I am so frustrated .....

[Harald/Austria]

After buying my Esprit Turbo Esprit 3 Months ago i get her today back with a 5000 Euro Bill just for Labour ftom the Guy

who do all the Work like pulling the Engine out for new Cambelt, Gastanks Water Pump , Manifold and some more.

 

During the work there was also some problems like the Brandnew Alloy Tanks i bought had no hole for the Tanksensor at all and the Hole for the Fuel Pump was just there but 90 Degrees wrong to fit.

 

When the Mechanic brought the Car tonight he says the Car Idles up and down but he think the Car

needs just driving after 5 Years beeing off the Road.

 

After he leaves i get into the Car and wanna drive around the Block to the Car Wash but Starter 

just do Klick Klick  - Battery low. (Battery is brandnew)Makes me j wonder because he was driving 50 Miles to me 

but i get her running with Jumper Cables and Drive to the Car Wash.

 

I leave her in the Box with Engine running , before the wash was finished  blob- engine out.

People yelling with me cause i blocked the Box- I was yelling back. 

 

I call a Buddy who came and Jumpstart me again so i can drive out the Box.

 

Now i leave the Car in a friends Yard no Chance to get home....

 

I test with a Multimeter on the Street and found out that i get only 7,85 Volts to the Battery first tought the Alternator is bad but why he should when i bought the Car there was nothing wrong at the Test Drive. What also makes me wonder ist that the Ignition Light is going off as it should when Engine is running. I think the Guy build me in a failure when he take the Engine out and back in disconect all the Electrical.

 

So i dont go to the Lotus Festival in 2 Weeks with the Esprit i will take another Car for coming to Brands Hatch hope they let me also in.

 

Right now i am very frustradet and not happy.

 

Does anyone have an Alternator for a fair Price and can bring it to Brand Hatch if i find out it is bad?

 

I think i get myself a Beer or two right now....

 

Harald

 

 

[PhilW]

I'm sorry but what are you doing taking an Esprit to a car wash!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Sparky]

So sorry to hear that, Harald.

 

Can you get the guy to come back and check things?  It might be just a wiring omission, maybe alternator not connected?  in fact, maybe you can take a look yourself.

 

Also, with the engine running, you can check output from the alternator terminal.

 

With luck it's something simple, and you can still get your Esprit to the Festival.

[markw996]

Are you sure it's not just the battery?

 

I had a similar problem on my Range Rover last month, the Bosch S5 (good make) battery under 2 years old.

It would just go flat (10v) for no reason, after jump start / charge it would work for a few days then go flat again.

 

I spent days fault finding, thinking something must be drawing current intermittently and flattening the battery

[Harald/Austria]

Good Afternoon,

 

well i check the Cables today they look ok.

 

Right now i think the Alternator is bad, even when the Warning Light turns off after Engine is running.

 

 

Maybe i can get one at the Lotus Festival from one of the Dealers.......

[jonwat]

 

Maybe i can get one at the Lotus Festival from one of the Dealers.......

Find out which dealers are attending the festival then you can call them & ask if they'll bring one for you :-)

[Harald/Austria]

Hi John,

 

i  asked Sparky first.

 

Cheers

 

Harald

[Simon350S]

Your engine has been taken out and put back in. There's a very VERY good chance the engine earth lead has not been refitted correctly from the engine block to chassis on the R/H engine mount...

Worth checking...

Also check your charging voltage from chassis to alternator positive (the large cable) and again at the battery.

Should be 14.5v or higher when the engine is running....

Edited August 5, 2014 by Simon350S

[Sparky]

Yeah - nice one Simon!

[Simon350S]

How did you connect your jump leads to start the car?

Did you connect positive battery terminal on other car to positive battery terminal on your car, then negative terminal on other car to engine block on your car?

That is the preffered convention for jump starting and will allow you to start when the engine earth strap is either broken or missing.....

The engine will then continue to run from 'borrowed earths' the likes of a choke cable, throttle cable etc.... Basically anything metal touching the engine. These paths do not support enough current to allow the starter to turn the engine over but will allow it to continue to run.

Another alternator test is to check voltage from the alternator output to the engine block itself, again 14.5v or above.

This is useful to help identify the lack of a good quality engine earth connection.

If you can establish the alternator is outputting the correct voltage then happy days, cure your earth issue.

If the alternator is definitely not putting out the charging voltage then we can next point you in the direction of the exciter wire which is needed for the alternator to actually start working.

I think you are looking for something that will be a very easy fix...

[Mike6]

If your alternator really is the problem then Pete Musgrove from PNM engineering often attends the Lotus Festival and may bring one for you. Alternatively I am planning on attending so if you can find one - (say SJ sportscars) and have it delivered to me I will bring it along.

[Harald/Austria]

Good Evening,

 

so i charged the Battery the whole Day get it back to the Car and  try to get Home only running on the Battery without charging from the Alternator.

