Help !! battery symbol on instrument display comes on Hymer

[funman]

I'm in Spain, bank holiday weekend, battery symbol near speedometer comes on for a minute or two then goes off for a minute or two on 10 yr old Hymer B584. Elektroblok makes a click each time symbol goes off. Should I continue driving or spend weekend in this motorway service area? Any ideas what's wrong with it?

 

[pappajohn]

Could be the alternator is beginning to fail.

When i bought my car it did the same fo a few days.....light on for a few minutes then off then back on some time later, no time limit....could be minutes or hours later.

It completely failed a few days later.

The electroblock click will be the relay not receiving a charge signal intermitantly.

 

[TUCANO]

Same thing happened to me last year in 2006 reg Hymer, nursed the van from France and eventually lost all electrics in Kent.

It was the alternator I hate to say, take care.

Norman.

 

[Lenny HB]

Same thing happened on a car of mine, did it for 6 months until one day I was stranded with a flat battery, alternator had died.

 

[DBK]

Check belt tension? Worth checking just in case it need a tweak. Talcum powder works after a fashion as a temporary fix.

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[funman]

Thanks for your comments, Funsters all.

Not Charging symbol now on permanently. Looks like it's the alternator. We crept over the border to France (where I can talk to the natives) this morning. I was quoted 410 euro for a replacement including labour and VAT. Does this sound cheap or expensive? Would it be cheaper in Spain (nearby)?

We were wondering whether to limp back to Blighty on an 80 watt solar panel and overnight hookups. The engine battery is only a year old. What do we reckon to our chances? Weather forecast is sunny. We're in St Jean de Luz, near Biarritz and we live in Somerset.

 

[gus-lopez]

What engine size /make is it ?
I know it is dear but I'd think that 410 fitted in France is a good price.

 

[DBK]

A quick look on line suggests a new alternator might cost around £125. But I'm not sure it is a genuine fiat part. Seems too cheap!
http://www.onlineautomotive.co.uk/Fiat_Ducato_Alternators.aspx

 

[DavidG58]

If I were you I would pay and remove any doubts, you could pay that just to be recovered if you carry on and it fails completely. I can't see you getting more than a few miles if the alternator has failed completely loads of stuff runs directly off the alternator output.

 

[Bertie Bassett]

I'm in Spain, bank holiday weekend, battery symbol near speedometer comes on for a minute or two then goes off for a minute or two on 10 yr old Hymer B584. Elektroblok makes a click each time symbol goes off. Should I continue driving or spend weekend in this motorway service area? Any ideas what's wrong with it?

Loads of educated help on here already funman....I'm a electro/mechanical thicko so can't contribute apart from to wish you all the best with the problem and hope you get it sorted and home safely.

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[TUCANO]

It cost me about £260 last October if I remember correctly and the RAC paid half. I would personally pay it now because when it does fail completely and you are stuck you could be in deep dodo's:-S

 

[Lenny HB]

Have you measured the voltage across the engine battery with the engine running, if the alternator is working should read around 14.5 volts. Also check the pulley they often wear on the shaft.

If it is the alternator do make sure you get the right one, Hymer's normally have an uprated alternator anything up to 180 amps, the standard Fiat one is 90 amp or 120 amp if van has aircon.

 

[funman]

Have you measured the voltage across the engine battery with the engine running, if the alternator is working should read around 14.5 volts. Also check the pulley they often wear on the shaft.

If it is the alternator do make sure you get the right one, Hymer's normally have an uprated alternator anything up to 180 amps, the standard Fiat one is 90 amp or 120 amp if van has aircon.

When you say the pulley can wear on the shaft, do you mean that the pulley goes round but the works inside the alternator do not? If so, how could I find out if this was happening? And what could be done anyway, short of replacing the alternator.

By the way, the voltage across the battery measures 12.4 whether the engine is running or not.

 

[Lenny HB]

When you say the pulley can wear on the shaft, do you mean that the pulley goes round but the works inside the alternator do not? If so, how could I find out if this was happening? And what could be done anyway, short of replacing the alternator.

Yes, usually it is the pulley that is worn. replacement pulleys are readily available, common fault on modern vehicles, more likley to cause intermittant output rather than no output from the alternator.

By the way, the voltage across the battery measures 12.4 whether the engine is running or not.

No output from the alternator then.

 

[pappajohn]

I agree with David above.

When mine failed I got 1hr 15 minutes from a fully charged 100ah battery.
Very different to power needs for a basic diesel... everything on the car is powered and controlled by the ECU, PCM and various control modules....which is why it has an 180 amp alternator.

I would expect little more than 2 to 3hrs from your battery and if you need any daytime lights, fog etc, even less.

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[Puddleduck]

I'd just bite the bullet and get it fixed.