[W126 Coupe] Strange gauge lights error, any ideas?

[Josh Allen]

Markus,

The new alternator was whatever I could get from the Napa warehouse 
store, since that was the only alternator available on short notice at 
the time.
It had a new regulator with it, and at the time was putting out 
14.5-14.7v when running, but I don't know currently.

I'll check up on the charging system today, one way or another, I just 
couldn't when I found it yesterday evening.

Thanks,
Josh

On 2/24/2010 2:45 AM, Markus Meyer wrote:

> Josh,

> I'd start by checking battery voltages, resting (car not on) and with 

> car running (this shows your alternator voltage), and go from there. 

> Any idea what alternator was put in, where it came from, was it new, 

> rebuilt, new regulator used, etc?

> Once you rule out a charging problem, you can move on to other things 

> like the OVP.

> Markus

>

> On Wed, Feb 24, 2010 at 2:27 AM, Josh Allen <heyallen at null-ptr.net 

> <mailto:heyallen at null-ptr.net>> wrote:

>

>     Ok, I have a strange fault in my 500 SEC currently, and I can't

>     find any of the threads that I could have sworn I'd read on it.

>

>     When I start the car, the charging system indicator glows dimly,

>     as well as the brake wear light and the empty fuel system light,

>     but both of the latter lights are around half the intensity of the

>     charging system light.

>

>     I thought I'd heard that these were indications of the OVP going,

>     and it did have some nasty 'foamy' corrosion or flux buildup on

>     the back of the circuit board which was easily cleaned off and

>     then resoldered for safety's sake.

>     The fault recurred two days after, but not immediately after

>     having resoldered it.  (It even persists with the OVP completely

>     removed, and no other issues seem to show up??)

>

>     The alternator was replaced around 2000 miles ago, due to the rear

>     bearing failing catastrophically, but I haven't probed the output

>     voltage yet, as today when I went to drive it and found the issue

>     was persisting, it was raining heavily.

>

>

>     Any ideas would be greatly appreciated, or even pointers on search

>     terms that would point me in the right direction.

>

>     Thanks,

>     -Josh Allen

>

>


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