dash light/battery/alternator mystery

hey guys im new to the forum. im justin. been reading through and im learnging alot about navaras and im loving it.

anyways.. i have a 2000 d22 3.2 navara and i just got the alternator replaced in it.. anyway when i start the car the battery light and water in fuel pump light come on.. but they are very faint.. and go away with revs. i was wondering if anyone knew what was going on whether its some sort of fault?

also id go start my car sometimes and it sounds like the car is flat but it you turn it to accessories and wait 10 or so seconds after glow plug light has gone out it usually starts.., im very stumped and dunno what to do,.


any help or advice would be tops

cheers
Juzzy

When you put the alternator on did you test to see if it is charging properly.The revs may be to low at idle.Do a test on your battery aswell to see that it hasn't dropped a cell.
Does it start easy when you glow it.

Oh and welcome to the forum.

thanks an auto elec did it. when car is off battery is at 13.2 when revs up its at 14.2 ish. how would you tell if the battery has dropped a cell? i just find it weird that the 2 lights that are on are really faint when its on below 1500 rpm but when higher it fades out. do you think it could be a computer or something fault? dodgy alternators kill batteries dont they? im gunna get the multi meter onto it in morning before i start it to see what its sitting at. its making it hard for me to pin point if theres a glow problem aswell. do you have ny tips to test the glow or see if its being a problem?

thanks mate

juzzy said:

i just find it weird that the 2 lights that are on are really faint when its on below 1500 rpm but when higher it fades out. do you think it could be a computer or something fault?

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No computer, the only circuit board in the QD32 is the fairly basic combination meter (HUD).

Not sure on the filter light but with the charge light, there is a resistor that bypasses the bulb to put <12V on one side, and 12V on the other, to light the bulb when the alternator is not running. As you lift the angular velocity of the alternator to the point where it's producing 13.8V or whatever it's regulated to, the voltage differential across the bulb approaches zero, to the point where the bulb goes out. Your alternator isn't doing this, so it's not producing the required voltage at idle. Are you sure the auto elec fit a working alternator with the correct sized pulley?

On the filter light, the circuit is joined to the charge circuit but there is a diode and no resistor so I'm not sure on that one. See the attached schematic.

an auto elec can do a crank amp test on the battery and test the acid in the battery to see if the battery has dropped a cell.The lights arnt a problem it just means it is not getting enough power to charge untill you get the revs a bit higher.If they come back on when the revs drop again you have a charging problem.

At 13.2V it doesn't sound like the battery has a problem at all, but it would be interesting to see the battery voltage under load - turn the ignition on but do NOT start the engine. Turn the headlights on. Measure the voltage. If it falls below 12V rapidly, there's a problem with the battery.

There's also the chance that the entire problem is an earthing problem in the dash.

but if the car is on and it is still around 13.2 when its on should lights be on?
i just went to the auto elec. he said if you pull the plug off the back of the alternator and the lights go off, theres a problem with the alternator. anyway he did that and the lights did go off. so looks like a dodgy alternator more buggering around

That's crappy news but I would have thought that an auto elec would have tested a replacement (second hand or new) before he gave you the car back and took your money.

juzzy said:

but if the car is on and it is still around 13.2 when its on should lights be on?

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Those lights only detect a difference between battery voltage and alternator output voltage. If your battery is at 13.2 and the alternator isn't, charge light turns on.

juzzy said:

he said if you pull the plug off the back of the alternator and the lights go off, theres a problem with the alternator.

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I don't know if that's the best test I've ever heard of. However, since the problem started when it was installed and no other changes were made, the alternator is an obvious choice.

yeh im a bit confused atm, just wish it was fixed. i have to go see the guy who installed it in a few hours. hopefully the guy i got the advice off is right otherwise im gunna look like a prick.

Then you can go and punch the other guy for giving you bad advice....actually no one should punch people it's not a good thing.

The way I see it (and I may not be seeing it right) is that you paid a guy to put something on your car, almost straight away your having problems therefore you have a right to atleast ask the guy who did some work why there is the problems. Would be different if you had a shocks put on and the electrics started acting up, you might not first ask the installer to check his work but you had electrical work done and you have an electrical problem. Better to look like a prick to a guy you may never have to see again than have an issue go un fixed.

KraftyPg said:

Then you can go and punch the other guy for giving you bad advice....actually no one should punch people it's not a good thing.

The way I see it (and I may not be seeing it right) is that you paid a guy to put something on your car, almost straight away your having problems therefore you have a right to atleast ask the guy who did some work why there is the problems. Would be different if you had a shocks put on and the electrics started acting up, you might not first ask the installer to check his work but you had electrical work done and you have an electrical problem. Better to look like a prick to a guy you may never have to see again than have an issue go un fixed.

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yeh mate fair call.. well im going to take my car there in bout 45.. he said hell look and if his satisfied the alternator is buggered then he will take it off and get a new one under warranty at no extra cost.. im known for having a bit of a temper and this guy who did it isnt happy so i hope things dont blow up a bit.. haha ill let yall know what happens

Take a camera, we might all like to see the video...oops once again no condoning of violence.

good luck with getting it sorted out

He is replacing the alternator. Thanks everyone with their help. I dont kno a great deal about cars but id likevto get involved more in this forum. Its very good.

You now know your alternator is stuffed, and you wouldn't have known that if you didn't risk looking like a prick so in all the outcome was good. Hopefully you'll be back on the road soon.

my cousin runs a ford mods forum and they are forever doing like cruises, do you guys ever do like navara cruises?

Your battery voltage is low, should be up near 14v for a charged battery.

Welcome mate, check out the trips and touring section for cruises.

Where you from ?

Dave.

thanks mate im from the mornington peninsula in vic