Offroad-Express

Hi all, I've just got a 97 diesel Pathfinder to use as a boat moving wagon - good so far but after starting and stopping a couple of times to look for a rattle today I'd run out of volts to turn the starter. Jump started, went for a drive, stopped at the shop and started it again then 5 minutes down the road to home and it was too flat to start again. I've given it a charge with a charger and now it starts but shows lower volts when it's idling than when it's off. The belt's not slipping.

Is there any further diagnosis I can do before I give up and go to an auto electrician?

What's the likely damage - new alternator?

Edited to add - the battery's quite new, only a few months old and it's been sitting off the road for a month or so.

Charge up yah battery and have a look at this video...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bzz7P3qNHcE
Pretty much says it all.

If its not sending a charge voltage to battery, then its time to remove and send it to a shop that fixes alternators...
Things that go wrong.
The brushes might be not sitting properly... Give it a whack ! Or should I say a Technical Knock ! And see if it sets the bushes again.
Rectifier may be stuffed.
A diode may have died.
Winding's might be open circuit.
Slip rings may be stuffed...
Or any combo of above.

Oh and also check the basic stuff first like is the wiring all good from Alt to battery etc etc....

also a simple one is to check the fan belt even if it is tight. old belt serface's harden up and slip thru the alt pully. try that before removing alt just to be sure. i have bought a new alt thinking that the old one was stuffed and that new unit didnt work either I took it back to auto sparks with first alt and he bench tested both units and they were mint. i fitted the new alt back onto engine and still no go. changed the belt and bang straight up to 14.2v. i old belt was tight and wasnt squeeling but it wasnt transfuring the grip to the alt.

lesson learnt but now i have a spare alt as well

You didn't mention if battery light on dash is on, or if it doesn't come on at all with key on?
Check all your fuses, if you're lucky then it may just be a $1 fuse to fix it

Ok, connections between alt and battery and ground etc all OK, belt is now tight as a tight thing and still no power. I suppose it still could be slipping but it's making no noise if it is.

No battery light when I turn it on or any other time, I will go rummage through the fuse boxes.

Diode is shot and that has caused the reg to die.
No cheap fix.
Test in and out voltage to be sure.
Get a new one
Cheers,

Yeah, I will try the professionals during the week and open up my wallet. did manage to convince the alarm I was trying to steal it, mucking about with the fuses. Thought I'd end up with it immobilized in the driveway as I don't have the remote, but I found the emergency reset eventually...

Nothing's ever quite as simple as you'd hope.