strange goings on with my 190e

[slammed190e]

ok so ive had my 190e 2.0 auto for a while now never had any mayjor problems with it really. but something strange has happened to it twice now and i cant work it out???

about 3 weels ago i drove to southend without any problems about an hours drive. i got there and it was raining so we all sat in my car with my engine running stereo playing heaters on and lights on. i noticed my window became very slow and then my lights went dim and my abs light came on! so i drove it up and down the seafront a few times to charge the batt up a lil and it was fine.

until last night! i started it up and drove for about 5 mins doing about 75-80mph turned the heated rear window on and the switch started to flash so i tried again and it just flashed at me! then my light started to dim then on came my abs light again after another 5 mins of driving with alost no lights i pulled over and it cut out, flat battery wounldnt start. so i left it over night.
went to it this morning and it fired up straight away and everything is fine again!

any ideas? im stuck!

joe

 

[carabind]

Clearly electrical.
key components are battery and alternator and both would need checking. How old is the former?

If you have access to a electrical mulimeter, would suggest taking voltage readings before starting the engine, and 1 min after starting, (not during!!!) runing at say 2k revs. Most garages will this this for a couple of £ if you can't. You should see around 11-12 then 13-14 volts

On the face of it, battery is knackered and not holding a charge. But could also be something like a slack fan belt. dodgy battery connections.

 

[television]

I would take off the battery terminals and clean them, then lightly grease,it has to be something like this, if the battery was faulty the car would not have started this morning.

Malcolm

 

[type49]

Sounds like the alternator. The regulator pack can be changed separately if you can prove its not the windings or brushes. The yellow LED for the HRW does flash if the voltage is very low. Phone around for an electrical specialist who can test/rebuild them. Might be cheaper than you think.

 

[slammed190e]

well turned out it wasnt charging! so i replaced the alternator saterday lunchtime! all was good. all the dash lights that stopped working ages ago started to work again!

but its got worse!!!!!!!
yesterday i lost all my dash lights again! and to make it worse i was sitting in a petrol station and it started to smell like burning plastic! then i saw smoke coming from under my bonnet. had a look and there was smoke coming from the back of the new alternator and now thats not charging either!
any ideas now??? obviously need another new alternator but wats causing it so fry itself???

 

[eric242340]

Strange goings on

well turned out it wasnt charging! so i replaced the alternator saterday lunchtime! all was good. all the dash lights that stopped working ages ago started to work again!

but its got worse!!!!!!!
yesterday i lost all my dash lights again! and to make it worse i was sitting in a petrol station and it started to smell like burning plastic! then i saw smoke coming from under my bonnet. had a look and there was smoke coming from the back of the new alternator and now thats not charging either!
any ideas now??? obviously need another new alternator but wats causing it so fry itself???

I would do as Malcolm said a bad connection creates heat and heat creates resistance. Therefore your Alternator is working like crazy trying to charge the battery. Also check the battery ground at the body end of the cable. Next, the charging circuit is fused - check your fuses.

 

[eric242340]

Strange goings on

Thinking about it some more. The high resistance at a battery terminal or ground would cause heat, as i said and in turn create resistance. This is why when you pulled the car over and the engine stalled it would not start again. But the next morning, not heat, and car started. With all car problems there is a cause and effect issue. When your first alternator was damaged you have to ask what caused it and now you may have to replace it again So this time look very hard for the cause first.