This Is A Public Apology!!

[HDhandyman]

I need to apologize to the members of this board. I am very sorry for posting far to many new threads, disturbing the peace, and wasting people's time. This forum is (I have discovered) far more than what I needed at the time of purchasing a new auto (the answers to "ALL" my questions answered imediately). It is a wealth of knowledge, a delightful community, and hopefully (with a little bit a help) a group of new friends.

THE FOLLOWING IS NOT WHAT BROUGHT ME TO THIS CONCLUSION, BUT RATHER, A DEFINITION OF JUST DESSERTS:

Last night I intended to drive up to Pennsylvania from Kentucky with my wife for a nice family trip. Unfortunately, I did not heed (spelling?) the advice of the members of this forum in my thread "mysterious electrical problems". An hour down the road everything (electrical) started to go. First heater, then fans, then low beams, then fogs, then brights. It was terrible. We ended up staying in the middle of B.F.E. for the night. Fortunately, there was a Comfort Inn in B.F.E.. Unfortunately, my wife was pissed--and I mean really mad. She went inside to get a room and I stayed outside untill 2:00 am---it was really cold. I "sat" on the phone with my brother in law for 2 hours because I hadn't brought the Bentley. In fact, I don't even own a hard copy ( well I purchased one online today, but more on that later)---"Charles, I am very sorry for lying to you :( ". So I had to call my brother in law so that he could access my computer and answer my questions during the trouble shooting process. I should preface this by saying that when everything started to go my wife said "Stephen, it's the alternator. It has all the classic signs. WHY DIDN'T YOU CHECK THE ALTERNATOR YOU F***ING IDIOT". But, I swore up and down that I was a member of this forum that it was the fusible link, or the battery, or the grounds. So, after checking these things for two hours and finding them in perfect condition, I was forced to stand in fear of the unknown. I wanted to write you guys so bad, I wanted to call! Morning came, we had to turn around and come back. Fortunately, the car made it back, and also fortunately, there was a freak snow in that part of Penn.--maybe some in the States saw it on the news. At any rate, after careful consultation with a real mechanic (my friend), he quickly diagnosed it as the alternator. He got out an amperage meter and showed me the drop from 13 amps to 11amps as we increased the load via electrical devices. So, under fear of going home to wife today, I hung out with Jimmy in the garage and he taught me how to change an alternator. He also taught me how to spend 500 bucks American for a freakin 140 amp alternator after installation (money spent is time spent on a lesson learned).

So what's the moral of the story? You guys on the forum did not have the answer, but you did tell me to fix it before I did anything else--Ralph, I won't forget next time. And, now I understand that while this forum exists as a wealth of knowledge, if I'm not honest with you guys and don't listen carefully, then you can't help me. I'm really sorry.

P.S. I'm gonna lurk in the archives for a while--until I feel like there might be a spot @ the table for me. And, yes I have Bentley guilt.

[632 Regal]

hey bra, no reason not to become a poster of yout experience. In a firm beliver of mantinence but alternators arent part of the bunch. your experience will help the newbodies and if not who cares. I'm glad you sorted this up and it it a good news story,

[ryan roopnarine]

you shoulda posted about the alternator when you realised you needed one. the most expensive voltage regulator for the 140amp alter. (which i own) is about $60, plus overnight shipping
. your alternator isn't designed as weakly as to eat up slip rings/comm as easily as some american ones are, you probably could have reused yours.

[Zeuk in Oz]

If this is your apology to the forum, though not required IMHO, imagine the apology you are going to need to your wife.
May I respectfully suggest a scuba tank as I find when you're that deep in the smelly stuff a straw just isn't long enough ! :D
I've got a couple of spare dog houses ! LOL

[632 Regal]

Ryan you delt with this whole scenereo, I would have refrenced you but your not frequent. without archiving your stuff i wont forward it...its yours.

edit. keyboardis trashed saagagin lotttttsa work ti getttt leggiaabkllle

[shogun]

Writen by shogun:

Find a digital multimeter and and test the voltage on the available pole plus on ground in the engine room.

The following are the detail figures I use for my own evaluation:
With key out of ignition switch, should see 12.4V or above. 12.0 V is getting low.
With key inserted and turned to position 2 (don't start car), should see 12.0V or more. 11.6V would be too low.
Crank car, catch the lowest voltage reading during that couple of seconds. Should see 10.0V or above. 9.5V would be marginal.
The above just consider the health of battery itself.
Car running at 1500 RPM or more, should see 13.7 to 14.3V, 13.6V or below means the charging system is weak.


Please let us know the results of your checking so that we can proceed in guiding you thru the process of fault finding.
__________________

By Javier:

Does your car includes an OBC? ...


If so, un-lock it and test voltage (test 9) at different stages of your observations. You may have a weak battery combined/originated in a poor alternator, or loose connections over the electrical system feeders causing voltage to drop under significant loads.

OBC Link
-------------------------------------
your anwer:

still chasing the electric ghost

Ok, so I checked the battery and alternator--both in perfect shape--what's next...the OBC, or does that no longer apply?
__________________
632Regal:
alternator isnt kicking/regulator or bad/corroded grounds if the priors check out.
------------------
Javier:

Yes, battery alone shouldn't be the problem. If the engine is running, alternator should provide enough power for the rear defogger.

