How to protect the alternator from water?

[Cavalier342]

What's the best way to cover it from water ingress? I know you have to leave the vents open otherwise it will overheat but the reason I ask is I drove through a puddle earlier on, a fairly massive one in my defense... anyway all was fine, drove on for a bit then the engine decided to cut out, and the loom behind the steering cowling decided to start smoking up.... quite unnerving so I jumped out, and disconnected the battery which stopped the smoking.

Now, I tried to get it going again as I knew it was water-related so used up what I had of the WD I had laying in the boot, got going again, but then cut out and did the same thing... Hopefully I haven't melted the loom beyond repair although it may have to be replaced for safety's sake anyway.

Now I'm sure that this is to do with water getting into the alternator, hence it giving a random voltage through the system.... didn't test the voltage but that's what I put it down to.

I eventually drove back ok, it must have dried itself up a bit when I let it tick over... Any ideas? some sort of plastic cover or anything?

[bigmitch]

Stop driving though puddles

[TurboDan]

Yeah what he said!

If your stupid enough to race threw a puddle big enough to kill your alternator then protecting the alternator won't be your only issue.

The airbox is near enough level with the alternator, that could also suck water in which will cause allot more trouble than a wet alternator.

Unless you are going to convert it into an off roader i would leave it alone.

[Hayward691]

Take it off and put it in your garage.... HAR HAR HAR!!!!
Sure it wasnt just 'burning' the water dry that got into the alternator... just a guess...

[Cavalier342]

I wasn't racing through it lol. Just went to ford it but there was a van behind me... anyways I've been through that same area loads of times before and nothing ever played up..

Not planning on converting the car to an off-roader but just want to help protect the electrics etc. I've never had it cut out before from water splashes, that's all. Obviously I won't be doing it again in a hurry..

[bigmitch]

We an't taken the p!"s bud if water is get to the alternator then you got problems if you what to ford a river buy a boat

[Envoy CDX]

#Avoid puddles where possible. Simples really.

Water should NOT be getting that high... The alternator is what 2.5 feet above the deck.. seriously, sounds like your going too fast or taking risks.

Ofcourse, it could also be a sign of dicky wiring too.

[Cavalier342]

Well it was fairly deep. I didn't speed through it, but maybe I went faster than I should have..

If the van wasn't behind me, I'd have crawled through it no problem. Thing is, the water covered all 3 lanes on the one-way system, so couldn't exactly swerve to avoid it.

Anywho, I'll just have to watch it from now on. Cheers guys

[Envoy CDX]

I remember learning to drive and one of the things that my instructor said to me which is probably the only real thing I took note of is this. "If it's behind you, it's not your problem, well - unless you're reversing".

[carlos_canter]

"If it's behind you, it's not your problem, well - unless you're reversing".

Mine used to say " fook em, your paying for this time go slower"

Back to topic though, I wouldnt give 2 hoots if a monster truck was behind me, id of slowed right down for that puddle. There not going to pay for your engine.

Back to the smoke, are you sure it was smoke and not steam seeping in from somewhere?

Dont forget, the steering column goes through the bulk head not a million miles from the alternator any way, plus your exhaust is close aswell. Id put it down to steam entering through a grommit.

You ask any RAC or AA patrol and the amount of times "smoke" is seen pouring from under the bonnet you expaect a pile of ash there when you arrive.

[Cavalier342]

Definitely smoke which worried me. I could smell a strong burning electric smell and it was coming from under the cowling behind the wheel. I did check the loom, it didn't look completely melted but the outer covering insulation stuff was a bit sticky.... Not sure if it's safe or not to be honest.

Like I said, I'd put it down to water in the alternator shorting it out and it probably gave a surge of voltage....

[planetc]

More likely to have been the ignition switch failing than the alternator, but since you say the wiring felt soft did it feel hot too?

[Cavalier342]

I thought the switch too, as when the engine stalled, the dash lights went very dim, just before it started smoking and nothing would respond, all the electrics went into standby mode. The cowling felt warmer than usual to the touch. That was before I removed it and checked visually.

[planetc]

I thought the switch too, as when the engine stalled, the dash lights went very dim, just before it started smoking and nothing would respond, all the electrics went into standby mode. The cowling felt warmer than usual to the touch. That was before I removed it and checked visually.

That sounds more like a dead short sapping the power...I would check all the wiring thoroughly. It's possibly that something was disturbed by the water, I'd be surprised if the water itself created a short of that magnitude.

