Battery or Alternator or ?

[PAUL MORRIS]

Dear All,
I went out for a Drive last night some concernes as follows:
As usual about 20 mins to get a 40 psi oil pressure & 70 water temp reading.
Some Issues & concerns

A) When switching on Headlamps loss of Engine Power & bad response

B)On highway engine becomes only between 1/4 & Half on water temp with a lower Oil pressure & poor engine peformance

For item A I wandering if its the battery or Alternator or something else as I am quite a Novice on the car.

For item B I dont quite understand as outside temp about 17c.

Anyway I limped home without headlights but with concern
Maybe I should check the battery charge or see if its the proper one
Should we test whats coming out of the Alternator ?

Any Ideas

[1954Etype]

Dear All,
I went out for a Drive last night some concernes as follows:
As usual about 20 mins to get a 40 psi oil pressure & 70 water temp reading.
Some Issues & concerns

A) When switching on Headlamps loss of Engine Power & bad response

B)On highway engine becomes only between 1/4 & Half on water temp with a lower Oil pressure & poor engine peformance

For item A I wandering if its the battery or Alternator or something else as I am quite a Novice on the car.

For item B I dont quite understand as outside temp about 17c.

Anyway I limped home without headlights but with concern
Maybe I should check the battery charge or see if its the proper one
Should we test whats coming out of the Alternator ?

Any Ideas

Paul, not an electrical expert but doubt that the alternator or battery are at fault here. Basically, if the car is ok without the lights on, you have to assume at this point that there is something interfering with the rest of the wiring. I would look to earths as my first point of reference. Bear in mind, the headlights pull quite a heavy load when turned on. If it isn't a bad earth, start tracing through the loom (main beam is blue/white and dip is blue/red.

[PAUL MORRIS]

Thks for the answer, i was not warned by email, last night I checked the car & the battery was flat. Should i check the alternator output, not sure what you mean about the earth connections or how or what to look & check

[1954Etype]

Thks for the answer, i was not warned by email, last night I checked the car & the battery was flat. Should i check the alternator output, not sure what you mean about the earth connections or how or what to look & check

Paul, the earth connections are usually black wires and are attached to the body (unless connected to a switch etc). Where they attach to the body, make sure they are clean. The main one to check for is on the LH toe panel where the earth from the battery is directly connected. Also, there is an earth strap from the gearbox to the body underneath the car. Check that as well. Finally, I would disconnect the plug to the bonnet and see if the symptoms are still there. If they are, there has to be something wrong with the wiring before it reaches the bonnet. If the problem goes away, suspect the bonnet wiring.

[PAUL MORRIS]

Thks for the info,
I finally spent the afternoon looking around the wiring, & cleaning everthing even if rather good. Instead of buying a charger I got a new Bosch battery & fired istantly. Need to see how it goes on at night. I used to Charge my Triumph battery allot not sure if its the best way. Maybe best to unplug the battery for the week ? I drove after 20 mins of heating up at 100 Mph at 4000 revs & 40 oil pressure, temp 70 all seemed pefect
even the sun was settling in the distance & on the bonnet. I am getting addicted to the E Type, I cant stop quick drives and cleaning up & then a angry wife. But thumbs up on the highway & country roads is something cant get that in a XKR.
Paul

[Heuer]

Paul

Get one of these to keep your battery in top condition: http://www.ctekchargers.co.uk/ctek-xs7000.php They are very clever devices which run a program to condition the battery as well as keep it charged. I have three!

I leave mine connected over winter and whenever I am not using the car - my battery is 11 years old and still going strong.

[1954Etype]

Thks for the info,
I finally spent the afternoon looking around the wiring, & cleaning everthing even if rather good. Instead of buying a charger I got a new Bosch battery & fired istantly. Need to see how it goes on at night. I used to Charge my Triumph battery allot not sure if its the best way. Maybe best to unplug the battery for the week ? I drove after 20 mins of heating up at 100 Mph at 4000 revs & 40 oil pressure, temp 70 all seemed pefect
even the sun was settling in the distance & on the bonnet. I am getting addicted to the E Type, I cant stop quick drives and cleaning up & then a angry wife. But thumbs up on the highway & country roads is something cant get that in a XKR.
Paul

Paul, so do you know if cleaning connections or changing the battery was the issue? I still remain unconvinced the fault was with the battery.

[PAUL MORRIS]

To be Frank I doubt,
I am a Novice but I think the Lights drain allot & the Earthing has a problem. Problem is side lamps are useless & with headlight were pulling the current. I am not sure how to Judge the Alternator so much. Most people I know just keep using Battery chargers. I cleaned everthing & put sillicone but Not sure what I am really looking for as a fault or just maybe as preventive action or trial & error.

