Member Since: 02 Mar 2010
Location: Surrey
Posts: 181
Melting alternators, replacing Xenon and Challenger Tongham
Some learning from this week and a recommendation.
If someone, in my case my good wife, should phone and ask if it is normal for their to be "a smell of electrical burning" and "smoke" coming out of the bonnet, the correct answer is "no". This at 4:30 in the evening. The RAC attended after children's bedtimes at 7:45 and immediately diagnosed a melted alternator, my bad I hadn't given it any thought and the Varta Silver battery (2 yrs old) was toasty hot and flat as a pancake. Step one, battery disconnected. Step two, RAC man took the red / top terminal off the alternator, only needing to remove the turbo air intake to get to it. He taped it up, cable tied it to a spare coolant hose and re-assembled; about 15 minutes. Later when the battery was cooled, I put a multi-meter on it and got only 6v, but thought it was worth charging. It was, it came back to life. So I popped it back on and SHMBO drove it the next morning to Challenger 4x4 in Tongham who do all the servicing and were (as ever) good as gold. Within an hour they had popped a new Denso alternator on. If anyone needs an indep service near Guildford / Farnham they are fab and have lots of interesting gear in their shop to look at.
The only casualty seemed to be a Xenon bulb and changing that was dead easy. Pop the front centre grill off with the thumb releases (6) and then lever up the sliders that hold each headlamp in, careful not to go the full way and the holes are only 1-2cm of movement. The entire light unit just comes off (once the multi plug is released) and can be put somewhere where it won't fall off (I almost did that one) or scratch the front (that as well). The Xenon lights connectors twist about 1/8th of a turn anti clockwise and come off and then the spring holding the bulb is opened and the light bulb lifted out.
2 x Osram Night Breaker only £39 each, plus some Ring LED side lamps while I was at it, next day delivery from Autobulbs, all in £96. Seems quite sensible. Lovely and bright. The CAN compatible side lamps are also a lovely bright light and not at all yellow, although possibly a bit more white than the slightly blue main lights. You would think 4800k would be the same colour in both, but it isn't quite.
Anyway, lessons:
1. Do disconnect your battery sooner if the alternator starts smoking.
2. Do buy Osram Nightbreaker bulbs.
3. Do use Challenger Tongham.D3 2.7 TDv6 HSE, 2005 in silver.
2009 nav disc (thanks Wiggs)
2007 software upgrade (thanks Wiggs and Geoff) with 3 flash indicators, follow me home reverse lights, fog with side lights & canadian driving lights
D4 bluetooth module (thanks Wiggs again)
Too late now, but the Osram Original Line bulbs are actually just as bright (they are up to the legal limit the same as the NBs), cheaper and better for vision. Current: Discovery 3 06MY (55 reg) HSE Auto Zambezi Silver Allisport Fast Road Intercooler, V8 Brakes, Silicone IC Hoses, EGRs Blanked, Remapped, De-Cat pipe, FBHIC
Freelander 2 2007 HSE Manual Tambora Flame
Previous: FL2 56 reg SE Manual Black (written off )
Disco 3 06 reg B7S Manual Rimini Red
Disco 2 TD5 Y reg ES Manual Blue - Chipped
Several Discovery 300 TDis
1st Jul 2016 9:37 am
HughMartin
Member Since: 30 Mar 2008
Location: Aberdeenshire
Posts: 751
My Osram Nightbreakers hardly lasted anytime and I didn't notice a huge increase in light output.
Oh, yeah; I forgot the longer lasting bit too. Current: Discovery 3 06MY (55 reg) HSE Auto Zambezi Silver Allisport Fast Road Intercooler, V8 Brakes, Silicone IC Hoses, EGRs Blanked, Remapped, De-Cat pipe, FBHIC
Freelander 2 2007 HSE Manual Tambora Flame
Previous: FL2 56 reg SE Manual Black (written off )
Disco 3 06 reg B7S Manual Rimini Red
Disco 2 TD5 Y reg ES Manual Blue - Chipped
Several Discovery 300 TDis
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
Allisport Fast Road Intercooler, V8 Brakes, Silicone IC Hoses, EGRs Blanked, Remapped, De-Cat pipe, FBHIC
)
