VS v6 owners check this out

[markovr]

I have just fixed 2 VS's lately with the same problem .....flat battery and car stops on them and leaves them in the middle of nowhere.Both phoned up the local racq for assistance and had to be tilt-trayed home.Both cars had about 175 k on the clock.
At the back of the alternator on a ecotec v6 on the drivers side is a heavy red wire that is responsible for charging the battery. The lug on this wire gets a loose connection heats up bad and eventually breaks off, leaving a unprotected 12v feed to move around the metal of the engine behind the alternator looking for a earth to set the engine on fire....if you're unlucky.
To see it properly you have to take the plastic engine cover off but that is only 4 x 10mm head nuts and look at the back of the alternator.
There is a rubber cover over the terminal.
Both cars had burnt this wire back for about 10 cms ...so all I had to do is strip the wire back to where the wire was good and barrel lug a new wire with the right 5/16 hole lug on the end of it. Easy fix but not if you are a fair way from home.

[aa23]

Thanks for th info. I'd better go take a look.

[2_SeeK_U]

I'd REALLY suggest getting this checked, my car has 110,000 on the clock and it had to be tilt-trayed to my auto-elec to get a new alternator fitted, l ended up getting an aftermarket one that produced more amps and had a better life then the factory one.

[markovr]

S'pose most of the kids here are flat out knowing what a alternator looks like!

[Doctor Bob]

Pretty common failure on vs & up
Cheers Rob

[hako]

I'm checking mine tomorrow - thanks markover for the tip. Regards Denis

[clinker1212]

The alternator in my VS has been replaced- first sign was a flat battery. Same simptons though. I think another factory one was fitted so I will keep an eye out on it.

Is there anysmall measure aside from upgrading the alternator that I can do to prevent such a problem

[CAFA_TF]

ive been shiftly lookin at my alternator i had the jumpers on the battery for 30 min to jump the car with a new battery
still the original one at 160 though

[john_g_82]

Yeah it happened to me. Was driving along, engine stopped, no dash lights, no nothing. Was sitting in car calling brother to get picked up and noticed a small amount of smoke coming out from under the bonet. Jumped out and opened the bonnet and traced the smoke to the back of the alternator and inside the alternator there was small flame. Had a bottle of water in the car and tipped over to put the flame out. (Water was the only thing i had). The car had to be towed to auto elec. for new alternator and a new battery cos it got fried. Had no problems with the alternator since.

John

[MGZ-38L]

yeah ive heard thats a common problem..
thats for the tips!!

[markovr]

At the wreckers lately and there was another VS burnt extensively on right hand side of engine and front guard /bumper /bonnet etc and written off from this alternator fault so don't let this happen to yours.

[Infus10n]

im freaking out, will check mine tomorrow!

[Secki]

mine did this i had to get NRMA electrical to come and fix me up so i could get home

[stheggie]

Had the same problem about a year ago with my VS Series 1, Had only done 70,000k's though. Same symptoms, car stopped. Also have a mate who has a VT Series 1 and also had the same problem.. Holden obviously didnt sort the problem out before the VT was released.

[anarky]

Hey guys Im back.

I had a problem Boxing day last year - my battery died overnight, and after two jump starts, wouldn't hold charge. At first I thought it may be the alternater. But it was whirring away nicely. Turns out it was a flat (and buggered) battery. So, $115 later, I've got an Exide 470CCA (?) Estra Heavy Duty 13 plate battery in it. But the bastard still takes around 6 to 7 seconds to fire when cold. Yet, I've heard other VS/VR's firing instantly when cold. I have a suspicion the start injector may be blocked, and not letting enough fuel through. (Does it have one?)

Hrm.. just flicking through the workshop manual - vacuum leaks may be a problem.

I have checked out that clunking noise coming from front left sway arms, have checked bearings, hubs, all exellent. The next thing I looked at was the steering box. A slight amount of freeplay there, and thats probably the cause. Everything seems very secure, so I don't see it as being a problem for now.

As for the problem of this thread, I will check it out after work tomorrow. Ill get back to you on it. So far it hasn't happened to me and I have 116,000 on it.

[bnorton]

Yep i got the same problem when i first purchased my VS. Believe it or not i had to take it back to Holden 3 times before they found the culprit. At first they thought it was the battery, then the alternator and finally they got it !

[wakesetter_boarder]

my battery bout to die.... ill check this over the weekend. thanx heaps

[ENV5]

hi dude thanx for the tip ill check this out when i get to work tomorrow

[anarky]

Well, as it turns out, I haven't had much of a problem with it since New Year's. When cold, it does take some hesitation before it fires, but when warm it's as good as gold. I have unfortunately found a leaky oil seal behind the harmonic balancer, hence I am always regularly topping up oil until I can get the time and money together to have it fixed. Anyone else had this problem?


