Lights flickering

[sepulchrave]

Well, I'm stumped.

 

All the lights are flickering and the car has started idling erratically. The lights flicker at all revs from idle upwards.

 

The battery is in good condition, terminals clean, greased and tight, voltage reading is 12.2V before starting, 14.2V once running irrespective of revs.

 

All the wiring connections are clean and tight and it starts easily every time, I very recently replaced all the HT leads and the plugs were done in the spring, the coilpack is only eighteen months old.

 

I've only noticed this since BST came to an end because I'm driving in the dark more, the erratic idle and flatspot off idle seems to be getting slightly worse, it's fine above 2000 rpm although the lights still flicker.

 

It's NOT a VRS by the way.

 

What am I missing here?

 

 

[KenONeill]

Well, I don't know if this is the case with the Furbie, but on a Felly there's an alternator control box issue that leads to it over-charging and this sounds sort of similar.

 

Check output at 2_000rpm and if that's over 14.4V talk to an auto electrician about an new control box or alternator before driving anywhere!

[sepulchrave]

Thanks Ken,

 

Alternator output from idle upwards is 14.2V and it doesn't vary at all. Battery is a decent quality correctly rated calcium type and about three years old.

 

I've checked for the presence of any AC voltage across the battery terminals today and had fluctuating readings between 0.0V and 0.2V which suggests that the rectifier may be failing and transmitting more ripple than the ECU might enjoy.

 

Had a strange experience on the way home, while accelerating up a slight hill in top gear the engine suddenly started pinking very heavily then cleared and the idle seems to have settled now. Going to reset the ECU while I'm at work tomorrow and see if the ignition was indeed over-advanced.

[no1joe]

Hi mate, are you having any problems with your power steering aswell?

[sepulchrave]

No, the steering is fine and the symptoms are there even when the car is stationary and idling. Why?

[Dazza1]

Thanks Ken,

 

Alternator output from idle upwards is 14.2V and it doesn't vary at all. Battery is a decent quality correctly rated calcium type and about three years old.

 

I've checked for the presence of any AC voltage across the battery terminals today and had fluctuating readings between 0.0V and 0.2V which suggests that the rectifier may be failing and transmitting more ripple than the ECU might enjoy.

 

Had a strange experience on the way home, while accelerating up a slight hill in top gear the engine suddenly started pinking very heavily then cleared and the idle seems to have settled now. Going to reset the ECU while I'm at work tomorrow and see if the ignition was indeed over-advanced.

Any chance you can check the voltage from the Alternator whilst someone puts the Power Steering on full lock and back and forth in the full lock position and then see if you see any fluctuation. If you had seen my thread from yesterday my (I know it's a vRS but...) car suffered from flickering lights and the PAS dropping out and it transpires that it was a faulty regulator in the alternator. Could be coincidence but probably worth checking.

[no1joe]

Just curious about the steering as I had the lights flickering, etc, aswell as an intermittant power steering fault. Mine turned out to be a steering angle sensor which has cured the lot

[sepulchrave]

Ok, faulty regulator/rectifier replaced, turns out that it was only delivering 30A under full load and the alternator is rated for 90A.

 

Had the alternator fully dynamically bench tested, parts supplied and fitted then re-tested, all for £35.

 

Battery is now on boost charge because I ran the car for quite a while with the alternator belt disconnected. Fingers crossed.

[sepulchrave]

Ha,

 

Clearly I spoke too soon, the alternator was indeed faulty, however it now transpires that the steering angle sensor was also to blame.

 

Trust it to be a Friday evening when this happens, I need to use the car but it's running like a dog and stalling constantly.

 

My options until I can get my hands on a new sensor next week:

 

1) Disconnect the main lead to the power steering at the fusible links on top of the battery box.

 

2) Pull the fuse for the power steering ECU in the main fuse board in the car.

 

3) Disconnect the faulty steering angle sensor by unplugging it from the ECU

 

4) Remove the sensor and attempt to dry it out over the weekend if it's full of water (as I suspect) then refit it.

 

Based on experience can anyone suggest the best course of action please, I live in the countryside and have no access to another vehicle so I can cope without any power steering temporarily, what I can't cope with is intermittent power steering and rough running.

[fabrel]

The cutting out is new? Doesn't the aux belt  run the water pump? As or the steering, the fuse on the battery should stop it from kicking in and out.

[giandougl]

I had this problem with another car I had at the time, highlights resembled headlights on a police-car with the amount of flashing dim/bright, turned out to be faulty thingy in the alternator.

Replaced alternator £30.00, problem solved.

[sepulchrave]

The cutting out is new? Doesn't the aux belt  run the water pump? As or the steering, the fuse on the battery should stop it from kicking in and out.

 

It was stalling on tickover whilst driving home last night. The auxiliary belt only runs the alternator and the aircon pump.

 

I had this problem with another car I had at the time, highlights resembled headlights on a police-car with the amount of flashing dim/bright, turned out to be faulty thingy in the alternator.

Replaced alternator £30.00, problem solved.

 

Thanks, I've already fixed the alternator as stated earlier.

[sepulchrave]

Ok, I've simply disconnected the power steering at fuse 3 on top of the battery, the steering is heavy but far from unmanageable.

 

I'll try and whip the sensor out sometime this week and see if it's waterlogged, the fact that it works intermittently suggests that it's not fried and a thorough drying out and resealing may fix it for now.

[sepulchrave]

Blast, the cars still running badly and wanting to stall once it's onto closed loop, suspect an induction leak since opening the throttle provokes a big hesitation. Why are these damn cars so unreliable, three faults all at once, it's just unreasonable.