Guys.

2012 Fiesta 1.6 Tdci Econetic

After months of an intermittent battery light on dash, the light is now on constant.

Got the RAC out today who confirmed the battery is good and the alternator is charging. However, the thin, purple, smart charge wire has broken at the connector on the alternator.

Has this happened to anyone else, and is there any easy fix without having to go to ford for looms etc ?  Or can you bypass the smart charge system to get rid of the battery light ?

Any advice greatfully received !

Thanks

Martin

just put a new connector on you should be able to find one on fea bay

Can these be repaired by soldering a new connection?

Just now, Jonro2009 said:

Can these be repaired by soldering a new connection?

I would have said so

Just now, dezwez said:

I would have said so

That’s what I would have thought too, it’s just a wire carrying a signal surely? Patch it up, ensure continuity and jobs done - in theory 😉 I’m no whizz with a soldering iron but for the cost of a pint I reckon I could find someone if it was me

won't cost that much to do I think

One thing I would check is the wire is still copper colour and not black. If its black you'll be unlikely to solder it reliably.

Quick fixes like broken connectors when I'm away from home or a soldering iron I use heatshrink butt connectors - the glue lined type. Had great success with these for cheap n reliable fixes. 

Thanks guys. Joining a new wire is what i had in mind, along with a new connector.

Ive yet to check on the alternator to see if this single purple wire is the only wire going to the connector or if theres more. There certainly isnt much slack on the wire, which could have been the cause of the original breakage. RAC guy seemed to think this is/was a common problem with people changing batteries, alternators etc before discovering it was the smart charge wire. Will try and get the connector off over the weekend and check if its 2 pin etc.

Cheers

I think it only one wire

I can't remember if it was on the ford single wire smart charge system or not but I have seen a setup before that uses a 2 wire connector with only one wire fitted. 

2 hours ago, stef123 said:

One thing I would check is the wire is still copper colour and not black. If its black you'll be unlikely to solder it reliably.

Quick fixes like broken connectors when I'm away from home or a soldering iron I use heatshrink butt connectors - the glue lined type. Had great success with these for cheap n reliable fixes. 

I like to use the heat shrink butt connectors that have the low heat solder sleeve inside, I’ve found them pretty reliable although never used them anywhere inside the engine bay

my brother's Focus 1.8tdci has a charging problem. That has three wires in the smart charge plug. he ordered a 2nd hand alternator on ebay. It arrived with the smart plug connector housing broken due to poor packaging, but apart from that it was not the alternator pictured in the ebay listing and only had two pins instead of the three on his original one and in the ebay pic. (although the alternator does appear to have come from a 1.8tdci due to the pulley on it - which is odd and disctinctive on those cars). 

But, does anyone know what the difference is with the numbers of wires (what each wire does and why they vary).

In the old days before smart charge you had the thick wire to carry the charging current and one thin wire which went straight to the dashboard light. 

14 minutes ago, isetta said:

my brother's Focus 1.8tdci has a charging problem. That has three wires in the smart charge plug. he ordered a 2nd hand alternator on ebay. It arrived with the smart plug connector housing broken due to poor packaging, but apart from that it was not the alternator pictured in the ebay listing and only had two pins instead of the three on his original one and in the ebay pic. (although the alternator does appear to have come from a 1.8tdci due to the pulley on it - which is odd and disctinctive on those cars). 

But, does anyone know what the difference is with the numbers of wires (what each wire does and why they vary).

In the old days before smart charge you had the thick wire to carry the charging current and one thin wire which went straight to the dashboard light. 

I’ve no experience of a 2 wire system but perhaps works in a similar manner to the 3 wire system but without the ‘sense’ wire. So that leaves the command and feedback wires.

That's the connector with one pin used. Heat shrink crimp sleeve is best if you can rejoin. Ford can supply connector with pigtail wire in connector but they are expensive . For some reason I have a yellow large sleeve in my kitchen so you have some idea what we are referring to. But the red colour ones which are for thinner wires is what you want . 

9 hours ago, iantt said:

That's the connector with one pin used. Heat shrink crimp sleeve is best if you can rejoin. Ford can supply connector with pigtail wire in connector but they are expensive . For some reason I have a yellow large sleeve in my kitchen so you have some idea what we are referring to. But the red colour ones which are for thinner wires is what you want . 

Hope the yellow one is just an example Ian  keep squeezing, it'll crimp down lol 

On checking, mine is the 3 wire smart charge system and its the purple wire which has broken.

Found the correct connector on Ebay which has 3 x 6in lengths already in the connector (£5). Im hoping its just a case of cutting off the old connector, joining the wires etc. It will also give me 6 inchs of slack wires which should stop it happening again.

The car is running fine so im assuming, when the smart charge system is disconnected, or in my case broken wire, the alternator reverts to the old method and charges the car direct. The other downside at the moment is the Stop/Start system and also the heated rear window are disabled.

Okay I lied !!

Managed to get my hand behind the alternator and prise the plug off.

It is 1 pin/1 wire as per the pic Steph123 has posted. You can see where the wire has broken. The 3 wire plug arrived today......but at least its only £5 wasted !

 

Can anyone point me in the right direction (apart from Ford) where i can get hold of this connector online ??

Thanks

He is not often wrong. Lol . Good old @stef123

5 hours ago, MidsPompey said:

Can anyone point me in the right direction (apart from Ford) where i can get hold of this connector online ??

Thanks

I would go to a scrap yard and have one cut off with a decent length of wire still attached. 

38 minutes ago, iantt said:

He is not often wrong. Lol . Good old @stef123

I never posted a pic, did I? You posted a pic. I had previously wrote that it may be a 2 pin connector with one wire fitted lol.

I’m always wrong  

Can anyone point me in the right direction (apart from Ford) where i can get hold of this connector online ??

Thanks

Sorry, it was Iantt who originally posted the picture.

52 minutes ago, MidsPompey said:

Can anyone point me in the right direction (apart from Ford) where i can get hold of this connector online ??

Thanks

Is there any numbers on it to google? 

I recently googled the part number of a broken VW connector I needed for a job as I couldn’t source a replacement. £6 delivered off amazon I got a genuine pre wired part for. 

@iantt who looks like father Christmas, once taught me a trick of making a 3 pin connector fit the single pin type alternator. Did someone mention...