[Shane]

Hello All,

Happy New Year...


My 328 is sick. I had the alarm removed and during this a problem developed with the charging system. On a charged batt it will run but not long....batt voltage drops car turns off. Remove positive lead while running car turns off...alternator gone?

After the alarm removal the car ran fine for a week. it was sent Ferrari guy in Bev Hills who said he cleaned up some wires at the alternator and charged the batt?? Yesterday after I had washed the car it sat overnight....then when It started today it ran for approx 10 minutes then died

I am lead to believe the alternator has crapped out....

I will take it to my mechanic Monday to have him look it over.


Still love the car..

Shane

[Barry]

Originally Posted by Shane

Still love the car..

Shane

Hopefully just a minor teething problem. Once sorted, and with regular driving shouldn't reoccur, the emphasis on 'regular driving',

Glad to hear the love has not diminished. all part of the experience!

[JayG]

Originally Posted by Shane

Hello All,

Happy New Year...


My 328 is sick. I had the alarm removed and during this a problem developed with the charging system. On a charged batt it will run but not long....batt voltage drops car turns off. Remove positive lead while running car turns off...alternator gone?

After the alarm removal the car ran fine for a week. it was sent Ferrari guy in Bev Hills who said he cleaned up some wires at the alternator and charged the batt?? Yesterday after I had washed the car it sat overnight....then when It started today it ran for approx 10 minutes then died

I am lead to believe the alternator has crapped out....

I will take it to my mechanic Monday to have him look it over.


Still love the car..

Shane

Sounding like the alternator, it's simple enough to remove and then have it tested.

[Brian]

Originally Posted by JayG

Sounding like the alternator, it's simple enough to remove and then have it tested.

Far more simple still to have the car diagnosed and fix the problem rather than take it apart. Cant diagnose a car once you start taking parts off it.

[Brian]

Originally Posted by Shane

Hello All,

Happy New Year...


My 328 is sick. I had the alarm removed and during this a problem developed with the charging system. On a charged batt it will run but not long....batt voltage drops car turns off. Remove positive lead while running car turns off...alternator gone?

After the alarm removal the car ran fine for a week. it was sent Ferrari guy in Bev Hills who said he cleaned up some wires at the alternator and charged the batt?? Yesterday after I had washed the car it sat overnight....then when It started today it ran for approx 10 minutes then died

I am lead to believe the alternator has crapped out....

I will take it to my mechanic Monday to have him look it over.


Still love the car..

Shane

The alternator is one part of a 328 we almost never repair. I am in the process of rebuilding everything in our 328 and the original untouched alternator is going to remain original and untouched until after I die.


A. Do not ever remove a cable while it is running. You can do far more harm than good and if there is alternator damage it probably happened then.

B. Who is the guy in Beverly Hills? Is he your mechanic that you are seeing Monday? If not, why not? Don't bring the car here one day and to someone else the other day and a little ill advised diagnosis on your own. It is a sure recipe for problems. Find a good guy, one guy and let him handle the car. If you want to be involved yourself do it with his direction and knowledge.

[JayG]

Originally Posted by Brian

Far more simple still to have the car diagnosed and fix the problem rather than take it apart. Cant diagnose a car once you start taking parts off it.

How would you diagnose it? A multimeter with the car running or are you saying for him to just take it to a shop?

[Brian]

Originally Posted by JayG

How would you diagnose it? A multimeter with the car running or are you saying for him to just take it to a shop?

If in fact the alternator is not working there are reasons related to the car itself that could be causing it. Removing the alternator from its operating environment only allows testing the alternator itself.

No need to bring it to a shop if he is equipped and knows how to test it. If he is not anything he does himself is a waste of time.

I fix cars, I don't fiddle with them. Taking anything apart prior to a diagnosis is fiddling.

[Shane]

Hello and thanks for the comments. Brian the car was sent to Bev Hills after some work was being done removing the alarm. I have a regular mechanic now and he is my guy.

I found loose connections on the batt and replaced the batt with an Optima Red top and all seems well now.....drove it 120 miles yesterday...

[JayG]

Originally Posted by Shane

Hello and thanks for the comments. Brian the car was sent to Bev Hills after some work was being done removing the alarm. I have a regular mechanic now and he is my guy.

I found loose connections on the batt and replaced the batt with an Optima Red top and all seems well now.....drove it 120 miles yesterday...

Keep an eye on it without a trickle charger for a week or two. If it is the alternator it will do just fine until that battery gets drained too. Have you checked to see how much of a draw there is on the battery with the key turned off?

[Shane]

Thanks.....I also think I was making a newbie mistake on the operation of the alternator.....I think the RPM's must exceed 2500 or so to trigger the Alternator to produce.....I was not taking that into account....now I do and I can see a change in the lights etc experimenting.....

[JohnnyTS]

Originally Posted by Shane

Thanks.....I also think I was making a newbie mistake on the operation of the alternator.....I think the RPM's must exceed 2500 or so to trigger the Alternator to produce.....I was not taking that into account....now I do and I can see a change in the lights etc experimenting.....

yes, that can def. be it, I've also tested that, if the RPM's exceed 2000(batt. light goes off ) and alternator kicks in...an older battery can also let the car die out quicker if alternator not charging yet.

When the voltage regulator on most cars fails inside the altenator its will cause the same behavior, alternator will not charge at all at any RPM, I almost wanted to tell you to let them check the voltage regulator in the alternator, hehe.

nice one Shane...