New Battery Required for WK2 Diesel Overland

[Troutman]

Surely there is a reliable way to test battery/alternator condition before replacing 'just in case'?

[SouthernComfort]

Originally Posted by Troutman

Surely there is a reliable way to test battery/alternator condition before replacing 'just in case'?

Before I replaced mine I had it looked at by an RACV serviceman who told me that basically the alternator is either working or it isn't, hard to tell if it's on the way out. One day good, next day burning. I took that at face value, but if there is any reliable test it would be useful to know.

Battery testing slightly better but even they can be working today and dead tomorrow, so you'd need to test it every day once it gets to a certain age. I always reckon the GC has a built-in battery tester i.e. funny electrickery starts when it's on the way out!

[Troutman]

Originally Posted by SouthernComfort

I always reckon the GC has a built-in battery tester i.e. funny electrickery starts when it's on the way out!

Yep, I've seen that before.

[Mousie]

Sorry with diodes, nil way to physically tell or even by loading them. It appears the heavy duty ones are arcing out to short (closed circuit) vs going open circuit. Thus the battery feeds the coils and drains to zero volts.

The reason why the electrical goes haywire is the alt starts feeding AC and DC along the circuit and things chuck a wobbly. The batt absorbers some of the AC danger but suffers badly from the experience.

[drover]

When you have a demand for electric everything these things arebound to happen, as for a general recall you have to know the why ??? everything that is run from that board seems to fall over so I suspect there is more than just a bad alternator or fuel pump etc, points more to power regulation but then being a dumb truckie...eh !!!!

Swapping diode plates shouldn't be a biggy so long as you don't cook them, I have used multi grips as a good heat sink on many occassions.........along with long nose pliers for the connector wrestling match.........

I don't think you can predict the fail but would be more than glad to be proved wrong..........

[OLMATE]

Has anyone tried swapping out the OEM Alternator and putting in a readily available Bosch unit, something that's not going to cost a bloody arm and a leg

[SouthernComfort]

I went for a Jaylec. About $690 Plus fit.