Back in business

[mopho]

Car is back on the road. Thanks for the help Magnus, Doug and Brad!!
Didn't think I would need my first rescue so soon, but what can you do....

Cheers

Morgan

[Roll a 7]

A strong dealer service network is the essence of owning a Caterham, or any 7.

[magnusfeuer]

Hmm.

We were a bit too early celebrating.

This morning at 8:30 when I, rather hung over, came out to pick up the paper, I saw a orange Seven on the street that definitely wasn't mine. He was on his way down to cars and coffee (which I had given up on at about 01:00 in a drunken sake stupor), when his charging light came on again.

After some extended fault-searching into why the light was on, it turned out that the new alternator he had picked up from Doug yesterday overcharged. The voltage permanently hovers around 17 and fluctuates with RPM. We tried putting in my battery to eliminate the possibility of his battery being shot, and the problem persisted.

I tried hooking up the sense connector to the charging wire with no difference, although I left the jumper in place. Morgan is chasing down a new alternator.

>sigh<

/Magnus F.

[mopho]

Thanks again for the help and sorry to ruin a good hangover :p

It was pretty funny to see the look on your face when you came out for the paper.

My wife is telling me to stop moping around, "shogunai" (Japanese for "shit happens"), but I have been trying to explain to her that it is like being a kid and opening your presents on Christmas morning only to discover they are broken :(

Though admittedly, a lot of my moping around is me crashing from a lack of sleep. I was so excited to finally get my drive in the car, that I only got two hours sleep last night

[slomove]

Man, we really need to get out for a blat soon. I want to see this infamous car (well, obviously I want to meet the owner, too).

I think I am going to start a new event thread....Any interest in a weekend drive in the Malibu or Angeles Forest area?

[mopho]

Always interest from me.

[Sean]

It seems like every one of the few times I've had an alternator issue on various cars in the past, something else was affected, resulting in more than one interruption in my driving from the same core problem. But then when it gets sorted, it isn't a problem for a long time after, if ever. So, chin up! You'll look back at this and laugh soon enough.

[Roll a 7]

I strongly recommend an Odyssey battery. The Banner (Bummer) is going to let you down one of these days, like other examples have already crapped out for most of us. It could also cause another alternator failure, I think.

[JBH]

Ok...did a bad battery cause the failure of the alternator or did the alternator cause the failure of the battery or is it something entirely different or impossible to tell?

[mopho]

Ok...did a bad battery cause the failure of the alternator or did the alternator cause the failure of the battery or is it something entirely different or impossible to tell?

The alternator repair shop guy said the Alternator was completely fried, they had to do a complete rebuild to the point that it is practically a new one. He thinks the battery was the cause, especially since the alt is the small one (woody's kit) and was probably overheating from working so hard trying to juice up a bad battery

[mopho]

Doug and I changed the oil and filter, put in the new rebuilt alt and installed the Odyssey battery, and checked over some other stuff. Only did a short drive, but all seems well so far.

[mopho]

So I am having a couple of other problems....

A: I can't find the controls for the air conditioning?
B: Cup Holders, doesn't seem to be any cup holders, are they hidden under the dash somewhere?

[JohnCh]

The control for the AC is located beneath your right foot. Push down harder when you want to increase cabin air flow. As for cup holders, that's why God gave passengers two hands.

-John

[Boxologist]

on a LHD car, the driver's side cupholder is utilized by extending the arm to the side and lowering 6", placing the beverage on the pavement.

[mopho]

And if it is a hot drink you put it on the exhaust