Has My Car Really Got A Problem

[Will Eastman 6]

Have taken apart part of my engine to clean it up abit and to fit a new alternator. Once refitted and started the dash 'stop' light is on, as is the light by the oil pressure and engine temp. This confuses me as the dials are reading fine, not over heating (has coolant) and good oil pressure. Is there really a problem or is it just an earthing issue.

Another problem is that the alternator is working one minuet then not the next, dont know if this is related or not.

Down by the alternator there is a orange wire plug in to a spade connector on the engine, when i disconnect it the warning lights on the dash go out, is this wire meant to be connected here?? Any help is much appreciated

[Anthony 1,003]

If the oil pressure gauge is reading correctly, I'd guess that whilst working in the area you've managed to ground out the wire for the oil pressure switch which would cause the light to be on all the time. I can't remember off the top of my head what colour it is as standard, but it could well be orange.

 

The wire that goes to the alternator should be brown in colour, and the battery light should be on with the ignition and go out when the engine starts.

 

If the brown wire (7A) isn't plugged into the alternator, you'll likely find that it won't self-excite and start charging until you've wound the engine upto 3000-4000rpm or so.

[Daviewonder 533 3 Cars]

Did you connect the alternater wire and the oil pressure wire round the wrong way?

[Will Eastman 6]

Hey have had a look and cant really find where its grounding, are there any typical places??? Before when the alt wasnt working i re-crimped the exciter wire with a standard crimp, but i think it was abit loose so will try and get an original one from peugeot dealer if i can. Is it going to be ok if i just run it with the warning lights on for abit as i know its fine.

[Anthony 1,003]

It will work fine without the wire connected, but as said, it won't charge until you've revved the engine sufficiently for it to self-excite.

 

To give you an idea, I did over 10k miles in my old VW Passat with exactly that issue and never had an issue

 

Won't cause any issue having the STOP light etc lit either, although might be worth just unplugging the wire and seeing if the light goes out - if it does, it might just be a bad coincidence that the sender failed at the same time you'd been working in the same area.

[Will Eastman 6]

Yeh have tried disconnecting the orange wire and all the warning lights go out. Yeh i see what you mean about the exciter wire, but will try to recrimp it i reckon.

Thanks for the advise n thanks for the alternator, works fine n looks good cheers

[Anthony 1,003]

The oil pressure gauge is definitely working and behaving normally? If so, if unplugging the wire from the pressure switch turns the light out, I'd guess the pressure switch has failed.

[Will Eastman 6]

Yeh when i rev the car the pressure rises and seems to act normally so yeh. Where is the oil pressure switch then?? Is it an easy/cheap fix??

[smithy 1]

Oil pressure switch is in block behind inlet manifold,small one for light mushroom one for gauge.

 

I would have a check of brown multiplug above gearbox as that could be causing your alternator issue,known weak point for corrosion.

[Will Eastman 6]

Hey i have done abit of testing with the alternator, and what seems to be happening is that when i start the car it gives no reading, eg about 12v then once iv reved it past about 3500 itll read 14v even once its just idling. Is this just the exciter wire not working, if so then i dont really see it as a problem because as long as i rev the car past 3500 once i start it it will just charge as normal. Have i got this right?

[Anthony 1,003]

Hey i have done abit of testing with the alternator, and what seems to be happening is that when i start the car it gives no reading, eg about 12v then once iv reved it past about 3500 itll read 14v even once its just idling. Is this just the exciter wire not working, if so then i dont really see it as a problem because as long as i rev the car past 3500 once i start it it will just charge as normal. Have i got this right?

Yup, that's exactly what happens when the excitor wire isn't connected or there's a break (eg blown bulb).

 

I assume that when you turn the ignition on the battery light isn't illuminated?

 

The alternator started charging straight away on my car when I tested it prior to sending, so there's nothing wrong with the alternator itself.

[Will Eastman 6]

Yeh i can see its charging and is a problem with my car just wondering if its charging properly for the whole journey oncei rev it past 3500ish because if it is il just run it like that for a little while

thanks

[Anthony 1,003]

Yeh i can see its charging and is a problem with my car just wondering if its charging properly for the whole journey oncei rev it past 3500ish because if it is il just run it like that for a little while

thanks

Yep, should be fine - occasionally it'll stop charging if you leave it idling for a long time or the revs drop very low, until you rev it again, but otherwise it'll keep charging just fine. As I mentioned earlier, I did over 10k miles in my old Passat with exactly this issue

[joe1joe 3]

Dont tell me you are from bristol? If so its a small world!

[Anthony 1,003]

Dont tell me you are from bristol? If so its a small world!

Me or Will? I'm not from Bristol and have never lived nor worked there.

[Will Eastman 6]

Nah im not im herefordshire, but my brother lives in bristol and drives a white 205 xs

[Will Eastman 6]

Hey just checking before i splash the cash, is this the correct oil pressure gauge for my car (1.6)

http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/c/Peugeot_205_1.6_1991/p/car-parts/engine-parts/fuel-and-engine-management/engine-management-sensor/?466735001&1&e86d41a73eb3a57bc45858952058d8df2eaaf181&PRSE

 

hope that link worked

 

thanks

[smithy 1]

Hey just checking before i splash the cash, is this the correct oil pressure gauge for my car (1.6)

http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/c/Peugeot_205_1.6_1991/p/car-parts/engine-parts/fuel-and-engine-management/engine-management-sensor/?466735001&1&e86d41a73eb3a57bc45858952058d8df2eaaf181&PRSE

 

hope that link worked

 

thanks

 

 

that one is for the oil pressure warning light.

 

the one for gauge is the larger mushroom sensor.

[P_Monty 2]

I think I've got a similar electrical snag... Battery volts sits just under 12 until the throttle is blipped and then it settles down to around 14V. The ignition warning light never comes on.

 

I'm guessing I've got a problem with the alternator exciter. I've read in another thred that grounding the exciter wire should make the dash light come on (and if not, trace it back through the infamous multi-plug) So I'll have a look at that in the daylight tomorrow. Is there anything else I can easily check ? If the bulb in the battery light has blown, how big a job is it to change it - does the dash have to be dismantled ?

 

Thanks.

[dcc 855]

best thing you can do is renew all the multiplug wiring. go to scrappy cut out any old loom from any car and solder everything back

[P_Monty 2]

Its very tempting...

As I gently tugged the exciter connector, the wire came off in my hand - don't you just love 20 year old electrics...

Still, when I stripped the wire back and tapped it on bare metal the battery light flashed - so fingers crossed everything was due to a dodgy wire ...