"Check Alternator" warning light

[GENIIIV8]

Hi Peoples,

I've got a problem which is sort of starting to annoy me. Very slowly I have noticed that the battery indicator on my VY SS series one will start flickering ever so slightly when I give it some hard accelaration.

Overtime its gone worse and now sometimes when I start the motor the battery light will flicker and switch off again. And now when I put some pressure on the motor the battery light will shine and "check alternator" will appear but it is not permanent...the warning dissapears.

I got my uncle to check it out and he told me to disconnect the battery when the car is running and that should tell me if I need a new alternator, but the car kept running with no battery connected...

Anyone know what the problem is????
Many thanks

[Daniel996]

Your alternator may be intermittently faulty - got exactly the same thing happening right now on the gf's statesman.

Cheers
Dan

[mmciau]

There are previous references to alternator problems like yours - most common would appear to be a regulator problem, usually a failing or failed diode.

Great care needs to be taken as you can get high voltage occuring at low engine revs which can lead to all sorts of electrical/electronic dramas.


Mike

[GENIIIV8]

I have had massive problems with Holden service in the past as I gave the car in for a service last year and I got the car back in a worse state than when I left it! I definately do not want to send my car back there.... would anybody know how much a new alternator would cost and i am guessing that there would be massive labour costs associated with it as removing the alternator looks like a big job all the way down there in the engine bay..

Is this a common problem? And this probably sounds stupid :doh: but would extra power from a tune and a performance exhaust wreak havoc on the alternator?? The reason im saying this is because it happened straight after the mods.

Thanks guys

[mmciau]

I suggest you declare some suburbs in and around where you live so some of the lads who may live in those areas can tell you of a reliable auto sparky.

Mike

[GENIIIV8]

I live in North Parramatta...

Has anybody tried Ultra Tune for service?

[AQICLS3]

Check to see if the cable to the rear of the alternator is not loose or the cable is worn through. Easy process just put you hand down the side of the engine.......and you will soon see. On my old LS1 the power steering fluid was leaking onto the back of the cable and was nearly worn right through.

[EpOcH]

Cant thank AQICSS for his post but this has turned out to be my problem ....

Battery light .. hey battery is only cheap , buy a new one , still have issues, run through some tests , seems alternator isnt outputing the volts .... replaced alternator ... still have battery light ...

Come on here (GOOD OLD LS1.com.au !!!) and find this post .... go out back under car ... wiggle main output from alternator and find it starts discitigrating in my hand .... didnt move it like that when i was swapping the alternators ... sigh ... and with the boot over it , it hides the part that crubmles.

I hope its semi-servicable i.e replace from holden , if not , book a sparky monday i think ... atleast the issue has been identified ... :(