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WARNING The suggestions given on this webpage are for emergency use only. In certain circumstances, using improvised parts to make car repairs can invalidate your car warranty. Do so only as a strictly temporary measure, and when driving conditions in your judgement make such repairs safe. |
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If you must continue . . . drive on but keep a close watch on the temperature gauge. If engine temperature rises rapidly you must stop or risk engine seizure. If engine temperature remains normal and your battery is in good condition you can drive for at least 20 miles (30 km) at night. By day, if you do not stop and start too often, your range is virtually limitless. |
What to do when: Ignition light comes on!
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What it could mean |
Broken fan belt. This is the most common cause of the ignition warning light coming on. The fan belt transmits drive from the engine to the alternator and water pump. Without it the battery receives no charge — and will eventually run down — and, more important, the engine will rapidly overheat and seize
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Fan belt slipping. Even if the fan belt is in place it could be slipping. It only has to be slightly loose to slip around the alternator pulley. Suspect this if the ignition light flickers on and off.
Short circuit in the wiring. This is a rare fault more common in older cars. If the short is simply in the warning light circuit it can be safely ignored until you reach your destination.
Alternator failure. If the alternator has failed your car will still run but will be draining the battery — see 'If you must continue ...' (above).
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What you can do |
Fitting a new fan belt — provided you have a spare — is simply a matter of loosening the alternator mounting bolts and pushing the alternator towards the other pulleys. You then slip on the new belt, lever the alternator outwards until the belt is tight and then do up the bolts securely.
An emergency fan belt can be made from a pair of stockings, strips of rag — even rope. But whatever you use, the key to success is to tie the belt as tightly as possible and use a flat knot such as a reef knot. If you are driving in daylight, or are only a few kilometres from home, tie the belt around the crank and pump pulleys only, it is much harder to keep a makeshift belt tight when it is fitted over more than two pulleys.
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Tighten a slipping fan belt by loosening the alternator mounting bolts, levering the alternator outwards and retightening the bolts. There should be no more than (13mm) play on either side of the normal position.
Check the wiring by removing the leads to the alternator and making sure that their contacts are clean and tight. If you can identify the warning light lead — on an alternator it is often the thinnest wire — unclip it. If the ignition warning light stays on you may simply have a short circuit in the wiring which can be safely ignored until you reach your destination.
Test the alternator by switching on the headlamps and any other electrical accessories you have, and then rev the engine. If the lights brighten the alternator is working and you probably just have a warning light fault. If they do not, it is likely that you have a alternator fault which means you will need a replacement. See 'If you must continue . . .'(above).
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The legal stuff
© David Ashton 2007 | PO Box 12 Charlestown NSW 2290 | ABN 39223105179 | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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