Oh yeah, the electrical problem described by markovr is not apparent, and all the connections are very secure. I have a small fuel effiecency problem which I may have overcome. I may have been driving far too gently. Ironic, isn't it! Well driving rough around town I have used a bit less than half a tank to do 200kms. Had I been driving gently like I used to, I would be almost due for a refill. Next tank fill I will run some injector cleaner through it and take it for a spin. Then we will see how well it starts, etc.

>anarky

[blake1986]

Heyz... Same thing happin 2 me. got stranded, dash lights workin though when i went to turn the key it wouldnt start up. call racv, dey came told me i needed new fuel pump. so got the new fuel pump, now my car sounds like da battery is flat when i go to start her up. da battery is good, got it tested... u's fink itz da alternator ????

[Patrio7]

ok after not checking mine i went to go to a lan last night but my car wouldnt start, so i went out and got some jumpers, started her up and made my way to mates place [ about 4km ] and she dies at a set of lights, left it on the side of the road for the night, come back and loand behold the alternater wire came off of its terminal, corroded to shit and the insulation was shot [ brittle ] My car has done 230,000, S1 vs'96 so i got bulma back home with some amplifyer power cable but i checked it before killing the engine and the battery end wasnt unusually warm but the alternater end was pretty warm. [ total of about 5mins on the road @ 60km/h, 30º day, aircon off stereo off.

the wire was a bit thinner than the one that buggered up so im thinking i need to get some proper replacement gauge wire and re-crip both ends making a new cable, my question is what would i be looking at for a new length of whire and where would be the best place to get some decent stuff, i wouldnt mind forking out to make sure it wont happen again in a hurry.

sorry to grave dig a thread but didnt want to make a new one linking to this when i may as well of just posted here.

any help or information would be muchly appreciated, thankyou.

[sixshooter]

ok after not checking mine i went to go to a lan last night but my car wouldnt start, so i went out and got some jumpers, started her up and made my way to mates place [ about 4km ] and she dies at a set of lights, left it on the side of the road for the night, come back and loand behold the alternater wire came off of its terminal, corroded to shit and the insulation was shot [ brittle ] My car has done 230,000, S1 vs'96 so i got bulma back home with some amplifyer power cable but i checked it before killing the engine and the battery end wasnt unusually warm but the alternater end was pretty warm. [ total of about 5mins on the road @ 60km/h, 30º day, aircon off stereo off.

the wire was a bit thinner than the one that buggered up so im thinking i need to get some proper replacement gauge wire and re-crip both ends making a new cable, my question is what would i be looking at for a new length of whire and where would be the best place to get some decent stuff, i wouldnt mind forking out to make sure it wont happen again in a hurry.

sorry to grave dig a thread but didnt want to make a new one linking to this when i may as well of just posted here.

any help or information would be muchly appreciated, thankyou.

An Auto Electrician will be able to assist you with the wire + crimps you need.

btw thx for bumping this thread up. I remember reading it before I got my car and this is something I haven't checked over yet.

Cheers,

[anarky]

Anyone got an exhaust pipe? Another fault perhaps is the baffler breaking down. Rattles heaps now, and I have a big split behind the muffler.

>anarky

[sixshooter]

BLOODY HELL !!! mine show signs of burn back on the wire aswell @ 125,000 km

It must be a design fault that the wire is not of suitable guage or is too long to handle the amperage the alternater discharges...causing heat build up in the wire and causing and the connection to loosen over time.

Mine has burnt back about 5cm and the plastic wire tidy stuff covering the wires has melted fusing to the wire coating...the connection isn't loose however.

Hmmm...I dont know if I'll be a tight arse now and cut the wire back and buy another lug or go to the sparkies for some heavier guage wire...

Anyhow this thread ought to be made sticky as this looks like a common thing occuring that could be deadly if combined with a fuel leak from the injector lines.

Thanks for the headsup markovr !!!

[markovr]

Mine has burnt back about 5cm and the plastic wire tidy stuff covering the wires has melted fusing to the wire coating...the connection isn't loose however.

Hmmm...I dont know if I'll be a tight arse now and cut the wire back and buy another lug or go to the sparkies for some heavier guage wire...

Anyhow this thread ought to be made sticky as this looks like a common thing occuring that could be deadly if combined with a fuel leak from the injector lines.

Thanks for the headsup markovr !!!

Probably the inconvience of when it goes is the drama.The battery doesnt get charged as the wire strands eventually break one by one with the heating and cooling of the wire over time by the loose crimp on the lug at the back of the alternator. The insulation being heated too causes it to go brittle and fall of.It is sometimes hard to see all this when the top engine cover is on .I just got a wire of same or bigger gauge and cut the old wire back to where the insulation was normal and bared back and barrell lugged to it and reinsulated.I think the connection ended up being inside the conduit.