Intermittent generator light issue..

[loueelotus]

Hi all.. Hope you can enlighten me on an issue that may be starting.. I noticed that in the past few weeks the generator light will come on as I start the engine from cold and will then go out about 20 seconds later. this does not do not happen ever start from cold.. Yesterday drove it and all was well then after getting of the highway it did it again and lasted the same amount of time about 20 second and flicked for another 20 seconds off and on. So before delving into the regulator and or generator. Does anyone have a possible answer ?.. I was thinking it may be that the regulator may need a cleaning..

Also I just added an Ammeter and of course it goes to the negative..all wires look and feel tight..

Thanks,
Lou

[ericbushby]

Hi lou,
How long is it since the generator was overhauled. Could well be sticking or worn brushes. If it is a while since it was checked then it may just need an overhaul.
It was a regular service I used to provide when I was an apprentice back in the 60`s at Mullards.
Skim and undercut the commutator, new bush, bearing and brushes and ready for dinnertime to go back on the car in the carpark. I kept a stock of parts in my bench drawer.
It was one of the lesser known byproducts of making television tubes.
Eric in Burnley
1967 S3SE DHC

[ElanDNA]

Hi Lou
Few weeks ago, I had the same trouble.
10 miles from home the EFI stops my engine.
The Alternator (Lucas King of Darkness) don't charge but then no light flicked.
Befor i purchased a new Alternator I open him and I was viewing the error.

Cheers Urs

[RichardHawkins]

Eric,

I was about to post similar comments. When I was an apprentice with a division of GEC I also used to do generator repairs using my employers lathe.

My uncle worked for Mullard, he moved down south to another division, probably before you started your apprenticeship. He was Arthur Douglas Priestland ( known as scrooge ) you may have heard of him.

Richard Hawkins

[ericbushby]

Richard,
sorry I cannot place him, but with a payroll of three thousand people it perhaps is not surprising.
I would have been there, as I was in the first intake of 12 apprentices after the factory was built in 1955 and I stayed for ten years.
I was at Simonstone .There was also a large Mullard factory in Blackburn making valves.
The engineering department was in a separate building away from the rest of the factory, so we were segregated most of the time.
Cheers
Eric

[RichardHawkins]

Eric,

My uncle was at Blackburn, I didn't realise there was more than one Mullard site in the area.

Richard Hawkins

[nigelrbfurness]

I had a similar fault once, took me ages to track it down. Turned out that at certain rpm and temperatures the top hose joint was leaking slightly and depositing a fine spray of coolant onto the fan belt. This caused the fan belt to slip for a few moments. Blip the throttle, the leak went away(!) and the fan belt stopped slipping...

[loueelotus]

Thank you all. for the information and nigelrbfurness for the info set forth. you never know what can cause it as explained..
So I checked all connections on the regulator and the 2 on the generator in which one was a little loose and checked and cleaned the points on the regulator.. Took it for a fast drive for about an hour and seems to be gone for now.. I will keep watching it until another issues starts

Regards,
Lou