Help, Mini problem

[Bluebug]

Hi Guys

I have been on here before but not for about 2 years.

I experienced a problem with my Mini onthe way home tonight. Its a 2004 Mini Cooper 1.6.

All was fine until the battery light came on, at the same time I noticed that I had lost the power steering.

I drive home, another 3 miles very carefully.

I have put a voltmeter across the battery with the engine off, it reads about 11.5 volts. With the engine running and with lights on etc it still reads 11.5 volts. The starter is now rather tardy and on a couple of occassions the solenoid on the starter kicked in and out without the starter trurning over.

I assume that the alternator is US or is there something else going on here. Cheers chaps.

[Bluebug]

After my alternator problem of last week all is now well again.

Tracking down an alternator was a nightmare.

Basically I exhausted all known suppliers in an attempt to locate a replacement other than through Mini. All attempts failed with various alternators arriving which were clearly incorrect. One turned out to be a starter motor

In the end I had no alternative but to get one from Mini. Coopers in Maidstone fell over backwards to get one for me. I ordered it late Friday, they got in in for me this morning.

Fitting it was a big ish job with the air box coming out together with the TB and inlet manifold. Otherwise it was straight forward.

The price of the alternator was a mind blowing £340 The upside is that the new one is 110 amp whereas the old one was 100 amp. Apparently the 100 amp is no longer available.

After a refit of about 1.5 hours the car started up and was sweet as a nut.

I would like to extent a big thanks to Paul at Broad Oak Mini who posted the inlet manifold seals to me and also to Mark at Coopers for ordering the alternator.

Oh, and thanks to Richard at Coopers for putting up with my ranting this morning over the price of the alternator and being ripped of.

[KPKalle]

Hmm well glad you got it fixed. Sorry I'm no techno-buff ... but as long as you're sorted then that's cool

[Bluebug]

Thanks for that.

It was a relief to get it back on the road.

As far as travel was concerned it did not cause much inconvenience as I lift share, it was my week to pax rather than drive. The only thing is my lift share is unrelaible and knowing that I had no way to get to work if she let me down was a worry. Besides, I dont think I could bear a second consecutive week in a Ford Ka if the work had overrun.

[dalboyne]

And is the battery OK, or did you change that too?

Frightening price for the alternator - I wonder if they are even more expensive in the new stop-start MINImalism/Efficient Dynamics cars?

Ian

[Bluebug]

Quote: Originally Posted by dalboyne (original)

And is the battery OK, or did you change that too?

Frightening price for the alternator - I wonder if they are even more expensive in the new stop-start MINImalism/Efficient Dynamics cars?

Ian

The battery was fine although I did have to charge it as it was only showing about 9 volt across th terminals with a test meter.

I was told that the new generation alternators with viscous couplings start at about £600. OUCH

[dalboyne]

Quote: Originally Posted by Bluebug (original)

I was told that the new generation alternators with viscous couplings start at about £600. OUCH

That's good to know, I suppose! But what a horrendous price!!