A weak alternator with voltage regulator issues, will keep low voltage at the battery, and fail to provide proper power under load.
--------------------------


So I think we did enough to tell you something about the checking. But at that stage you had 'other ideas'.
Well, lesson learned.

Hope you wife is doing well,
and you learned something by DIY.
See it positive ;)

[632 Regal]

what sux is everyone reads this but when the actuaal problem crops up they think its a new problem.... if I get mod rights im gonna fix this crap.

[Torque]

what sux is everyone reads this but when the actuaal problem crops up they think its a new problem.... if I get mod rights im gonna fix this crap.How do you intend to fix it ? Come out and test our cars ?

[Nick.Hay]

Man.. I'm sorry. But try to ses the funny side... :D :D

I'm giggling uncontrollably!!! ... I've been in that situation before, except I was in the middle of a deserted forest at midnight, in a 2dr 70's Corolla!! I blew the alternator to bits trying to run 4x 130w driving lamps. My female counterpart was FxxKING IRATE!! We had no blankets, and it was not exactly tropical weather!!

Tell you wife "**** Happens, Love!!" and "Maybe if we buy an E60, then we won't have these problems!!" HAHAHAHAHAAAAA!!!


See the lighter side (no pun intended!!) of this situation, and don't beat yourself up over it!!

[Dash01]

Could the alternator problem be a function of regulator & brushes, which can be replaced for ~$12 from NAPA, with the alternator on the car? Otherwise, if the diodes are shot, a new diode plate can be had for ~$35 + re-solder a couple of joints. Bearings can be had for <~$10, if bought from a farm implement dealer, or several times that much from a car parts shop (same bearings, but vastly different prices).

[uscharalph]

what sux is everyone reads this but when the actuaal problem crops up they think its a new problem.... if I get mod rights im gonna fix this crap.
LOL!!! Keep campaigning Jeff!!!

[uscharalph]

I need to apologize to the members of this board. I am very sorry for posting far to many new threads, disturbing the peace, and wasting people's time. This forum is (I have discovered) far more than what I needed at the time of purchasing a new auto (the answers to "ALL" my questions answered imediately). It is a wealth of knowledge, a delightful community, and hopefully (with a little bit a help) a group of new friends.

THE FOLLOWING IS NOT WHAT BROUGHT ME TO THIS CONCLUSION, BUT RATHER, A DEFINITION OF JUST DESSERTS:

Last night I intended to drive up to Pennsylvania from Kentucky with my wife for a nice family trip. Unfortunately, I did not heed (spelling?) the advice of the members of this forum in my thread "mysterious electrical problems". An hour down the road everything (electrical) started to go. First heater, then fans, then low beams, then fogs, then brights. It was terrible. We ended up staying in the middle of B.F.E. for the night. Fortunately, there was a Comfort Inn in B.F.E.. Unfortunately, my wife was pissed--and I mean really mad. She went inside to get a room and I stayed outside untill 2:00 am---it was really cold. I "sat" on the phone with my brother in law for 2 hours because I hadn't brought the Bentley. In fact, I don't even own a hard copy ( well I purchased one online today, but more on that later)---"Charles, I am very sorry for lying to you :( ". So I had to call my brother in law so that he could access my computer and answer my questions during the trouble shooting process. I should preface this by saying that when everything started to go my wife said "Stephen, it's the alternator. It has all the classic signs. WHY DIDN'T YOU CHECK THE ALTERNATOR YOU F***ING IDIOT". But, I swore up and down that I was a member of this forum that it was the fusible link, or the battery, or the grounds. So, after checking these things for two hours and finding them in perfect condition, I was forced to stand in fear of the unknown. I wanted to write you guys so bad, I wanted to call! Morning came, we had to turn around and come back. Fortunately, the car made it back, and also fortunately, there was a freak snow in that part of Penn.--maybe some in the States saw it on the news. At any rate, after careful consultation with a real mechanic (my friend), he quickly diagnosed it as the alternator. He got out an amperage meter and showed me the drop from 13 amps to 11amps as we increased the load via electrical devices. So, under fear of going home to wife today, I hung out with Jimmy in the garage and he taught me how to change an alternator. He also taught me how to spend 500 bucks American for a freakin 140 amp alternator after installation (money spent is time spent on a lesson learned).

So what's the moral of the story? You guys on the forum did not have the answer, but you did tell me to fix it before I did anything else--Ralph, I won't forget next time. And, now I understand that while this forum exists as a wealth of knowledge, if I'm not honest with you guys and don't listen carefully, then you can't help me. I'm really sorry.

P.S. I'm gonna lurk in the archives for a while--until I feel like there might be a spot @ the table for me. And, yes I have Bentley guilt.
Sorry you had to go through that!

[uscharalph]

Ryan you delt with this whole scenereo, I would have refrenced you but your not frequent. without archiving your stuff i wont forward it...its yours.

edit. keyboardis trashed saagagin lotttttsa work ti getttt leggiaabkllle
LOL!! I don't know how you keep at it Jeff? LOL!!

[mikell]

Fortitude, my man, fortitude! . . . You've paid the price, so no apology necessary. I am sure we all feel for you & sympathize with the collateral grief with the spousal unit. Just be glad your BMW doesn't use Lucas electrics - can't tell you how many nights I spent under british cars in the mifddle of nowhere when I was in college.