Saved by the Gauge

"MM54" (mm54mk2) 05/19/2019 at 10:53 • Filed to: FB RX7

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Hopped in the RX-7 this morning to go out for a drive and pick up some stuff from Summit. After it started up, I noticed the volt gauge (something missing on new cars, like all the other useful gauges...) was reading lower than it usually does, like as low as “it isn’t running” is.

A quick check with the nearest multimeter confirmed that it is not charging. I revved the engine some, and even banged on the alternator with a rubber mallet to no avail (yes I checked the wiring, it’s still there) , so I’ll be ordering a new (well, reman) one today.

The lesson here: gauges are important and you should look at them. Otherwise, you might get halfway to Summit before you realize the battery isn’t charging and the car dies along the highway, instead of still-in-the-garage .

TheRealBicycleBuck > MM54 05/19/2019 at 11:26

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It’s something that all pilots learn. My instructor caught a charge fault light that I missed mid-flight. In my defense, it was really dim. It taught me the importance of scanning all of the gauges while flying. 

Jayvincent > MM54 05/19/2019 at 11:29

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bee n there, done that the hard way...

Picture if you will a ‘95 Buick Regal 3.8L (not supercharged unfortunately) which has a dead battery at work. . N o problem, jump start it and drive to the auto parts store... but it dies right at the entrance to their parking lot. Push it into the lot, get a systems check, confirm it’s a dead alternator and procee d to ch ange it out with a reman they had in stock. All good, right? Two years and less than a month later, same symptoms.... baby it all the way to the autoparts store, change it again. Two and a half years later and you guessed it, dead again! This time, I purchased an OEM replacement for 2x the dollars and it was never a problem again. Your mileage may vary, but I didn’t have long term success with rebuilt GM alternators. On the other hand, I didn’t have a voltage gage, just an idiot light which would helpfully come on only after the battery was too far gone to start the car.

It was a fun car to drive: living room couch comfort with a 3.8L v6 for get up and go .

This is what we'll show whenever you publish anything on Kinja: > MM54 05/19/2019 at 11:59

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What’s all the aftermarket wiring about? Looks clean, just curious.

MM54 > This is what we'll show whenever you publish anything on Kinja: 05/19/2019 at 12:47

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Leading ignition has been converted to direct-fire with GM HEI ignitors; basically instead of the stock ignition module and coil routing spark through the distributor, each rotor has a dedicated module with a coil directly connected to the spark plug. Makes for a much stronger spark, which has many benefits.

MM54 > Jayvincent 05/19/2019 at 13:22

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Ouch, yeah just about anything reman these days is a crap shoot. Unfortunately there is no such thing as a new or OEM alternator for this car, so Chinese remanufactured it is (to be fair the one in the car already says reman on it) - though the reason I’m paying a bit extra and buying it locally is so if it fails I can just drop it off for another replacement (plus core return is way easier).

It took three tries to get a good wiper motor for this car, of course all that exist are junk C ardone “ reman” units - their remanufacturing process being of course painting it black (literally over dir t and grease) and putting it in a new box .

Longtime Lurker > MM54 05/19/2019 at 17:42

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Fun tid-bit a buddy of mine daily drove his FC with the alternator wiring not connected to anything for 6 months.

MM54 > Longtime Lurker 05/19/2019 at 18:03

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How? Did he keep the battery on a charger at home and only make short trips?

Longtime Lurker > MM54 05/19/2019 at 18:07

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Booster pack in the car, charged it at home and at work.