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Alternator not continuously charging


AliserL

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Hi all,

 

first post here from a new Subaru owner.

Car is an 05 Legacy Wagon (BP5) with an EJ203. Stock standard etc. Had it just over a month - by about 2 days.

Was slow to start on Sunday and didn't at all this morning. Jumped it this afternoon and went to auto-electrician as I thought it might be the battery - up to the point where I discovered the negative battery terminal was a bit loose - but took it anyway.

After a bit of a chat the electrician had a look and said that the alternator wasn't charging the battery. We talked about options and then he says hang on something's changed, now I can hear whining. Sure enough, the alternator is now charging.

The electrician said, and it makes sense to me, that the alternator should charge all the time and not intermittently.

 

So before I go down the path of replacing the alternator, can anyone offer any advice?

 

Many thanks in advance.

 

Alister (Yeah I buggered up the username too...)

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The alternators are controlled by the ECU to reduce engine load and fuel consumption. They charge when there is an electrical load like lights or AC on, or at a (very low) preset battery voltage. There is possibly an ECU update for constant charge. I recall when the Impreza came out with variable charging we had lots of elderly customers with dead batteries because they'd drive it once a week to the shops and back, in daylight with the AC off, so the damn things would barely charge.

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Hi guys,

 

thanks for the information. It sounds like it is intermittently charging in that case. Also makes sense as the battery voltage when measured with engine running and not charging was ~12.3V, so probably not low enough at that point for charging to take place.

 

Thanks again for the help.

 

Alister.

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