1995/M Cavalier 2.0i, 102000 miles.

Last night, while I was sitting in the car and the engine was idling,
the battery warning light came on.  "Oh", thinks I, "the fan belts's
gone or the brushes have worn out."  Leeked under the bonnet and found
the alternator belt was fine (it was dark and there's a not of stuff in
the way but I think it shares the cambelt.)

Revving the engine made the light brighten, a lot, almost to the point
of popping the bulb. If you remember the scene from the film
"Poltergeist", where the lights in the house brighten almost to he point
of pain, that's what it was like.

Since I was about 20 miles from home, I decided to nurse the car home
and sort it out this morning.  While driving along the motorway,
suddenly the dashlights and the headlights brightened perceptibly and
the engine management and ABS warning lamps came on (engine management
steady, ABS flashing on and off.)  

This spooked me a bit, but I was on a motorway and didn't want to stop.
Some minutes later, all the warning lamps, including the battery light,
abruptly went out and the car returned to normal.  It seems fine this
morning.

So what do I need? An exorcism, or something more mundane?

In article <TA$3k8DGnm0CFwRc@jasper.org.uk>, Mike Tomlinson says...

> 
> 1995/M Cavalier 2.0i, 102000 miles.
> 
> Last night, while I was sitting in the car and the engine was idling,
> the battery warning light came on.  "Oh", thinks I, "the fan belts's
> gone or the brushes have worn out."  Leeked under the bonnet and found
> the alternator belt was fine (it was dark and there's a not of stuff in
> the way but I think it shares the cambelt.)
> 
> Revving the engine made the light brighten, a lot, almost to the point
> of popping the bulb. If you remember the scene from the film
> "Poltergeist", where the lights in the house brighten almost to he point
> of pain, that's what it was like.
> 
> Since I was about 20 miles from home, I decided to nurse the car home
> and sort it out this morning.  While driving along the motorway,
> suddenly the dashlights and the headlights brightened perceptibly and
> the engine management and ABS warning lamps came on (engine management
> steady, ABS flashing on and off.)  
> 
> This spooked me a bit, but I was on a motorway and didn't want to stop.
> Some minutes later, all the warning lamps, including the battery light,
> abruptly went out and the car returned to normal.  It seems fine this
> morning.
> 
> So what do I need? An exorcism, or something more mundane?
> 

Either the regulator or diodes have failed. 

-- 
Conor

-You wanted an argument? Oh I'm sorry, but this is abuse. You want room 
K5, just along the corridor. Stupid git. (Monty Python)

On Mon, 11 Jul 2005 14:11:43 +0100, Conor  wrote:


> In article <TA$3k8DGnm0CFwRc@jasper.org.uk>, Mike Tomlinson says...
>>
>> 1995/M Cavalier 2.0i, 102000 miles.
>>
>> Last night, while I was sitting in the car and the engine was idling,
>> the battery warning light came on.  "Oh", thinks I, "the fan belts's
>> gone or the brushes have worn out."  Leeked under the bonnet and found
>> the alternator belt was fine (it was dark and there's a not of stuff in
>> the way but I think it shares the cambelt.)
>>
>> Revving the engine made the light brighten, a lot, almost to the point
>> of popping the bulb. If you remember the scene from the film
>> "Poltergeist", where the lights in the house brighten almost to he point
>> of pain, that's what it was like.
>>
>> Since I was about 20 miles from home, I decided to nurse the car home
>> and sort it out this morning.  While driving along the motorway,
>> suddenly the dashlights and the headlights brightened perceptibly and
>> the engine management and ABS warning lamps came on (engine management
>> steady, ABS flashing on and off.)
>>
>> This spooked me a bit, but I was on a motorway and didn't want to stop.
>> Some minutes later, all the warning lamps, including the battery light,
>> abruptly went out and the car returned to normal.  It seems fine this
>> morning.
>>
>> So what do I need? An exorcism, or something more mundane?
>>
> Either the regulator or diodes have failed.
>




Or the earth lead to the engine/battery is loose.

"Duncanwood"  wrote in message
news:op.stq4gpow4wom51@amy...

> On Mon, 11 Jul 2005 14:11:43 +0100, Conor  wrote:
>
> > In article <TA$3k8DGnm0CFwRc@jasper.org.uk>, Mike Tomlinson says...
> >>
> >> 1995/M Cavalier 2.0i, 102000 miles.
> >>
> >> Last night, while I was sitting in the car and the engine was idling,
> >> the battery warning light came on.  "Oh", thinks I, "the fan belts's
> >> gone or the brushes have worn out."  Leeked under the bonnet and found
> >> the alternator belt was fine (it was dark and there's a not of stuff in
> >> the way but I think it shares the cambelt.)
> >>
> >> Revving the engine made the light brighten, a lot, almost to the point
> >> of popping the bulb. If you remember the scene from the film
> >> "Poltergeist", where the lights in the house brighten almost to he
point
> >> of pain, that's what it was like.
> >>
> >> Since I was about 20 miles from home, I decided to nurse the car home
> >> and sort it out this morning.  While driving along the motorway,
> >> suddenly the dashlights and the headlights brightened perceptibly and
> >> the engine management and ABS warning lamps came on (engine management
> >> steady, ABS flashing on and off.)
> >>
> >> This spooked me a bit, but I was on a motorway and didn't want to stop.
> >> Some minutes later, all the warning lamps, including the battery light,
> >> abruptly went out and the car returned to normal.  It seems fine this
> >> morning.
> >>
> >> So what do I need? An exorcism, or something more mundane?
> >>
> > Either the regulator or diodes have failed.
> >
>
>
>
> Or the earth lead to the engine/battery is loose.


