Intermitent Charging

[kiwi111]

HI All
This is my first post

I replaced the Alternator in my MU about one month ago as it had fried its self
The unit was second hand out of one of my other vehicles (2.8 Big Horn) that had been rebuilt. not that long ago so, I was confident that it was OK.
I had it tested just to make sure and all seems OK so in it went.

I was advised to replace the blue Relay at the same time but!

Mine doesn't have A blue relay! I was told that my car is A change over model but I don't no what this really means. S\can one of you guys explain this?

Next issue: yesterday in A freezing cold Wellington rainy may day (for the last 3 weeks) The battery went flat. Got her started and the volt meter showed no voltage. I would say there may have been 8 volts based on were the meter sat and the voltage readings that I took with A dead alternator. Here's the confusing bit.

Drive the car around for A while and the voltage rises and the battery takes A charge again.
shut it down and re-start it some time latter and the same thing happens all over again. I.E. insufficient charging voltage and then the volts slowly rise to the point that there is enough to charge the battery. So what it wrong? I believe there is A brown relay in the circuit.
Thanks in advance and have A nice day.

I hope that this Q hasn't been asked before I did have A long hard look.

PPS volts peek at about 14.4v This is taken from the display on the Turbo Timer which is called intelligent.

[geeves]

All the wiring diagrams I have show a relay so if yours is different I dont have an answer. This would also mean the bighorn alternator is incompatible.
Ive had an ongoing problem in my alternator with sticking brushes. The symptoms are quite similar.

[mudslinger]

i had intermitten charging, turned out loose batt terminals were to blame

[kiwi111]

Thanks for all the input. I was going to replace the battery terminals this week end as they look like junk. The battery is also about 4 years old so may be that is failing. Do you guys no what the max regulated voltage should be please? my many thanks in advance. I was also wondering about A bad earth some were so, your thoughts please?

[kiwi111]

PS I spoke to the auto sparky again after work and he tells me that this new system just relies on the voltage regulator but he says that the Alternator from my 2.8 is the same except that the vacuum pump is smaller and it is 70A instead of 80A
I hope that this is correct.