Alternator cable snapped.

[DaveDreads]

I've found out what's wrong with the dog kennel, the alternator isn't charging the battery.

So I decided to take off the live wire and clean the connector,
in the process of undoing the bolt the connector snapped and the bolt now turns with the nut.

Is it new alternator time, and if it is, do I need a new aux belt kit,
or can I just swap the alternator with the existing belt and tensioner?

Also what do I do about the wire, can I just strip it and fit a new connector?

 

[Rob]

Pictures?

 

[DaveDreads]

I put one up after i've eaten this pasta.

 

[DaveDreads]

I was trying to undo this nut and the connector snapped,
and the bolt turns with the nut, probably because they're so corroded they're now one piece of metal/rust.

 

[Dr HMS Derv Destroyer]

Right, soak the nut in wd40 for a few hours, stick a screw driver behind the nut ( flat head driver ) and pull the screw driver towards you as you undo the nut.

Depnding on how much cable you have left, you might be able to recrimp it.

Couls be a fudged alternator if its not that connector.

And personall i wouls put a new aux belt on as they cst penuts to buy

 

[Aluco]

Fabricate a way to charge your battery from a wall socket and charge it while you're at work.

 

[DaveDreads]

Already sprayed it with WD40, there's just enough cable to recripm it.

Won't I need a complete aux kit if the belt comes off?

 

[Dr HMS Derv Destroyer]

No, your aux tentioner should be fine. I would presume you'd only need the aux belt changing if you have the alternator off

 

[Chip-mk1]

Belt will be fine too realistically, despite what some on here will no doubt say the reality is that there is no harm in detensioning and retensioning it, its a spring loaded tensioner anyway in fact.
That said, if its not been changed for a couple of years anyway I'd take the opportunity and do it while you are there.

Alternator itself should be fixable, just take it to somewhere that specialises in them near you.

 

[D4RREN]

This happened to me at bedford, if you remove the black plastic guard on the back of the alternator.
There is a 17mm nut if you hold the 13mm with a spanner and tighten the 17mm it pulls the fitting tight against the back of the alternator
Allowing you to undo the nut in question.
Hope this helps

 

[DaveDreads]

Right, I cave-maned the f*cker of by hacksawing through the nut,
all I need to do now is get a new 13mm spade connector,
and a new 13mm flanged nut, unless it's some kind of weird special French nut?

Then I can jump start it and see if it's solved the charging issue.

 

[Dr HMS Derv Destroyer]

you did try taking the nut off the proper way didnt you? cave man tools and tightened it up instead of undoing it ?

13mm nut with a copper washer behind will do IF you cant get a flanged nut anywhere.

 

[DaveDreads]

The whole lot span together, other than trying to dismantle the alternator in the engine bay,
there was no other way, i'll probably put it all back together and it'll still be f*cked.

You know what the dog kennel's like, it's not happy unless it takes all my money.

 

[Fred@BTM]

that'll come out

 

[Dr HMS Derv Destroyer]

i would come round and do it for you but andys just got a porche come up thats ditched it into a lampost. thats me running around like a looney for this week.

get yourself the nut and a crimp spade connector ( altho im sure they're ring connectors ) and take your time doing it. you'll need a crimp tool unless you want to bodge and have a spark display going off !

 

[Djw John]

This happened to me at bedford, if you remove the black plastic guard on the back of the alternator.
There is a 17mm nut if you hold the 13mm with a spanner and tighten the 17mm it pulls the fitting tight against the back of the alternator
Allowing you to undo the nut in question.
Hope this helps

This

 

[DaveDreads]

i would come round and do it for you but andys just got a porche come up thats ditched it into a lampost. thats me running around like a looney for this week.

get yourself the nut and a crimp spade connector ( altho im sure they're ring connectors ) and take your time doing it. you'll need a crimp tool unless you want to bodge and have a spark display going off !

I'm going to strip the wire back a bit and slide one of these over it, no idea if I need to crimp it in place or not though.

