Ok pretty basic Question here but my battery doesnt seem to be charging.
Its not the battery so must be alternator or wiring.
Now im trying to remember if i get a voltmeter can i check and how if the alternator
is sending charge to the battery??
Now i know how to check at the battery but at the alternator??
Im sure it simple but ?
unit
p.s. whats a new one going to cost me or can i get it rebuilt easy.
cheers

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Cooper S Mk 2

usually when its not charging the ignition light stays on, but if you get your hands on a voltmeter you can just measue it across the battery terminals and get someone to rev the car up you will see the voltage go up if it doesnt then i would say its not charging.
Take you car to any free battery place and ask them to test the battery you will soon find out which one it is.
IF you buy a new battery make sure you dont buy the cheapest on the market, buy something decent as it will last you years if your buy a cheapie expect 1 winter out of it and it will start to give you a headache again. worth paying the little bit extra.

Start motor, put a voltmeter across the battery terminals. If alternator is working it should read over 13.0V at idle, and around 13.8-14.3 if you give it a rev.
Whether you check at the battery or between solenoid's battery terminal and body, reading will be about the same.
I check at the battery, because all the ignition wiring RF upsets my digital meter.

Don't pull any wires off the alternator while running. And there's no point trying to probe the wire connectors at the alternator- you might short it out, and any reading will be the same anyway.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

yeah its a brand new top of the range battery a few weeks back.
I know how to check the battery but was trying to see if the is a way to
check its the alternater and not the wiring after no use for 6 yrs.
i would hate to take the thing off and find out its a loose wire or something.
so can i test a wire at the alternator and earth it to the motor or is this a big no no and
i should just pull it out.
The car is unregod so a bit hard to go to auto electrician.
thank for you help people.
unit

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Cooper S Mk 2

Is your alt an original Lucas unit or aftermarket? Internal or external control unit? Usualy the control unit is the first thing to go, especialy so with the external control units.

For an internal control unit there isnt much wiring really. Battery to solenoid and alternator, power on ignition for the control unit and power for the ign light. The thick, insulated battery cables are very sturdy as long as the metal crimps on the ends are solidly attached, and just test continuity on the other two wires (one to the fuse box and the other to the ign, light).

I once had the soldering down the middle of my alternator split! Would turn the car one way the light would come on turn the other way and go off! Apparently very common but took my mechanic 3 days to work it out!

Ok well its taken me a while to sort myself out but i have got hold of a new alternator
and it has an internal control (regulator?)
Where the one im replacing has an external one.
So the new one has the plastic clip like the old one but only one single conection for
ignition light.The old one has 2 conections that i guess go to external control.
so how do i know which wire to conect to this conection on the alternator??
Do i find a wire at the cotrol unit that links to the dash and run a new wire direct to
altenator??
Sorry no expert on electrics.
any help appreciated,
unit

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Cooper S Mk 2