 

Finally i get home 35 Kilomters without  breaking down .

When i was home , i let the Engine running while open the Garage Door , when i get back the red Lamp was on .(The whole way home it was off after engine starting)

 

I will check Alternator  Output at the Weekend but i think he died.

 

What makes me wonder on my drive : When accelerate i got only 0,4-0,5 Boost and at taffic Light the engine idles at 1200/rpm - a little to high isnt it?

 

I will see how everthing works with a new Alternator.

 

Cheers

 

 

Harald

 

 

 

 

[Simon350S]

That's a lovely looking car!

Alternators are pretty robust, you rarely hear of one failing on an Esprit.

They are so simple to test as you only measure to ensure the 12v exciter wire is in place and live when the engine is running, and then the output of the alternator on the chunky cable. A fix is usually just a replacement diode which will cost a few pence. A local auto-electrician will usually repair these old things for about £30-£40...

[marcbria]

Sorry to hear about your bad luck, alternators aren't very hard to replace if thats the issue so you probably aren't looking at an expensive fix. Do as the boys have suggested and get a volt meter on it and check the various voltages.

 

Brian

[Mike6]

Harald

 

Still willing to bring one along to Brands Hatch, if you order one.

 

Mike

[molemot]

Harald...if you haven't got one, spend a few Euros on a cheap digital multimeter. Then, with the engine running, set it to measure Volts DC and connect it across the battery terminals. It ought to be 14 volts or so...definitely more than 13.5Volts. Until you have done that, you have no idea fo what the problem is...just guesswork. If you get less than 13.5 volts, you have a charging problem. Have you fitted a new battery? Once it's gone down to 7.5 volts it is done for, and will not recover. So get a new one...or borrow one you know is good...and do the volts test. Once more, anything less than 13.5 volts is a worry.

Look at the engine...there should be a copper braid or a thick copper wire connected to chassis earth and the engine block. Also check the wiring to the alternator....one thick wire being the alternator DC output and a thin one being the exciter connection which goes to the warning lamp. Check the volts fom the thick wire to engine earth when the engines running...13.5 volts again. 

 

This is most likely something simple and cheap....but, like all things Lotus, they can be fun to find and allow you to expand your experience level.....

 

Good luck!!

JD

[Harald/Austria]

Good Evening ,

 

I ve had test the Battery with an Multimeter before whwn the Guy brought me my Car it has only 7,5 Volts after Jump start.

 

Engine fight for their life with that low Voltage  :-)  

 

After i recharged the  battery to full i test again and just get 12,1 V.  I drove home on the Battery  to get the Lotus in my Garage 

test again - 10 Volts. i am positive that the Genaerator died.  Just wondering that the Car was running normal before i get it to the 

Mechanic and get it back with a failed.  

 

However : I promised myself that nobody will work on my Car than me in Future!

 

Regards

 

Harald

[Simon350S]

Have you carried out the tests I outlined above, exactly as I've suggested?

[TAR]

I think something is getting lost in translation here...

 

[molemot]

Any 12 volt battery that has been discharged to 7.5 volts is now useless. You cannot recharge it....it has to be thrown away and replaced. Once you've got a new battery fitted, then check the voltage with the engine running...should be 13.5 to 14.5 volts. If not, you have a charging problem.

 

Trying to do tests with a wrecked battery will tell you nothing.

[Simon350S]

I think something is getting lost in translation here...

Can't help but think you are correct.

[Simon350S]

Any 12 volt battery that has been discharged to 7.5 volts is now useless. You cannot recharge it....it has to be thrown away and replaced. Once you've got a new battery fitted, then check the voltage with the engine running...should be 13.5 to 14.5 volts. If not, you have a charging problem.

Trying to do tests with a wrecked battery will tell you nothing.

Don't agree with that.

Leaving your lights on over night and completely discharging your battery for example doesn't render the battery fit for the bin.

Recently had a charging issue on my new van, which as it happens was down the the engine earth that the RAC didn't spot, and the battery voltage was down as low as 6v when I tested it the one morning prior to finding the issue.

Charged it up and it's been perfect for the past 4 months, perfectly strong even after a week of standing idle.

Also had an almost totally flat battery on the old Vectra this time caused by alternator rectifier failure. Again, charged and it was in use and strong till the day I sold it a good 2 years later. That battery served 7 years and 140k miles

[rizla603104]

The time when most batteries show their age is winter. Slow starting etc can show that the battery is on its way out. Checking fluid levels - often neglected can help prolong the life.

[mdw]

I had a battery  so flat the trickle charger said it was a no go.  The I read somewhere to connect it in parallel with a good battery and put both on the trickle charger.  The battery now is in perfect working order summer or winter.

[Chillidoggy]

My battery died when I had the problem with headlights staying on. It was completely discharged, but I put it on a reconditioning charger overnight, and it seems fine at the moment. Time will tell.