W110 alternator problem, not charging

[anyweb]

hi all,

my 1966 W110 is now parked with a battery charger charging up the battery so i can take it for a spin later (i try to drive it everyday or thereabouts)

over the last week the red light in my instrument panel started to flicker on/off and then barely on getting brighter as i accelerated and I assumed this was down to faulty brushes on the alternator,

i have had a look at the alternator itself (still in the car) to see if i could remove the brushes for replacement, however i noticed there are not two wires going into the alt but four !

anyway, one of the 4 wires (thick yellow) was corroded right through so no contact being made there at all,

now i'm wondering if simply fixing that cable will resolve my problem, but if so how do I replace just that cable, or do i do a patch up job, and if so what type of cable to use and how to patch it ??

it looks like it WAS heavy duty cabling but nows it corroded and broken

all advice appreciated

cheers
anyweb

 

[roofless]

this might be of help for other things to come http://www.classicmercedesbenz.co.uk/index.php if you dont have it already

 

[television]

What engine is it Niall

 

[television]

Its in this link
http://www.detali.ru/cat/oem_mb2.asp?TP=1&F=110017&M=180945&VIN=*&CT=M&cat=033&SID=15&SGR=001&SGN=01
And the diodes are shown 41 N,L,M, If there is enough wire left to solder to on the diode, then a good repair can be done, and heat shrink sleeving can be used over the soldered joint, available from in Sweden from ELFA, or maybe a good radio affair. If a wire cannot be attached, then a new diode can be put in, also from ELFA in Sweden

 

[anyweb]

sorry to add to the confusion but unfortunately the original engine (and parts attached to it i guess) was replaced with a more modern one from a later generation mercedes, i don't know which model though

as far as i know the original engine was replaced after 10 years (maybe it blew, maybe not powerful enough, who knows)

so i guess the alternator isnt original but approx 30 years old

but i'm also not sure............... it doesnt look quite the same as the one in malcolms link

would a photo help (everything is covered in oil...........)

 

[television]

I do not think that pictures will help, just take the thing off and dismantle to get to the reg diodes, and we take it from there, just one diode will put the lamp on dimly

 

[anyweb]

ok Malcolm i'll try and take it off tomorrow, not looking forward to it because its so dam cold and my engine bay is oily as in very oily.............

cheers

 

[television]

ok Malcolm i'll try and take it off tomorrow, not looking forward to it because its so dam cold and my engine bay is oily as in very oily.............

cheers

get a can of that engine cleaner,,it good and wash off with a kettle of hot water, and at your age you should not feel the cold

 

[merc convert]

I had the same problem with my alternator, checked brushes which were ok. Took it to a guy who does trade rebuilds and found a winding shorting. £55 for a full rebuild. What a bargain.

 

[anyweb]

hi all

well today i braved the cold and had a better look at the alternator,

the wire (which I previously mentioned) was completely separated now due to corrosion, so I cleaned off both ends and spliced it together with a decent connector, sealed it all up with strong electric tape and took it for a test drive or two,

the RED light in my instrument panel is now back to the way it was before (OFF all the time while driving) and the battery is charging properly so I'm very happy to report that this quick (temporary) fix has solved the problem !

cheers
anyweb

 

[television]

hi all

well today i braved the cold and had a better look at the alternator,

the wire (which I previously mentioned) was completely separated now due to corrosion, so I cleaned off both ends and spliced it together with a decent connector, sealed it all up with strong electric tape and took it for a test drive or two,

the RED light in my instrument panel is now back to the way it was before (OFF all the time while driving) and the battery is charging properly so I'm very happy to report that this quick (temporary) fix has solved the problem !

cheers
anyweb

Good one Niall,,something to do in the summer then

Thanks for posting back

 

[anyweb]

thanks Malcolm

here's the wire before i fixed it (the other half of the broken wire was disconnected and is not visible in this photo)

 

[television]

thanks Malcolm

here's the wire before i fixed it (the other half of the broken wire was disconnected and is not visible in this photo)

Not much room to work in there, is there. At least its easy to get the alternator off in the summer, but no reason why this repair will not last, a cable tie may help to stop the wires from moving