Possible dodgy voltage regulator

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RentedBackScratcher
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Joined: Wed Jun 06, 2018 8:34 pm
Drives: 1.4 petrol 2000/2001
Location: Ipswich

Possible dodgy voltage regulator

Post by RentedBackScratcher »

Hello everyone.
Im new here so firstly, hi again.

Ok this isnt my car but my missus.
The fault 1st started as ignition misfires, but very few at 1st, but it would always fire up 2nd time of asking. It seemed to go away,
Fastforward a month, as all gremlins do, it came back with a vengeance, it went from every now and then to everytime.
So, naturally i suspected the starter, however when testing the battery voltage it was around 10.5v.

Now to be fare my missus was given the car by her stepdad and it had sat for a little while, so a battery going bad after sitting for a month or 2 with just the odd startup here and there is nothing unusual.

Soo i pirchased and fitted a new battery, all was good until the next day my missus calls me and says while driving along she lost ALL instruments, dials dropped to zero, no lights (although it was daytime) no mileage readout, no warning lights, not even a handbrake symbol.
HOWEVER...
The car was still running fine and the stereo was still working, although she says it wasnt actually on, it still had the standby lights (it has a blue halo light all around it in standby)
After a restart all returned to normal for a short time then it happened again.
She got the car home and waited for me to get home.
I did a battery voltage test and it showed almost 17v, so overcharged.

Now all the symptoms it currently has point toward a dodgy voltage regulator on the alternator.
All the fuses seem fine, connections are all fine, no broken or exposed wires, at least none that i can find.

All i really want from anyone who may have some input, or maybe experienced a similar issue, before i buy a new alternator (cannot currently find any shops that sell a regulator on its own) is...what else it may possibly be.

Ive been advisee that the dashboard blanking out maybe a result of circuit protection cutting it all out to stop it all frying from too much voltage, is this plausible?

Also a starter not firing is consistant with an overcharged battery.

Many thanks, and sorry for the long winded post, just trying to paint the best detailed picture i can.


2000 polo 1.4 petrol.
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alexperkins
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Re: Possible dodgy voltage regulator

Post by alexperkins »

Thats the alternator without a doubt.

I had this happen a few years ago - I would replace the entire alternator and not just the voltage regulator. This can happen when one of the windings fails internally.
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