That's sounds more like it, or probably the extra earth strap from top bolt
holding the rubber-mounted alternator to the block.
(happened to both my 2L Vauxhalls)
JB

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember Mike Tomlinson
 saying something like:


>Since I was about 20 miles from home, I decided to nurse the car home
>and sort it out this morning.  While driving along the motorway,
>suddenly the dashlights and the headlights brightened perceptibly and
>the engine management and ABS warning lamps came on (engine management
>steady, ABS flashing on and off.)  
>
>This spooked me a bit, but I was on a motorway and didn't want to stop.
>Some minutes later, all the warning lamps, including the battery light,
>abruptly went out and the car returned to normal.  It seems fine this
>morning.


Think yourself lucky you haven't fried the expensive electronics when
the regulator went mad.  Years ago it happened to me in a
ShiteOldRenault - no electronics, but every bulb blew when the voltage
reg went apeshit. The odd thing was the utterly blue-white quality of
the headlamp beams just before failure.
-- 

Dave
SE6a

In article <op.stq4gpow4wom51@amy>, Duncanwood 
writes


>Or the earth lead to the engine/battery is loose.


The battery earth terminal's tight, but the short black wire that
connects the battery earth terminal to chassis feels too flexible.  It
might be breaking up internally; I'll change it.

Do you know where the engine block to chassis earth strap is on this
car, please?  I've had a good look but can't spot it.

In article , JB  writes


>That's sounds more like it, or probably the extra earth strap from top bolt
>holding the rubber-mounted alternator to the block.


The alternator's mounted on the back of the block with three bolts.  The
lower bolt is fixed straight to the block; the upper two go via a flat,
twisted metal bracket and a V-shaped metal bracket to the block.

Thus, as far as I can see, the alternator chassis is connected directly
to the block; there are no rubber mountings and no extra earth strap.

Do you know where the engine block to chassis earth strap is, please?

"Mike Tomlinson"  wrote in message
news:jI17GeGvP$0CFwH1@jasper.org.uk...

> Do you know where the engine block to chassis earth strap is, please?


IIRC it's attached to the side of the gearbox and to the inner wing
(obscured by the battery tray). If it's corroded and frayed, which is fairly
likely, you might also need a new accelerator cable as the engine may have
tried to earth itself through that instead.

In article , Carl Bowman <carlbowmanwitho
utspam@gmx.co.uk> writes


>IIRC it's attached to the side of the gearbox and to the inner wing
>(obscured by the battery tray). If it's corroded and frayed, which is fairly
>likely, you might also need a new accelerator cable as the engine may have
>tried to earth itself through that instead.


Many thanks.  Will take a look in the morning.

On Tue, 12 Jul 2005 17:42:07 +0100, Mike Tomlinson  
 wrote:


> In article <op.stq4gpow4wom51@amy>, Duncanwood 
> writes
>
>> Or the earth lead to the engine/battery is loose.
>
> The battery earth terminal's tight, but the short black wire that
> connects the battery earth terminal to chassis feels too flexible.  It
> might be breaking up internally; I'll change it.
>
> Do you know where the engine block to chassis earth strap is on this
> car, please?  I've had a good look but can't spot it.
>
>
>



I thinj it goes from the bell housing to the wing. Check the alternators  
earthed to the block, I think on yours it's just bolted to it but it might  
be missing the 6mm2 wire that went in parallel with the tensioner arm.

On 11-Jul-05 12:44:54, Mike Tomlinson said

>1995/M Cavalier 2.0i, 102000 miles.

>This spooked me a bit, but I was on a motorway and didn't want to stop.
>Some minutes later, all the warning lamps, including the battery light,
>abruptly went out and the car returned to normal.  It seems fine this
>morning.

>So what do I need? An exorcism, or something more mundane?


Its been said before and probably will be again, but there's something
funny about the Cavalier's electrical system, oh yes.





                  All the best,
                        Angus Manwaring.       (for e-mail remove ANTISPEM)

I need your memories for the Amiga Games Database: A collection of Amiga
Game reviews by Amiga players http://www.angusm.demon.co.uk/AGDB/AGDB.html