I'm gunna contact an auto elec tomorrow about this, however, thought I would throw it up here first, incase someone else has had the same drama!

Ok, so the mini in question is my 71 mini K, alternator, points ignition, elec fuel pump, 3 clock S/Mini K binnacle all pretty std!

I was coming home from our mini social meet about 2 weeks ago, got literally 800metres from home and it coughed and spluttered and stopped! dead! I noticed i couldnt hear the fuel pump running, so sitting there in the dark with the headlights going, and all dash lights(including the ign light) on, i jumped out, tapped the fuel pump to no avail.

I then flicked the lights to parkers as i was going to push the car further off the side of the road, and then all of a sudden, a nasty high pitched noise came from the fuelpump, so then i turned the headlights completely off, and then bam... a kind of regular puls from the rattler (facet) pump, this was enough to fill the bowles and get me home!

So on sunday i went and purchased a new fuel pump, and all is honky dory! because the test drive was just on dusk, i went out with parkers on, and came home with lowbeams. once i pulled up in the driveway, check fuel pump for leaks etc, then jumped back in to go for another spin (max of 3 minutes) hit the key and the engine didnt even do one revolution! sounded like a flat battery!

I thought for a while, then turned the key to ignition again, and noticed the ignition light wasnt working!

after 20 mins the car started quite easily like it normally does!

I then got my mulitmeter, and came up with the following notes:

10.83V at the battery with the headlamps on LOW with engine running

11.30V at the battery headlamps off but running

11.46V at the battery with the key turned OFF

10.92V with the key off and headlamps on lowbeam

10.86 with key off and highbeam

when ya hit the key, the voltage drops to 3 odd volts....with the headlamps off but then once u turn the key off, the voltage comes up slowly.... all the way back to just under 11 volts!


ANY IDEAS? battery is not quite 2 yrs old... I know thats not much of a dead cert, but just telling it how it is.

any thoughts GURU's?

Regards

Cam

P.S I have disconnected the new fuel pump, and its the same drama still!

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Your alt. isn't charging.

Should be around 14.2, with a load ie. headlights on, and around 1500rpm.

Once alt. fault has been fixed, give the battery a long charge overnight on a good charger and hopefully it recovers to full health.

+1

You can charge your battery before you get around to fixing the alternator. This can also prove the battery is fine. Charge it up for as long as it takes to get full voltage and test to see it turns over and starts fine.

Shut it down and recharge to full and leave it as it is for a few hours or overnight, the battery should hold its voltage and start up normally. If the battery is good, and the alternator dead, you should be able to get to where you need to go locally (like work for instance) and recharge it while you go about your day herding cats, or stuffing goats or whatever you Shepperton people do up there I've been able to drive for better than an hour without a working alt, the battery has the capacity to run on the battery alone for quite some time. Maybe don't push it under headlights however.

On the low voltage front, batteries are designed to have a certain voltage, naturally around 12 volts for a car battery. If you drain the battery by cranking it when it is flat then naturally the battery will drop to a low value . Once you let the key go, then the battery will crawl back up to as close as it can to its nominal charge value, even though there's nothing in the battery to back the voltage claim up. Different batteries do different things as the battery charge decreases. some are more linear as they get to zero as you would expect. Others hold there voltage better while having little charge left. Lead acid batteries are like this.

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

Cool cool, yeah battery is on the charger now, has been since i put the post up!

whats the explanation for not having an ignition light? or could it just mean that the alternator has failed?

cheers guys

Cam

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BAM!

Alternators usually require a starting current to get going, since it is run by electromagnets. The starting current in a mini comes from the ignition light - if the light isn't working when the accessories are on (and the engine not running), the alternator will not charge.

If the wiring is similar to a clubby, then check the little plug (as opposed to the wider plugs) that attaches to the alternator, make sure it's secure, perhaps give the terminal a clean if you can. This plug leads to the alt light. Then switch it to accessories and see if the light is on. If not, check the bulb in the dash. Bottom line is, this light should be on if the accessories are on and the engine not running.

Once you get the light on without the engine running, start the car and make sure it turns off. This will indicate it's working fine.

Done all of the above mate....still no luck!!
any other ideas?

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Ive checked all the fuses, cleaned all the terminals, still cant get the bloody light to come on! Soooo frustrating!

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I just fitted another alternator (know working unit off Delilah) and same deal neil.... still no ignition light! FARK!

The temp gauge, fuel gauge and everything else works... all the back lights on the speedo etc... its something super stealth!

-Cam

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Could be just the light itself or the connection. Give it a checkers.

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

With the ignition on earth out the Warning lamp wire at the Alternator to the engine block or Alternator body and the light should illuminate if it does not check for a blown bulb or broken wire. Which type of Alternator are you using on this K. Mini Ks had a different system to the later Clubman. They use an External regulator like the early Clubman GT. 8TR regulators are Very hard to find new ! Unless car has been modified electrically which is very possible on a 40 year old car.

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I tend to think it's as simple as a loose / poor connection, maybe the main one at the starter solenoid.

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The auto elec just left.... the problem is......


































External reg has gone to heaven!

geez it had me stumped, bloody thing!

Thanks for all your help!


Regards

Cam

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Just checked the charge voltage, and at about 2000RPM the multimeter is saying 14.25V at the battery!

Isnt this a little high?


cheers

Cam

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nah, that's what you want it to be

Cheers mate!

I thought 13.8 was the magical number thats all!

You coming on sunday?

cheers

Cam

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