1.6TDI 2011 isn't charging and no codes.

[Hightower79]

As title.

 

Brand new battery and Voltage across battery terminals is 12.7v whilst running which is exactly the same as at rest. I checked the voltage on the large connector at back of alternator and is exactly the same and no end of reving will increase voltage.

 

I checked for voltage on the 2pin push in connector at the rear of the alternator (the one hard up against the water hose) and was only showing 11.3V on one and 11.7V on the other terminal (which both seem low for a live supply)

 

There are no faultr codes and no warning lights.

 

Alternator caput or feed to wires needs checking? Any other ideas?

[Breezy_Pete]

Someone recently had a case of a freewheeling alternator pulley failing in a way that meant the shaft of the alt was no longer rotating.

How many miles has the car done?

[Hightower79]

1 hour ago, Breezy_Pete said:

Someone recently had a case of a freewheeling alternator pulley failing in a way that meant the shaft of the alt was no longer rotating.

How many miles has the car done?

about 65000 miles.

 

[J.R.]

Did you have flat battery problems causing you to buy the new one or is it simply that the measurements you have taken after fitting the battery do not seem correct?

 

If it is the latter then perhaps you are doing something wrong with your measuring.

 

An alternator not charging will not create any fault codes, on a later vehicle with a battery control module it might, if the voltage gets too low you will get fault codes where modules cannot communicate or the higher current ones like electric power steering crash, none of these are likely to show up on a basic OBDII reader.

[Hightower79]

17 hours ago, J.R. said:

Did you have flat battery problems causing you to buy the new one or is it simply that the measurements you have taken after fitting the battery do not seem correct?

 

If it is the latter then perhaps you are doing something wrong with your measuring.

 

An alternator not charging will not create any fault codes, on a later vehicle with a battery control module it might, if the voltage gets too low you will get fault codes where modules cannot communicate or the higher current ones like electric power steering crash, none of these are likely to show up on a basic OBDII reader.

When you iwas first alerted to a problem it was because my wife couldn't start the car. I fitted a freshly charged new battery in place of the battery that came out. The voltage is 12.7v across the terminals and is exactly the same whilst the engine is running. The lower voltages where from the alternator rear connecter plug terminals. I was expecting 12.7v also not the 11 volt something I got. I was hoping someone could confirm these lower voltages were correct or not.

 

[sepulchrave]

32 minutes ago, Hightower79 said:

When you iwas first alerted to a problem it was because my wife couldn't start the car. I fitted a freshly charged new battery in place of the battery that came out. The voltage is 12.7v across the terminals and is exactly the same whilst the engine is running. The lower voltages where from the alternator rear connecter plug terminals. I was expecting 12.7v also not the 11 volt something I got. I was hoping someone could confirm these lower voltages were correct or not.

 

If you're not getting 14.4V across the battery with the engine running then the alternator is toast in some way, shape or form.

We could **** about changing this part or that but if you only want to do the job once then change the complete unit and do the belt as well while you're at it.

[Breezy_Pete]

Seems a very low mileage for the alternator itself to have failed. 

 

Can you take the aux belt off in order to easily experiment with the freewheel pulley and seeing if it turns the shaft when rotated the normal way.

 

I would say the 11.something voltages you're seeing at the two-pin connector are normal.

 

[Hightower79]

35 minutes ago, Breezy_Pete said:

Seems a very low mileage for the alternator itself to have failed. 

 

Can you take the aux belt off in order to easily experiment with the freewheel pulley and seeing if it turns the shaft when rotated the normal way.

 

I would say the 11.something voltages you're seeing at the two-pin connector are normal.

 

Thanks for your answer. To be honest, if I was going to take the wheel and inner mudgaurd off to get at the tensioner, then I would be buying a new alternator. I was hoping that it might be something like a relay or a fuse, but that is looking unlikely. A few years ago I would have probably looked in to doing this myself but working on axle stands and kneeling on the driveway is just beond me these days. I think it's time I handed the car over to a local garage and have a new alternator and drivebelt fitted.

