Electrical: Waning lights

[dan 244]

I have a 1979 244, I started a thread a couple of weeks ago about the brake warning lights being on while the car is running, I have been out with the car and actually several lights remain on while the car is running, the amp light, the brake failure light the parking brake light and the bulb failure light. My dad has had several 244 s and he thinks he had one with this problem, and it was a dioad (if thats how you spell it) in the alternator. The alternator on this model year has a seperate box, I think it is a regulator mounted on the drivers side wing, (the ones we have after 1981 dont have this), when this is disconected all the lights go out with the engine running, but I have tried this on our 1977 car and it works fine. Should I take the alternator off and get it overhauled, I dont want to replace it as it is an genuine volvo one, unless I buy one from a dealer and I guess it would be a fortune.

Could it be anything else, is there and way to check if it is the alternator.

[Rich 264]

Check wiring diagrams.

If I remember this right, there is a feed (small red wire) from the alternator to the instrument panel, this powers quite a few of the lights. As they are working i would imagine this is ok.

There is another red & blue wire which I think (please check) comes from the coil to the fuse box, and then from the fuse box to the instrument panel. I don't know which one causes the lights to illuminate with ignition on, and which causes them to go out engine running. There are some components on the back of the instrument panel but again whether these could be at fault I don't know.

But always start with the simple option and thoroughly check the red/blue wire connections and it's associated fuse. Could be a dodgy connection at the bulkhead connector or the infamous fuse box!

I had the opposite problem that the lights wouldn't illuminate. The red & the red/blue wires I have mentioned all checked out ok, turned out the earth wire from the alternator body wasn't connected. This corrected all the lights illuminated on ignition, and extinguished engine running.

All the best
Rich

[nick_ovlov]

hi there,

i had a similar problem with my car-

according to the manual when the alternator, brake failure, parking brake and bulb failure lights come on together(mine were faint but still on) theres a fault with the alternator

mine was doing this when running:


and funnily enough my car died altogether after only a few miles when it did this.

in my instance it was simply worn brushes in the alternator itself which is two screws and a pull out unit, simple to replace.

and this is what it should look like:

[dan 244]

Thanks for the responses. I enquired about the price of a new alternator 314.00 + vat so after I got up I decided to take the one off the car to have it bench tested, sure enough they have confirmed today it is a dioad in the alternator so a new one has been ordered and should be fitted tomorrow. I am hoping to get the car back together in time for the national this week end, if not we will be comming in the V50.

[Paul240480]

The alternators themselves rarely die. It is just the regulator, brush box or whatever you wish to call it.... Loads of 'recon alternator ' places .... All they do is replace a 20-30 quid regulator and resell the alt for say 100 quid with yours as an exchange.... Easy money!