1988 318i - revs up, lights dim. Que pasa?

Hi All

I have an '88 318i (UK spec, right-hand drive, lives in the UK) with some
kind of alternator/electrical fault.

A few weeks ago, the thing died late at night on a dark road. RAC turned
out, diagnosed a blown alternator regulator and towed me home. Garage
confirmed and sent the alternator for repair.

Last weekend, same thing. Different RAC guy, same diagnosis. He pulled the
regulator on the spot and found a brush missing. Fitted a new one, but now
I have a weird fault: when I rev the engine over 2500 rpm, the lights go
dim, and the handbrake, oil and battery idiot lights flicker. Presumably
it's still a regulator issue, but what? I'd expect a faulty
alternator/regulator to result in dim lights at LOW revs, not high revs. I
don't know if it's only happening when the lights are on, as (I guess)
there's not enough load when they're off to manifest the fault.

Anyone have an explaation/solution?

Cheers,


Peter

> sent the alternator for repair.
>
> Last weekend ... found a brush missing.

I suspect whoever you paid to repair your alternator, didn't.

Your get your money back any find another garage.

In article outautos.com>,
peterwr > wrote:
> A few weeks ago, the thing died late at night on a dark road. RAC turned
> out, diagnosed a blown alternator regulator and towed me home.

I dunno how he diagnosed that without stripping the alternator and testing
the various components. An informed guess would have been rather more
accurate than a diagnosis.

> Garage
> confirmed and sent the alternator for repair.

Right. Didn't they offer you a maker's exchange one?

> Last weekend, same thing. Different RAC guy, same diagnosis. He pulled
> the regulator on the spot and found a brush missing. Fitted a new one,

He had a spare brush in 'stock'? Curiouser and curiouser.

> but now I have a weird fault: when I rev the engine over 2500 rpm, the
> lights go dim, and the handbrake, oil and battery idiot lights flicker.
> Presumably it's still a regulator issue, but what? I'd expect a faulty
> alternator/regulator to result in dim lights at LOW revs, not high revs.
> I don't know if it's only happening when the lights are on, as (I guess)
> there's not enough load when they're off to manifest the fault.

If the brushes or slip rings are iffy, this *might* manifest itself at
higher revs.

I'd go for a good make re-con. Try your local motor factors. Sounds like
the repair you had done was more of a bodge.

--
*No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver,purple

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Dave Plowman (News)" > wrote in message
...

> *No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver, purple

Silver rhymes with chilver (a female lamb) and purple with hirple or hurple
(to walk with a limp).