somewhere? So that shouldn't happen.....?

2hrs to r&r should be about right.

[ntp Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close ntp]

What do you think of TC, I was going to stop on my way to Perth from Brisbane but didn't like the look of it and kept going to Alice. Every pub on the mane street had hundreds of "locals" standing outside drinking and smoking. It was a monday morning and I can remember thing it must be a public holiday in NT.

Ah... Old TFC...

Personally I'd quickly refuel at TFC but stop at Banka Banka station or even Wycliffe Well.

[foxclan Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close foxclan]

Do I need to guess what the F in TFC stands for?

That would be "Flamin" right?
Cheers
Alf Stewart-Home & Away

[Anth120playdo Banned Find all posts View Profile Close Anth120playdo]

Fark cry ing out loud

[myminirocks Member Find all posts View Profile Close myminirocks]

No need to guess, we had specially made plans not to even stop in TC, we have had a number of family pass through give us the heads up, it truly is a very sad state of affairs with the locals. BUT on the flip side, we had a recommendation to stay at the Outback Caravan park (vs the Tennant Creek Caravan Park) and this park is one of, if not the best park we have stayed in to date. Big sites (heaps of drive through if you like that sort of thing) shade, almost green grass, extremely clean amenities, camp kitchens, honestly it is great. It is a few blocks away from the main drag so it seems to be able to stay isolated from the rest of TFC.

If do have to stop, do yourself a favour and bunk down here, we looked at the other one, its right next to the 24hr BP so like bugs to a light, the riff raff are drawn to that end of town.

[ondaboat Coopers Pale Ale Find all posts View Profile Close ondaboat]

I have a S/H one I can sell you. It's attached to a motor at Kununurra that's 100k old and F&^%$%. But hey my new 76 series Land Cruiser hire car is going well.