BMW 3 Series E30

since 1983-1994 release

Repair and operation of the car

What to do with the failed generator: to repair or change? If such choice is necessary to you, it is not necessary to worry.

They say, cars as people. The known share of justice in this comparison is. "Life" of generators, for example not really differs from human. One units work and reach maturity, others suffer from the infinite number of malfunctions. Some reliably serve several years, and then the pulled hard "diseases" bring them to a stop. Duration of existence of others does not overstep the bounds of youth.

Despite it, the majority of generators can be returned to life. Capitally repaired, restored, updated – call somehow – the generator – the phenomenon quite usual. There are two ways by means of which he can be "given birth" anew.

The first – when the old knot is cleared by vapor jets or just washed out, and then painted outside and is on sale as restored, is frequent with the replacement "guarantee" in most cases expressed by the phrase: "If it does not work, bring it back". Whether such generator in a month will fail or later – it is unknown.

The second way is to buy really restored unit. They differ in high quality as were exposed to full dismantling, are cleaned, checked, and the faulty and raising doubts of their part are replaced.

The generators restored industrially undergo in many respects similar process of restoration, and such small parts as brushes, contact rings and bearings are replaced without fail. The knot repaired at the plant is good as it new and at the same guarantees has the service life close to period of operation of the new unit.

In the latter case generators are subjected to tests on the maximum load and power. You receive what you pay for. The recoloured generators are usually much cheaper, than qualitatively touched knots. You, of course, can get a repair kit, but if the case of your generator is faulty, then choice you do not have.

On the way of replacement of the generator

The tables of application and replacement issued by producers are usually exact, but some firms install generators of various brands and the sizes on the cars. Even if old and new generators are at first sight identical, surely check electric sockets, the maximum current of loading, adjusting arms, fastening of pulleys and distance from the installation plane to a pulley – to be convinced that the pulley of the generator will be in one plane with pulleys on cranked to a shaft and the water pump.

Sometimes, in spite of the fact that the knot looks a little differently, its operation is possible. Despite a difference of "origin", generators most often have identical maximum current of loading and are made so that all points of fastening and connection are in the same places.

The pulley, spline and nut can not be included in a repair kit. Then they are rearranged from old knot on new.

It is also necessary to find out what caused failure of the generator. If the reason external, then the installed spare parts can fail equally well. Today it will be a question of the most often found malfunctions of generators.

We repair

Besides replacement of the unit, there are other solutions of problems about which it is told above. For example, many replace generators at bad contact of brushes though this malfunction can be eliminated with simple cleaning.

Way the first – to clear brushes independently and free of charge. Even if you will need spare parts, this option will be the cheapest. It is not such difficult to what it seems at first sight. If at you nothing turns out, in the worst, than earlier, situation you will not appear.

The way of the second – to address for check and repair of the faulty generator the expert. It is difficult to foretell in what repair cost will manage. It depends on the nature of malfunction, necessary spare parts and their cost. Anyway your expenses will make about a half of cost of the unit restored industrially, but it is less than a half of the cost of the new generator - economy will be considerable.

However in each of these situations it is necessary to take into account age of the generator, and also economic feasibility of replacement of one or two details (brushes or contact rings) if others shortly probably fail. Replacement of details is more preferable to non-standard or expensive generators, but it makes sense to replace the most widespread models entirely.

Malfunctions of the generator

Possibly, the very first sign - abnormal work of a control lamp of a charge of the rechargeable battery. If it does not light up at all, then malfunction of the lamp or its power-supply circuit can be the cause of it. To find out it, disconnect the generator, include ignition and define operability of a chain on the small socket by an indicator lamp. The small socket can have marking of Ind, Ign, D+, or 15. If the control lamp, and a lamp of the indicator burn, then the power-supply circuit of a lamp is serviceable. If the generator at the same time does not give charging current, then probably brushes are faulty. However if during check neither the control lamp, nor an indicator lamp are lit, it is necessary to check a lamp and its power-supply circuit.

When the control lamp does not die away during the normal operation of the engine, malfunction, most likely – in the generator. The truth short circuit on the site of a chain between a control lamp and the generator yields the same result.

Also check by means of the indicator presence of tension on the big socket of the generator. Here it has to be always – if it is absent, then check connection of the generator to the rechargeable battery. If tension regulator on your car is located separately from the generator, then it can be faulty too. In this case it is better to remove the generator and the regulator of tension and to address the auto electrician.

The simplest check of current of loading of the generator is made so: marker lights of the car join and the engine is started. If at the working engine fires do not begin to burn more brightly, then this best proof that the generator does not give current. If you have a voltmeter, connect it to plugs of the rechargeable battery and start the engine. On the raised idling turns the generator has to develop current, and the voltmeter – to show about 14 Century. Indications differ more than on 1 V? Either the generator, or tension regulator is faulty.

In many cases continuous burning of a control bulb signals about malfunction of the generator, but malfunctions are possible also in other place, and the generator as it is paradoxical, can be serviceable at this time.

And nevertheless for most of car owners a control bulb – the only indicator of serviceability of the generator. The most often found reasons of abnormal functioning of a control lamp of a charge and typical situations are given in the table. For example, the line "The Control Lamp Does Not Light Up" means that ignition has to be already included, and at the same time it does not mean that the engine has to be started. Malfunctions of the generator are given in ascending order of probability of their emergence. The malfunctions italicized have not a direct bearing on the generator. Below the table explaining what can lead some of above-mentioned malfunctions to is given.

The typical malfunctions reflected by a control lamp of a charge