spent £79 today on a recond alternator from a local motor factors, theres one slight difference between the two - on the one i had there was a small white box on the side wit some markings on it and there isnt one on this new one but there is the space to put one i asked the guy in the shop and he said its not essential but if i really wanna get one they sell them down the road for £3 odd, couldnt be arsed to go down there so i came back home and fitted the new alternator

STILL DOESNT BL00DY WELL START!!!!

got towed for a bit and tried bump sarting it - no luck, tried jumping it off another battery - no luck however when i was beingtowed and tried to start it i turned the key put it in second and dropped the clutch - car slowed down and there was a ticking noise coming from the passenger footwell area, then whn i put my foot on the acelerator there was a whirring noise and as we came to a stop the car was lurching like it does when you stop in gear without putting your foot on the clutch but there were no revs whatsoever :( any ideas what could be the problem? please tell me its cheap as my next question soon is going to be does anyone want to buy it as i cant afford the insurance next year !!

If you have clicking come from the passenger foot well, it sounds like a relay clicking. That could point to an electrical problem. I would start with the cheap option and look at the box on the side of the alternator - sounds like it should be there for me, especially if it was on your old one.

I have a feeling that is a voltage regulator. Get that and see what happens - its worth it for a few quid. Look at the fuse box, and check the relays, do you get power at ignition? Does the starter turn?

the small white box is to stop back emf, it contains a diode and capacitor. I don't think that would be a problem with starting though, it is merely there to protect the alternator case from melting if there is an electrical problem as far as i know. I didn't get it on my new alternator as well so I had removed it from the previous one and fitted it to it.

I may be wildly off here, but I don't understand how the alternator, defective or otherwise can effect starting. It plays no part other than to be mechanically driven by the engine to generate electrical current AFTER the engine starts.

In a bump start, the road wheels and gear-box are used instead of the battery / starter motor to turn the engine over. If a diesel engine fails to fire on a bump start, I would be suspicious of a fuelling issue or an electrical problem other than the alternator. As has already been said the "clicking" sounds as if a relay is trying to complete some circuit or other. The "kangarooing" you describe can be symptomatic of a fuelling problem but unfortunately, other problems as well.

Sorry I can't be more specific or helpful.

A diesel being difficult to start, and kangarooing when/if it does suggests an air leak into the fuel system to me.

I may be wildly off here, but I don't understand how the alternator, defective or otherwise can effect starting. It plays no part other than to be mechanically driven by the engine to generate electrical current AFTER the engine starts.

In a bump start, the road wheels and gear-box are used instead of the battery / starter motor to turn the engine over. If a diesel engine fails to fire on a bump start, I would be suspicious of a fuelling issue or an electrical problem other than the alternator. As has already been said the "clicking" sounds as if a relay is trying to complete some circuit or other. The "kangarooing" you describe can be symptomatic of a fuelling problem but unfortunately, other problems as well.

Sorry I can't be more specific or helpful.

:iagree:

it lives! after leaving the battery to charge for a few hours it started i think the problem was that there just wasnt enough power in the battery to get it going as the radio and lights had been on after we broke down! thanks for everyones help though

Well done

Now check that there's the right levels of electrolyte in the battery

funny you should say that drove to town last night...well for about 15 mins and by the time i stopped my lights were dim, the windscreen wipers were slow and the radio wouldnt come on..... :S looks like the alternator isnt working could it be i need the voltage regulator? or is my battery dead?

I'd be 99% certain that if the charging/battery light glows at all when you're driving then it'll be the alternator, though you've fitted a new one of them. So you have a dead battery.

how can i be certain that the battery is dead? im going to get a voltage regulator for it tomorrow if its only a couple of quid fit that and see if the problem resolves..... as well it turns out i left the courtesy light on all night when i went to get the car today and had to get towed home but i kept on trying to start it as we were getting towed and no luck there :S

When the car is not running, a multimeter on the battery terminals wshould read about 12.4v or more. If it reads 12v or less then chances are the battery is having difficulty holding charge (assuming it's been given plenty of opportunity to charge).

the battery was checked just after it came off charge and aparantly it read at 13v

and i cant find a voltage regulator anywhere, either of he two motor factors near me or halfrauds or sparesworld none of them had a clue what i was on about when i asked for either volatge regulator or 'that little white box on the side of the alternator' would a main dealer have one?