 

[Dr HMS Derv Destroyer]

yeah, the yellow bit needs to be crimp't to to te cable. it acts as a crush clamp on the wire to hold it still. iv tried it with pliers before but it doesnt hold very well

 

[DaveDreads]

I'll need to buy some crimpers then.

 

[Dr HMS Derv Destroyer]

hope it fecking fix's it after. made me laugh after all the effort to change the starter, first jump start and it fires up lol.

 

[DaveDreads]

I know I feel guilty and more than a little stupid that I didn't check the battery before you came round and changed the starter,
but at least you know how to change a 1*2s starter motor now. lol

 

[Thrust-Rated]

Getting there aren't you Dave. You'll be back in love with it again soon I am sure.

 

[DaveDreads]

I'm not sure about that mate. lol

I've truly had enough of Clios as an everyday car.

I honestly think the French designed these cars to last 10 years,
because it's just one problem after another now, I had 5 years of relatively trouble free motoring,
those days are well and truly gone!

 

[Rob]

Dave you can crimp with pliers just not little ***** ones, either mole grips, or something big.

 

[Thrust-Rated]

Ye Dave get some grips on them. Wrap some electrical tape round. Bodge it. The French bodged the cars when they built them didn't they

 

[DaveDreads]

Don't worry everything I do is a bodge lol,
i'll crush the b*stard on one way or another. :evil:

 

[Dr HMS Derv Destroyer]

Cringing at the thought of using pliers on crimps LOL

maybe its bad im an electrician

get a few crimps incase if you f**k one up!

 

[Thrust-Rated]

Ye deffo get a few crimps, strip wire, twizzle it and fold over and stick into crimp. I'm sure you know that already though. But just in case

 

[DaveDreads]

I know f*ck all about anything tbh, I make it up as I go along.

 

[MarcB]

This happened to mine, What i done was get the nut at the back of it to tighten it up.
Then got a large connector and crimped it with some solder inside and then red taped it up.

Got the Aux kit and starter done and then the garage (SWR) sprayed grease over it and it seems to be holding out well.

 

[Thrust-Rated]

Inside the crimps too, the metal contacts go up inside plastic crimp part roughly half way, make sure the metal inside crimp does crimp onto the casing of the wire. Else connection may not work. Know what I mean?

DCI RAZ, help me out here. That's right isn't it?

 

[Cr33do]

I'm no electrician but make sure you buy a heavy enough duty ring terminal. Not sure what amps are drawn through the cable but you don't want a light weight crimp terminal on there.

Btw. Our terminal did the same and as a previous post says there are two nuts acting as lock nuts securing the ring terminal to the post.

 

[MarcB]

I used a heavy duty o-ring like this one below.

I would not be using some small thin one like this.

 

[Fred@BTM]

common fault, the fix under warranty back in the day was to replace the entire engine bay loom instead of a £2 terminal, madness but that's Renault for you LOL

 

[DaveDreads]

So how the hell do I get at the locking nut behind the plastic casing then?

Because when it comes to reconnecting it, how do I stop the bolt from spinning when I tighten it up?

 

[Dr HMS Derv Destroyer]

Inside the crimps too, the metal contacts go up inside plastic crimp part roughly half way, make sure the metal inside crimp does crimp onto the casing of the wire. Else connection may not work. Know what I mean?

DCI RAZ, help me out here. That's right isn't it?

Yeah two crush fins inside the plastic casing. Strip the wire back and push it until the wire starts to come out the crimp. Dont crimp it on the wire casing or it'll melt it. Or make a bad connection

you want a big ring crimp. Bit of red heat shrink ( or any colour ) and srink the heat shrink onto the cable and the crushbit of the crimp after you have secured the wire. Or cover it in elec tape

 

[DaveDreads]

I don't know what the f*ck you're talking about lol.

I was just going to jam it on and crush f*ck out of it,
it honestly can't be that f*cking hard to mangle a connector onto a wire and make it work?

 

[Dr HMS Derv Destroyer]

Just bodge it yourself. I'll fix it after if you f**k it up

 

[DaveDreads]

Sounds good to me. :approve:

 

[Dr HMS Derv Destroyer]

LOL