Charging at low revs

[Top Gear TVR]

OK I have had lots of cars old and new and never seen this as a deliberate design, but more a low revs or chargeing system fault.

Can anyone explain whether all TVR S's have the charging light stay on until the engine revs above 2,000 rpm? and if not what have you done to stop it?

No other chargeing issues - but it just seems wroing and encourages blipping the engine when its cold.

[Top Gear TVR]

looks like i could improve my spelling a little!

[FARKIT]

For what it's worth - mine is the same...

[techbotics]

They all do that.. TVR design 'feature'

Once the charging is active though, its ok to drop below the 2000 threshold..

Some messing with warning bulb wattages, putting another bulb in line or adding a resister will cure if you really want to..

I don't believe giving the engine a little 'rev' over 2000 rpm once oil is circulating is particularly bad for it, as its not under load. just little blip is all that's required.

Thanks

Damian S3

[Roy C]

They all do that - as it explains in the handbook.

[techbotics]

Interesting point Roy mine came without a hand book I have a PDF s2 one if you gents want a copy PM me.

Cheers D S3

[Top Gear TVR]

cheers for the manual offer - have pm'd

OK - i get that they are all designed this way - but why, it looks / is wrong?

[GreenV8S]

The V8S doesn't do that, but my S2 did. It's caused by a combination of the amount of current through the no-charge warning circuit, and the alternator gearing.

[sighck]

When the engine sits in a Sierra/Granada the alternator is driven by the inner pulley. The inner pulley is not used in our cars. The pulley that drives the alternator in our cars is used to drive the steering servo in a Sierra/Granada. The "steering servo" pulley is smaller => less rpm on the alternator compared to original

[Top Gear TVR]

now the idea that the gearing via pulleys is different would make sense. any idea what the difference between the normal alternator pulley diameter and our is? I bet its a belt size problem????

[oldgeebee]

There was a thread a few months ago about this but with the search engine down for maintenance I can't find it right now. The gist of it was that the field coils need a certain current before the alternator starts to deliver. At low revs this current is supplied by the charging lamp. Fitting a higher wattage lamp does the trick as does fitting another one in parallel at the alternator (which avoids taking the dash to bits). Theoretically, a different pulley size could give the same effect but that wasn't discussed in the thread.
GB

[phillpot]

or just live with it......



I have been reliably informed (by camshaft manufacturers) that the revs should be picked up to around 2000 soon after starting to get plenty of oil flow going, starting cold and leaving on tick over is not good

Edited by phillpot on Tuesday 16th August 22:12

[Griffinr]

oldgeebee said:

There was a thread a few months ago about this but with the search engine down for maintenance I can't find it right now. The gist of it was that the field coils need a certain current before the alternator starts to deliver. At low revs this current is supplied by the charging lamp. Fitting a higher wattage lamp does the trick as does fitting another one in parallel at the alternator (which avoids taking the dash to bits). GB

Added an extra panel bulb to mine and it now cuts in at 1300 rpm. Reving to 2000 at 7am every morning was'nt going down too well with her in doors and the neighbours. (now I can trickle out in stealth mode).

Rob.

[tvrgit]

I'm with Philpott here - just live with it.

If I need to leave in stealth mode early in the morning, I just don't rev the engine till I'm half a mile from the house - then a quick blip to start the alternator, and then we're off. Half a mile with the alternator not charging, isn't going to do any harm.

I really don't see the problem...

[Top Gear TVR]

something like this?

[phillpot]

tvrgit said:

I'm with Philpottphillpot here - just live with it.

.

[tvrgit]

phillpot said:

I don't know why, but I ALWAYS get the 2 Ls and one T mixed up - I've got some kind of mental block with your user name... sorry.