[1954Etype]

To be Frank I doubt,
I am a Novice but I think the Lights drain allot & the Earthing has a problem. Problem is side lamps are useless & with headlight were pulling the current. I am not sure how to Judge the Alternator so much. Most people I know just keep using Battery chargers. I cleaned everthing & put sillicone but Not sure what I am really looking for as a fault or just maybe as preventive action or trial & error.

Paul, you are papering over a crack. The alternator is more than capable of charging the battery and powering the lights at the same time. I have run mine with the standard alternator with heater demister on, wipers and lights with no problem. I would definately get it checked out.

[PAUL MORRIS]

Dear All,
Thks for the super advice, seems I was looking for a easy way out. Can I check the alternator myself with Voltmeter ?

In mean time I got a Dis Car Nect from Richbrook which looks prety good
for both cutting the battery & theft.

As for the Alternator I am surrounded by experts at the office in the Auto parts Division so If I Know what to look for or ask they can do it in the bay.

Paul

[Heuer]

Paul

Put a voltmeter across the battery terminals and it should register about 12 volts. Run the engine and it should go up to 14.2 volts regardless of engine speed. Now turn on the headlights (and/or wipers etc) and the voltage should stay the same. If it does your alternator and voltage regulator are working OK. You could buy one of these which makes diagnosis really simple: http://tinyurl.com/2vwj2g2

[PAUL MORRIS]

Dear David,
Thks for the advice,
should I make the test with the Old or New battery just fitted.
Cheers
Paul

[Heuer]

New as one of the cells on the old one could have been faulty. Start from a known good point.

[PAUL MORRIS]

Dear David,
I managed to Re Charge the battery which was 100% empty, no starter etc. I checked with a Voltmeter & the reading is just 12.8 Volts ?
I found a Yellow & Black wire which was disconected, I suppose by mistake when the oil breather pipe was moved. In fact the Pipe has melted a bit the cables. I shall send some pics, maybe the pipe could be fixed on the plack between exhaust & fluids. My main concern now is the battery as I can go any distance.
Paul

[christopher storey]

Paul, I am seriously concerned about your problem. There is no possibility at all that the oil breather pipe could have melted cables, and it seems that there has been an electrical short circuit. I cannot recall there being a Black and yellow wire on standard circuits, and nor can I see one on the wiring diagrams. There are blue/yellow wires ( headlamp dipswitch) and also a number of light green /yellow wires , but this sounds like an additional wire that has been added by a previous owner

You need an auto electrician to help diagnose this, or at the very least someone who is familiar with Jaguar systems and the basic principles of the wiring circuits. If you just carry on hoping that the problem will correct itself, at best you will continue to have the problem, and at worst you may have a serious electrical fire

I am sorry this is not more helpful, but there is in my opinion a defect which requires urgent investigation

[1954Etype]

Paul, I am seriously concerned about your problem. There is no possibility at all that the oil breather pipe could have melted cables, and it seems that there has been an electrical short circuit. I cannot recall there being a Black and yellow wire on standard circuits, and nor can I see one on the wiring diagrams. There are blue/yellow wires ( headlamp dipswitch) and also a number of light green /yellow wires , but this sounds like an additional wire that has been added by a previous owner

You need an auto electrician to help diagnose this, or at the very least someone who is familiar with Jaguar systems and the basic principles of the wiring circuits. If you just carry on hoping that the problem will correct itself, at best you will continue to have the problem, and at worst you may have a serious electrical fire

I am sorry this is not more helpful, but there is in my opinion a defect which requires urgent investigation

Chris, the black and yellow could be a black and (yellowed) white which would be the oil pressure gauge feed IIRC?

[christopher storey]

Well, it could be oil pressure, but as I understand Paul's posts, and looking at his photographs , this wire is on the left hand side near the LHD brake etc bottles

[1954Etype]

Well, it could be oil pressure, but as I understand Paul's posts, and looking at his photographs , this wire is on the left hand side near the LHD brake etc bottles

Ah, but the breather is on the RHS!

[christopher storey]

Not when you look at Paul's photos. He has a most extraordinary tube running along the left hand frames . This no doubt stems from the breather blockage he encountered when he first got the car

[PAUL MORRIS]

Dear Christopher,
Thks for your concern & help,
I thought it over & had a 2nd look this lunch. The inner cables are not hurt just the outside got hot from the breather pipe. I have as a temp measure fixed the pipe to the fluids connector until I do a better job. What strikes me is the Ignition Bulb never lights, which must be connected to the Regulator. I was wandering if the bulb was blown then the regulator might be just open & not working as must be on the same 12 circuit. I shall check tonight
Paul