 

[J.R.]

Is this not the vehicle type that had the problem of a fractured wire in the alternator excitor circuit?

 

Does the ignition warning light come on when you switch on the ignition?

[Breezy_Pete]

5 minutes ago, Hightower79 said:

Thanks for your answer. To be honest, if I was going to take the wheel and inner mudgaurd off to get at the tensioner, then I would be buying a new alternator. I was hoping that it might be something like a relay or a fuse, but that is looking unlikely. A few years ago I would have probably looked in to doing this myself but working on axle stands and kneeling on the driveway is just beond me these days. I think it's time I handed the car over to a local garage and have a new alternator and drivebelt fitted.

 

Trouble is, a new alternator probably wouldn't come with a new pulley, so you might end up only discovering that the problem was the pulley after you'd spent unnecessarily on the alternator, and then have to spend even more on a new freewheel pulley (assuming it has one, which I could check for you if you sent me your VIN in a message).

 

Is there maybe enough visibility through the vent slots in the casing to see if internals are spinning when engine is running?

[Hightower79]

15 minutes ago, Breezy_Pete said:

Trouble is, a new alternator probably wouldn't come with a new pulley, so you might end up only discovering that the problem was the pulley after you'd spent unnecessarily on the alternator, and then have to spend even more on a new freewheel pulley (assuming it has one, which I could check for you if you sent me your VIN in a message).

 

Is there maybe enough visibility through the vent slots in the casing to see if internals are spinning when engine is running?

Yes, possibly. perhaps stick a piece of paper or the end of a cable tie in and see if it makes a clicking noise when it hits the rotating bits.

 

[Hightower79]

27 minutes ago, J.R. said:

Is this not the vehicle type that had the problem of a fractured wire in the alternator excitor circuit?

 

Does the ignition warning light come on when you switch on the ignition?

I have checked that there is voltage going to the alternator via the 2 pin plug even though it's about 11.5 volts.

 

Yes, the ignition light does come on with just the ignition on and engine not running. All warning lights go out when running

 

[J.R.]

Wait a few days  and see if the battery discharges, you can check the voltage frequently so as not to overdischarge it or not be able to start the car again.

 

If it doesn't then you need to consider how you have been taking the readings, you have given zero details about your vehicle, age, engine type etc, does it by any chance have a start-stop system?

 

Fabia 2 2007-2014 would suggest not but you may even have posted in the wrong section, please give vehicle details.

 

Something else you could do is measure the battery voltage at idle and then with a full electrical load, lights, heater fan, heated rear screen etc, if the voltage does not drop your vehicle is charging.

 

I dont want to hear you have paid out for a new alternator for nothing.

Edited 5 September, 2023 by J.R.

[Hightower79]

2 minutes ago, J.R. said:

Wait a few days  and see if the battery discharges, you can check the voltage frequently so as not to overdischarge it or not be able to start the car again.

 

If it doesn't then you need to consider how you have been taking the readings, you have given zero details about your vehicle, age, engine type etc, does it by any chance have a start-stop system?

 

Fabia 2 2007-2014 would suggest not but you may even have posted in the wrong section, please give vehicle details.

It's discharged 3 times now. I am alternating battery's as I have two. The original one in the car was only fitted 2 years ago and the other one is a brand new unit that I had bought for my truck a few months ago and not fitted yet. The voltages taken was directly after I fitted a newly charged battery and was more of a demonstration that it is reading the same voltage before and after engine was running thus coming to the conclusion the alternator isn't outputting voltage.

 

I am not sure why you are questioning a lack of info about vehical age, engine type etc? The title of my post has 2011 1.6TDI and it obviously is a Fabia 2 as that's why I posted it on this forum. I have even mentioned milage in this thread! I wasn't aware however that they sold this model with start stop. This one doesn't have it.

[J.R.]

Apologies, I had not seen the title, its customary to look at someones profile signature which is to the left of every posting they make to find details like whether their vehicle is petrol or diesel, I had scrolled up to your first posting, seen the section it was in but not the title.