[Cavalier342]

Well like I said I never experienced that before. My initial thoughts were either water got into the alternator, shorting something out, or on the starter motor live connection as that's out in the open. I know that both of those do affect the whole system if there's a short or something on them.

Drove fine today with no problems, all electrics worked fine. touched wood just in case.

What I can say is that every time I disconnected the battery leads and wiped them dry, then reconnected it, everything came back to normal, i.e. dash lights usual brightness and engine started. I'm sure this has something to do with water shorting out the system via the alternator or starter motor or something Can't see why it would smoke to be honest.

[planetc]

Can't see why it would smoke to be honest.

You can usually trace the path of a short from the crispy insulation which will be from the short itself back to the live feed that supplies it. The only live feed to the alternator from the ignition switch would be to the ind wire, which is very thin and would have fried very quickly, far quicker than the main ignition wires would have warmed enough to smoke. The only feed at the starter from the ignition switch is the crank signal, which wouldn't be connected to anything at the switch unless you are cranking.

[Cavalier342]

I couldn't really see much of the loom, could only see as much as possible with the top cowling panel off. The sticky section was the section of wires that went into the ignition switch. I'm sure that's what started smoking.

So if water got onto the alternator connections, the round connectors held on with the little nuts, would that have caused the issues?

[planetc]

I couldn't really see much of the loom, could only see as much as possible with the top cowling panel off. The sticky section was the section of wires that went into the ignition switch. I'm sure that's what started smoking.

So if water got onto the alternator connections, the round connectors held on with the little nuts, would that have caused the issues?

If the ignition switch got hot the heat would travel down the copper. The connections on the alternator are not designed to be dry, if it were likely to cause the symptoms you experienced then every car that ever had the engine bay washed would have been in danger of catching fire. I think it was a coincidence and the fault is with the ignition switch myself.

[Robsey]

Hmmm - agreed.

I have had plumes of smoke from the ignition switch in the past... both on Mk2 and Mk3 Cavaliers.

A new switch always fixed it for me, however do be sure you get the correct one for your particular ignition barrel. There are two sorts.

Obvious really, but I would check for and repair any damaged / melted wires in or around the ignition switch connector as soon as possible.

I have steam cleaned my alternator in the past, with no issues.

[Cavalier342]

right ok, that's interesting.

I know for a fact that I went through the same puddle loads before with no trouble whatsoever.

Whether something got wet this time that shouldn't have, I don't know.

The ignition switch itself didn't look like it melted, nor did the plastic plugs that clipped onto it from the loom. Is it fiddly replacing the switch then? Looks a bit of a trick to get to. I guess barrel out? As for repairing wires, I'd rather not touch, as I have no idea what has actually melted and what hasn't. For now, all the electrics work so I'd rather leave it be.

[Mikebmth]

One rule to learn as I have from all the Vauxhalls I have owned:

VAUXHALLS AND WATER - DO NOT MIX!!!

That roundabout at LV is a total bitch when the rain gets that heavy though, also gets deep on the inside so if I were you I would avoid it mate!

[bigmitch]

One rule to learn as I have from all the Vauxhalls I have owned:

VAUXHALLS AND WATER - DO NOT MIX!!!

That roundabout at LV is a total bitch when the rain gets that heavy though, also gets deep on the inside so if I were you I would avoid it mate!

Vauxhall and water does mix thats why I have to replace a rear arch

[vauxtillidie]

right ok, that's interesting.

I know for a fact that I went through the same puddle loads before with no trouble whatsoever.

Whether something got wet this time that shouldn't have, I don't know.

The ignition switch itself didn't look like it melted, nor did the plastic plugs that clipped onto it from the loom. Is it fiddly replacing the switch then? Looks a bit of a trick to get to. I guess barrel out? As for repairing wires, I'd rather not touch, as I have no idea what has actually melted and what hasn't. For now, all the electrics work so I'd rather leave it be.

I'd be checking condition of the wires if I was you if there's any melted wires exposing copper could be a electrical fire waiting to happen

[TurboSteven77]

is your car lowerd at all as alterntor is up near water bottel you must have hit puddel at hell of rate sorry i know it been said above but even if car/van/truck up your hole next time crawl threw the puddel screw him behind you

if car standerd hight and it was smoking behind where it was check your fuse box in case its been smokeing from there as there is a hole for wires to go threw from bulk head and if water was that high it could have went down onto fuse box

[gsi pie]

cav do like water aitn you ever seen the vauxhall ad

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DO1bxwDQ34