Problem with mother's Citroen AX...

[jmurray01]

About 6 months ago I bought my mother a 1995 Citroen AX 1.5 diesel as a runaround and also because it is a classic French car and I could resist!

Anyway it has been running 100% reliably until I went out with her today and noticed the battery/alternator light stayed on after she started the engine. I immediately thought the alternator belt had come off or the alternator failed completely, but as we were only 2 miles from home we just headed off, and as soon as the engine got above about 2,500RPM (I'm judging by ear as it has no tach so give or take 500rpm) the light went out...

Once we got home I checked with my multimeter and found that the battery is fine (12.3v) but when you start the car the alternator doesn't charge at all and it stays at 12.3v, until you blip the throttle to rev above 2,500rpm then it jumps up to 14.6v and stays there even when the engine returns to idle.

I'm a bit confused as I have heard of alternators only working at higher rpms but this one works at idle but only after you've revved it up.

As the battery wasn't discharged and it is charging once you start driving I'm not overly concerned and she rarely drives more than 5 miles from home, but it is something I'd like to get to the bottom of.

Has anyone had this happen and what is the problem?

Given the battery drain problem with the Passat I don't seem to be having much luck lately!!!

[Crasher]

Mother of Crasher has seriously given her Polo a good seeing to, now I have to fix it!

Untitled by Steve Cresswell, on Flickr

[KevTrem]

About 6 months ago I bought my mother a 1995 Citroen AX 1.5 diesel as a runaround and also because it is a classic French car and I could resist!

Anyway it has been running 100% reliably until I went out with her today and noticed the battery/alternator light stayed on after she started the engine. I immediately thought the alternator belt had come off or the alternator failed completely, but as we were only 2 miles from home we just headed off, and as soon as the engine got above about 2,500RPM (I'm judging by ear as it has no tach so give or take 500rpm) the light went out...

Once we got home I checked with my multimeter and found that the battery is fine (12.3v) but when you start the car the alternator doesn't charge at all and it stays at 12.3v, until you blip the throttle to rev above 2,500rpm then it jumps up to 14.6v and stays there even when the engine returns to idle.

I'm a bit confused as I have heard of alternators only working at higher rpms but this one works at idle but only after you've revved it up.

As the battery wasn't discharged and it is charging once you start driving I'm not overly concerned and she rarely drives more than 5 miles from home, but it is something I'd like to get to the bottom of.

Has anyone had this happen and what is the problem?

Given the battery drain problem with the Passat I don't seem to be having much luck lately!!!

I'd check on the price of an alternator and look at replacing it. Without sounding funny but buying her a diesel even a little AX to do 5 mile trips wasn't right. Should of gone for the 1.1 petrol or the likes of the 205 or 206. In 5 miles I'd doubt that the car replaces the charge taken out of the battery to start it.

[KevTrem]

Mother of Crasher has seriously given her Polo a good seeing to, now I have to fix it!

Untitled by Steve Cresswell, on Flickr

Crasher hope your mother is OK and uninjured. I'm sure you will have that Polo looking good and working fine soon.

[jmurray01]

I'd check on the price of an alternator and look at replacing it. Without sounding funny but buying her a diesel even a little AX to do 5 mile trips wasn't right. Should of gone for the 1.1 petrol or the likes of the 205 or 206. In 5 miles I'd doubt that the car replaces the charge taken out of the battery to start it.

In actual fact a non-turbo diesel with no DPF and no catalytic converter can cope perfectly fine with short journeys, and in any event it does get a 20-30 mile drive every few weeks.

I'll look up the price of a new alternator in that case.

[KevTrem]

My mate had the 1.5D 106, could put a 5a in and get over 100miles. It got there slowly but it got there, was a class little car.

Just thinking it most likely is the original alternator and at the latest is probably 25years old given the Saxo was released approx 1995 around same time as the 206. My guess is the regulator rectifier is tired and takes a bit of juice to get it going. You see it on motorbikes as the regulator rectifier is failing.

[Whippy53]

Mother of Crasher has seriously given her Polo a good seeing to, now I have to fix it!

Untitled by Steve Cresswell, on Flickr

That'll buff out mate, no worries.

[jmurray01]

My mate had the 1.5D 106, could put a 5a in and get over 100miles. It got there slowly but it got there, was a class little car.

Just thinking it most likely is the original alternator and at the latest is probably 25years old given the Saxo was released approx 1995 around same time as the 206. My guess is the regulator rectifier is tired and takes a bit of juice to get it going. You see it on motorbikes as the regulator rectifier is failing.

They are good cars and given the size and weight the acceleration actually isn't that bad, and it easily gets 65MPG just driven normally.

I presume the voltage regulator could be replaced independently if the alternator itself is still working fine. I'll do a bit of research and see what I can find.

It's a brilliant car and for the price I paid it was a steal. All I had to do after a few months was get a new exhaust system fitted as it still had the original which literally fell off, and today it went in for its MOT and all it needed was the headlamps re-aligned. Not too bad for a 24 year old car!!

[Crasher]

Bent chassis leg, drive shaft, wishbone, track rod

[jmurray01]

Well strangely enough I changed the battery today (the old one was a tiny Halfords model which was God knows how old) and now the battery light goes out as soon as you start the engine with no revving required...

Could it have been something to do with a weak battery causing the problem or maybe a loose exciter wire which I inadvertently fixed by disconnecting and reconnecting the leads?