by Screaminkiwi » Mon Nov 09, 2009 10:52 am
Mornin chaps :o) Isnt it strange..havent been on site since last feb or thereabouts..hhmmm coincidence..cold weather !! So nice to be back. I thought i,d cured my problem bak then.Mine was much the same ( 1995 190lwb ex ambulance) could do 200 miles, come home, next morning dead battery. Got a new heavy duty battery...same problem. Checked all leads/connections, but just couldnt work it out. Much as i love my tranny..not in the slightest mechanically minded, so had an auto electrician have a look..but being an ex ambulance, there are miles and miles of chuffin cables and wires running from one battery to the next etc etc..but he reckoned that the alternator was "energising" all the time, even when i turned off the ignition. He then went thriugh a process of elimination, and each night he,d call me and ask me to disconnect one wire then the next from the alternator, and let him know what the result was in the morning when reconnecting them and starting her. In the end, it was discovered that by disconnecting the wire from the battery to the alternator..in effect isolating the problem, cured the problem..so i then remembered my older brother back in the late 70s had a kill switch fitted to the battery of his mk 1 rally escort..so he fitted one..so all i do now is turn off the ignition, then turn the kill switch key to the off position, and jobs a goodun !! well..WAS..until over the past few days my problerms has started again !!! Starts first time with jump leads from my wifes VW caravelle...even from my daughters lil ford ka..and then yesterday i just ran my jump cables across to me second battery and she started first time...so my question is this..as it seems to be the alternator which is the problem ( pulling power from the battery) do you reckon a new alternator should do the trick ? I jst cant stand the thought of jumping in the van again with my fingers crossed every day for the next 3 months !! as someone else has said.."When youre van is going ..its your best friend"..but when it wont start..i start thinking how much scrappage allowance i,d get against a new one !! but even a new transit doesnt have a siren like mine :o) and doesnt get the looks i get in my orange and gunmetal ambulance with silver flames along the side !! So any help about the alternator would be appreciated folks :o)