Check the voltage again tomorrow. The voltage will have dropped, as the battery will naturally lose charge over time without being connected to anything. This is a natural battery thing to do, but if it drops too much, say below 12.2v, then the battery is probably not holding charge properly.

As for voltage regulator main dealers should have a better clue. But if they don't part numbers should be.

1.3 voltage regulator - 115 901 253

1.3 with air con/power steering - 004 003 226 J

1.6 or 1.9d 028 903 803 D or 028 903 803 DX (no idea what the difference is, the X makes me think it is a higher voltage one perhaps)

You can also buy replacement carbon brushes for certain models but it's probably less messing about to just take the whole unit off and replace it as one lot.

A quick phone call with the appropriate part number to the local sdealer's parts should get you the price.

Butts of Bawtry also do the voltage regulators for around £15, If you can't get one from main dealers try there

jeffers, you stated in your first post on this thread that you have had a recon alternator fitted. The voltage regulator is part of that. If you think it's duff again, then take the alternator back because it's under warranty.

Otherwise it is almost certainly your battery if you keep leaving things switched on that drain it, no matter how new it is - and batteries are "guaranteed" for 2 years sometimes, check that out.

If you recharge the battery (notice that the car started and ran again after you did that, ok?) and can go a few days without leaving something on that discharges it and the car keeps on running sweetly, then no problem. If the car fails to start though, then the battery is losing charge and is dead. If the car starts but runs rough and cuts out, then it's something else, probably the coolant temp sensor. If the car starts, runs ok and then cuts out unexpectedly, I'd suspect something else like blocked fuel filter or faulty coil. Neither of those is worth considering unless the battery holds charge and can start the car in the morning for at least a week.

looks like i might have the problem solved

had another look at it today when i got home from college after a long discusiion with a mate of mine about how i probably didnt put it in properly and alas - i hadnt connected the alternator to the batery properly! so i charged up the battery again and plugged it in started the car turned on a few electrics and it was dead again

took the alternator back to where i got it from and they exchanged it for a different one exctly the same 'the white box on top of the alternaotr it turnsout isnt the voltage regulator but a suppressor to stop any interferance with the radio, the voltage regulator is a little black box on top and that did come with it, so i got home and fitted it again charged the battery up did the same and it started fine....turned on some electrics and it still ran....locked the car and left everything on and left it for ten mins came back and its still fine and ive just got back from work so it looks like the problem is sorted!

so it looks like the problem is sorted!

Well done

:orb_party:party2::party2::party2::party2::party2:

Well done

:orb_party:party2::party2::party2::party2::party2:

:iagree: :woot:

I knew we'd get it sorted

The rare "dodgy exchange part" problem. These ones are always h*11, cos you always start with the presumption that the recon unit was tested!

This is off subject slightly as my car needs jump starting everyday as the battery needs replacing. Does anybody know the part no. of the bosch battery for a 1996 felicia 1.3 SPI? I was going to buy one from a trade warehouse but the page was missing in the handbook for skoda. cheers in advance

I've looked in my handbook and in Haynes and I can't even find what Amp hour rating the battery has to be, let alone any part numbers.

What's wrong with your local car accessory shop replacement? :confused:

Cause Bosch are German

BA 0260 I think going from my Felicia handbook.

I've looked in my handbook and in Haynes and I can't even find what Amp hour rating the battery has to be, let alone any part numbers.

What's wrong with your local car accessory shop replacement? :confused:

The place i'm plannin on getting it from are a lot cheaper for a bosch one than a non bosch one