Ra28 electrical problems, alternator?

[shewiththe18RG]

Finally got my oil leaks fixed and had the ra28 back on the road & washed & turning heads once again on saturday....and then fancy that, something else stuffs up

When it got dark i noticed a new noise, could only hear it at idle. It reminded me of that mitsubshi pajero sound, a high frequency whistling kinda sound...

When I pulled in the driveway I opened the bonnet to listen, and I'm pretty sure it's coming from the alternator, or nearby. I put a new drive belt on less than a year ago so I cant see it being a worn belt.

The noise drops significantly when I turn my headlights off. But can still be heard.

AND THEN!.......not even hours later, my bonnet hinges stuffed up, now I cant even open my bonnet enough to do anything! RRRRGGGGGHHHH!!!!!!!!

Do I even bother looking for new hinges? Or should I just get the old ones bent back into place & welded & whatnot?


It really is one thing after the other with my celica

[ian]

dont give up
you may be able to open the bonnett by getting someone to lift thye front of the bonnett gently first
the other problem sounds like the alternator it is an easy fix
i hope that this helps
ian

[shewiththe18RG]

Yeah the bonnet's going to be a 2 person job, and daylight is needed which means I have to wait till next weekend. Two of us tried opening it, with no success.

As for the alternator, what do you think has happened to it? It's pretty ironic that it should play up, as I covered alternators at tafe just over a week ago. Thought I did reasonably well at the topic but it's evidently still over my head!

[airfireman1]

Sounds Like alternator bearings, very easy to change if you have the right tools, other than that an exchange item or even go for the upgrade 80 amp conversion
Cheers
You will be lucky to get a reasonable set of hinges, just get the bonnet open and see how badly bent they are,its usually just one that causes the problems, I have also found that if you only open the bonnet from the drivers side it lessens the chance of bending the hinges
Cheers

[sillycar chick]

Hey Chicky,
With your bonnet hinges: try opening the bonnet from the middle of your bonnet (if you can reach ) whilst someone else pulls on the cable inside the car. My boyfriend's 28 has a bent bonnet hinge, and its a pain to get into. I had so much trouble when he was away in Tas and I was working on his car cos I couldnt reach across to the middle properly to get it open You may need to push the bonnet a little to one side as you open it. When you do get it open, try get hold of another hinge(s) and replace the bent ones, if possible. Once they are bent they may just keep bending, but ive never had to replace bonnet hinges yet (touch wood).

And the alternator does sound like it could be the bearing, or even maybe the brushes? im not quite as electrically minded as I am mechanically minded. Would be a good idea when you can get your bonnet open to start your car and put a multimeter across your battery and check your volts. It should be at least 13 or 14 volts when your engine is running. If its 12 or less its likely your alternator is on its way out. Are you losing any charge?

If you have to replace it people have basically given you your options. You can fix the bearing, get an exchange alternator, or just find another 2nd hand one. You can replace it with an 85 amp one as per Witzl's guide on here if you feel the desire/need.

BTW, what are you doing at TAFE?

Good luck with it, and keep your head up. Things do tend to go wrong in these cars, they are old after all But hey they have so much more class than new cars!
Cheers,
Dana

[Lambolica]

Don't screw around with trying to fix the Alternator, Just go for a EA Falcon 85amp upgrade, I have purchased all of the components (bar the belt) and it cost me a grand total of $35 and a few hours at pikkies.

For the hinges, if you can pull the headlight surrounds off you can possibly get to the hinge to bend it straight, drown it in WD40 and work the bonnet open and close so the WD40 works in. once its open bend it back as straight as you can.

Cheers
Simon

[RAIncarnated]

On the subject of bonnet hinges, i've always wondered if someone has ever successfully created a suitable/stronger replacement item. As i have noticed that they all tend to be rather "floppy" on most first gen celicas.

BTW Go the 85amp upgrade, and if your getting someone else to do it its worth i think redoing your fuses (cut strip resolder the wires going to the fusebox) but thats just me.

[Lambolica]

You could (up to a few months ago) still get them from toyota

I have the individual components CAD'ed up to make some replicas but this project will kick off later in the year.

Cheers
Simon

[shewiththe18RG]

Thanks heaps everyone for your help!

The bonnet opens up about half a metre, just enough to get the hinges undone. Me and dad are gonna take it off on the weekend and see what's happened. It's been dodgy for a while, could only open it standing on the drivers side, I guess it was just a matter of time before I bent a hinge!

I have wanky battery terminals with a little display screen, so I know the battery is holding charge at between 12-13 volts, so the alternator is working, just now with a scary noise. While my car was offroad, my battery went flat and i had it on trickle charge for a couple of days...can overcharging do any damage?

I've read through the Witzls falcon alternator FAQ, and it's looking like the best option, but electrical stuff freaks me out so I'm not real confident!

Dana, I'm doing a parts interpreting apprenticeship (yeah its an apprenticeship now, lame- i know), I wanted to do mechanics but didnt want to risk losing interest in working on my own car like my brother did...so parts seemed like the next best thing. I'm actually really enjoying the tafe side of it, as its really hands on and I'm learning a lot. Cheap parts is a bonus too ;-)

Thanks again for all your help!
Tiffany.

[TA-022]

this happened to mine (the hinges) just the other day.

they get like saggy door hinges and woble as you open.

you need to woble it each way with some1 else. its trial and error to find the right woble
to free it up. then ya can restraighten it.

[The Witzl]

Tiff,

I have a spare set of bonnet hinges that still work well, since i replaced them with brand new items about a year ago. I never had problems with them, and they are 95% straight.

As for the alternator - DO MY UPGRADE. Seriously. It will unleash new life on your car's electrical system, especially considering you now have the stereo in there drawing a lot more current.

Also - disconnect the voltage sensing wires on the voltage display battery terminal, or put a switch on one so that you can turn it on and off. That display runs constantly, and will flatten your battery in about 7 days if left to sit (just ask Riceburna about that one!!).
The voltage sensing wires are the red and black wires coming out of the bottom of the terminal - http://www.jaycar.com.au/products_up...Large_7375.jpg


Wiring up the 85A Falcon alternator is a piece of piss. Just follow my guide.