Alternator light now flickering

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rallybug
Getting Hooked!
Location: North Salt Lake, UT
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Alternator light now flickering

Post by rallybug » Mon Jul 03, 2017 10:48 am

I had a problem a week or so ago now (busy time for us, so no real time to look into it before now).

I commuted to work and the bus started fine both at home and at work, and purred along as normal for the journey - even got a nice brake test in as someone pulled into my lane and didn't accelerate when I was doing about 50mph, nice straight, firm braking required and passed =D>

Anyway, the next morning, I went to commute again, turned on the ignition and the normal lights came on (oil pressure, brake, alternator, OXS). Tried to start and just a click. Turned off and back on again, and this time only the oil pressure and brakes light came on, and no starting once again. Had to push it back off to one side of the drive so that my wife's car was clear to get out, which was fun...

I tried it off and on for the next week, and still either all lights on first attempt, and then just oil and brakes, or just oil and brakes from the outset.

Finally got it to start at the weekend, enough to move it into a better position on the drive, but the alternator and OXS lights were very dimly flickering all the time.

I've checked the battery cables, cables to the starter look to be OK, wires to and from coil look and feel like they're connected OK. Belt has about 3/4" of deflection in the middle which from what I've read is only slightly more than ideal (5/8", I think) and I know that I don't want the belt too tight as that can damage the alternator, although too loose might reduce the charging, I suppose.

I currently don't have a multimeter as mine stopped working, so can't check that battery level at the moment, unfortunately.

Could it just be a massively undercharged battery, although it did start OK when I got to that point? Alternator having issues?

Ideas?
Harvee the Wonder Bus - a 1979 CA-spec 7-seater bus

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sgkent
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Location: Citrus Heights CA (near Sacramento)
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Re: Alternator light now flickering

Post by sgkent » Mon Jul 03, 2017 2:20 pm

Might be a ground issue under the dash, maybe in the cluster near the heater tree. The OXS (oxygen sensor?) implies this is a 1979 or later bus or vanagon. Without a proper ground, power may be flowing thru the OXS light back to ground instead of properly working otherwise. Just a guess. Without a working volt meter it will be harder to troubleshoot. For example - if you measure voltage between the metal on the instrument panel and compare it to ground, there should only be a fractional voltage. If you see say something like 7 or 8 v then you know you have a bad ground.
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