I was hoping to get some advice please ....

Today I was helping my friend fit some aftermarket DRL's and a controller kit to his 2010 Fiesta.

Wiring everything up is easy with the instructions but we wanted to test it worked before fitting. Apparently the controller keeps the leds off until you turn the car on and it detects 13.5v at the battery. Then it switches on the leds. Then when you turn the main lights on it detects that and halves the voltage to the led's.

Sounds good but after they didn't work I checked the voltage at the battery and its 13v - 13.2v with the engine running. When I switch on electrics like the heaters / lights etc it drops to 12.4v for a sec then comes back up to 13.2v.

I also checked the voltage coming straight from the alternator and its the same.

13.4v seems just a bit low and isn't high enough to trigger the drl controller !!

Are there any serviceable parts on the alternator .... its been many years since I've gotten my hands dirty under a bonnet but you used to be able to swap out brushes / regulator etc on old cars.

Does it just need a new alternator ?

Thanks

Perhaps the controller alters the voltage according to charge in the battery and whether the engine is under load or overrun. It would probably be easier to modify the DRLs.

He's going to look for a controller that runs off the car ignition instead of the voltage reading.

Is the alternator faulty though ? It seems a little low on volts lol

Is the alternator faulty though? It seems a little low on volts lol

When you put a load on it, saw the voltage dip and rise, that shows that the voltage is what it is due to the regulator.

If I remember in the next day or two I shall measure mine, being a similar version. Ecoboosts are probably not representative of a 2010 model.

When you put a load on it, saw the voltage dip and rise, that shows that the voltage is what it is due to the regulator.

If I remember in the next day or two I shall measure mine, being a similar version. Ecoboosts are probably not representative of a 2010 model.

Thank you.

His is a 2010 TDCI 1,4 if that helps

Ah, mine's petrol. Might not be applicable.

Don't most Ford's have "smart charge" which variates the charging voltage/current from the alternator

Don't most Ford's have "smart charge" which variates the charging voltage/current from the alternator

No idea tbh. Its a 2010 TDCI Titanium but thats about all I know

Yeah you're right, all fords, pretty much 09 onwards are equipped with smart charge systems, which allows the voltage to variate when needed

Sent from my iPhone using Ford OC

Yeah you're right, all fords, pretty much 09 onwards are equipped with smart charge systems, which allows the voltage to variate when needed

Sent from my iPhone using Ford OC

It that run by the ECU or the alternator itself ? If its the alternator then that sounds like it'll be expensive to replace !!

It's a design feature, not a fault so there is no need to replace anything. If you look at the back of the alternator you'll see a plug with 3 wires in it. Unplug it and the car will assume a worst case and charge the battery constantly. The alternator Is still generating electricity wether or not it's charging the battery so you're putting no extra strain on it. Wether or not you'll get dashboard warning lights I don't know