wont start

[robin]

The charge warning light is pants on the elise; if the wiring fails the light won't come on even though the battery isn't being charged. Worse, when the wiring fails whilst the alternator is under load you often end up with a goosed regulator and thus you need a replacement alternator, or you need to source the appropriate regulator pack and replace it yourself

Turn the ignition on, don't try and start the car - is the charge warning light (battery symbol on dash) on? If not, then the alternator is not connected. If yes, then start car (with jump leads if required) and check the light goes out. If it does, then the problem is the battery, probably. If the light stays on then the problem is the control wire to the alternator, or the alternator is goosed.

Cheers,
Robin

[BiggestNizzy]

The charge warning light is pants on the elise; if the wiring fails the light won't come on even though the battery isn't being charged. Worse, when the wiring fails whilst the alternator is under load you often end up with a goosed regulator and thus you need a replacement alternator, or you need to source the appropriate regulator pack and replace it yourself
Cheers,
Robin

Yup had the 50 amp fuse go (read semi burn out) and it would go off with a wee rev of the engine but the battery wouldn't charge

[Stewart]

Quick recap: Battery warning light came on and stayed lit whilst driving at the weekend. Car wouldn't restart due to dead battery

I took the battery off and stuck it on charge. It was fully charged in under 3 hours.
Borrowed a voltmeter and it was reading 12.5v off the car.
Stuck it back in the car and fired it up.
Car started. Light stayed on.
Meter reading dropped to below 12v when running.

Safe to assume it is not the battery and very likely something in the charging circuit? i.e. alternator?

I have had a look in the service manual and can't find instructions on how to access it although I see from the SELOC TechWiki that it is though the wheel arch liner. Is the changing the alternator a be-atch? Mind you could be a broken wire or belt I suppose but wont know until I look.

Any advice on where to pick up a new alternator? Do you still do the exchange thing with these? Do I have to keep the pulley?

Last time I did an alternator change was in a mk1 MR2 in the pouring rain in a car park near Halbeath as it packed in at the side of the road. I managed the change but had forgotten to disconnect the batter and fried the loom Cost me £££ at Toyota to get the job done right

[BiggestNizzy]

Put the meter across the alternator and check that, if the car is k powered then its a skoosh via the wheel arch. You will get one from the scrappies or any motor factor. You may have to pay a deposit as I imagine it will be service exchange

[Stewart]

Put the meter across the alternator and check that, if the car is k powered then its a skoosh via the wheel arch. You will get one from the scrappies or any motor factor. You may have to pay a deposit as I imagine it will be service exchange

Thanks. I take I can only test the alternator with the meter by pulling the wheel arch out? I couldn't even see it when I looked in the engine bay.

I read that it's best to avoid generic alternators due to proximity to the exhaust - valid or not? Don't fancy it failing in the middle of France

Guess I know what I am doing on Saturday

[BiggestNizzy]

Cent really remember, the reason I mention it is their a fuse able link and.that went on mine.

[robin]

On the S2 the terminals are not exposed in the same way as the S1, so you cannot just probe the voltages on the back of the alternator.

Chances are it's a fractured wire inside the back of the alternator.

Suggest you remove the alternator from the car then remove the rear plastic cover and see what you find - post pictures if necessary.

Cheers,
Robin

P.S. I think I have a spare here in the garage for an S2, so if you wanted to go to the effort of bolting it on and seeing if the light goes out before sourcing a permanent replacement, let me know.

[Stewart]

On the S2 the terminals are not exposed in the same way as the S1, so you cannot just probe the voltages on the back of the alternator.

Chances are it's a fractured wire inside the back of the alternator.

Suggest you remove the alternator from the car then remove the rear plastic cover and see what you find - post pictures if necessary.

Cheers,
Robin

P.S. I think I have a spare here in the garage for an S2, so if you wanted to go to the effort of bolting it on and seeing if the light goes out before sourcing a permanent replacement, let me know.

Thanks Robin, I will PM if I decide to do that. I am wondering if I could be as lucky as to have the belt snap? There was no warning i.e the light didn't begin to flicker it just came on solid and the battery drained.

Whilst no doubt removing the wheel arch will hopefully be fairly obvious does anyone know if it is in the manual or a wiki somewhere? I know that sometimes you learn after a repair that there was a far easier way to achieve it

[BiggestNizzy]

Can't really comment precisely on the s2 but once the wheel arch liner is out its staring you in the face and 2 ? Bolts

[bertieduff]

does anyone know if it is in the manual or a wiki somewhere?

There was a good wiki kicking around for the S2 alternator- I used it when replacing mine a couple of years ago, but can't seem to find the link now. Anyone help?

It was a pretty straightforward job TBH (and I'm not mechanically talented...)

[robin]

Disconnect battery +ve wire, having just disarmed the alarm within the last 30 seconds.

Jack up, remove drivers side rear wheel.

There is one proper bolt near the top damper mount and then a bunch of those useless plastic popper screws that might need some assistance from a flat bladed screw driver to prise the screws out of the popper.

Then you need some brute force to, err, manipulate the liner out of the wheel arch.

There is a 14mm spanner long bolt through the top of the alternator that you will need to slacken. (could be 15mm?)

There is a 14mm spanner shorter bolt through the bottom of the alternator, again slacken. (could be 15mm?)

There is a 13mm spanner bolt really near the crank pulley that you need to slacken - it clamps the alternator arm.

Now you need an 8mm spanner and you better have a nice little ratchet head one. You use this to unwind the adjuster which is in the end of the arm and points more-or-less at the driver's backside The head of the bolt is quite close to the bulkhead liner and is a PITA to reach. Keep pulling down on the belt as you go; this will keep some tension on that wee bolt and thus allow you to continue using a ratchet spanner (which would otherwise not have enough friction to operate the ratchet).

You don't need to undo this completely, just enough to be able to get the alternator out, so once you've unwound it a bit, you can remove the two 14mm head bolts. Then wibble the alternator pulley out of the belt, and unhook the adjuster bolt from the slot in the end of the arm. Now you should also be able to unhook the wiring plug and then remove the alternator through the wheel arch.

When you do it back up, be sure to remove the 13mm head bolt and put it back with new threadlock. If you can be ar$ed order a new bolt from Lotus now and replace the one you take out ... these bolts have a habit of snapping off in the block if they are allowed to run loose.

I've never removed an alternator from S2 though (without the whole engine ) so cannot be 100% sure the above is correct, but it's a good start. Give me a shout on the mobile if you need assistance - 07973 391 393 - I'll probably be working on Egor so I have something to stare at.

Cheers,
Robin

[bertieduff]

Quality.

I was just about to say that of course Robin...

[Stewart]

Perfect Robin, thank you. I'll report back after this weekend to let you know how I get on.

I looked on seloc and saw it mentioned that I may have to remove the oil filer to get it off. We'll see.