The "yeah, I'll buy a car for a day's wage" thing bites again ... but anyways, a weird thing has been happening recently. At idle, the parking brake, brake failure, burnout bulb, oil, and amp lights all glow, kinda dimly, but nonetheless glowing. As the engine revs up, they don't do so as much. They cut out above 3500 ...

The alternator going out? A bad ground somewhere?

-- Kane ... who's otherwise been carrying a spare battery just in case.

Check the brush length. Too short and you could get those symptoms, and could also be a pre-cursor to a blown diode in the alt.

Good Luck,

Bob

I was just about to post a similar message about the lights in my panel..

They acted like that at first (Dim glow and then fade away at higher speed) but now are on all the time..

Would the same checkup apply?

Gerard

Gerard -

In a word, yes. Lights on all the time means that @#$% wire from D+/61 spade lug on the alternator is grounded somewhere. AND - you may not have any charging at all. Kane had a spare battery along, a good idea.

See my post to Kane re: brush repair. He has an external regulator, I don't know what you have. The unit containing brushes and regulator, used on 1982 and on, is much more expensive that just the brushes.

Good Luck,

Bob

I have a 1979 244. Manual 4 with Overdrive.

hum... I left the oil cap off after putting in a new quart the other day, I wonder if that oil that sprayed out could have done it.. No, come to think of it, the light problem seems to have started after my oil change, roughly a week after the oil cap incident.

I've been using the car for roughly a week since now, including a long ride in the country (About 300KM return). I know that my battery is a good one, but would it still be charged if the alternator was not doing it's job anymore?

Thanks for your help,

Gerard

Well Gerard, DAMHIK (pronounced dammit) about leaving off oil filler cap. It is now my ironclad procedure that a removed oil filler cap is placed upside down over the hole where the hood latch goes in. Yes, I've bounced the hood a few times, but.....

The alternator produces current in the stator - heavy red wire to battery -when the rotor is spinning and there is voltage in the rotor coils which gets there via the brushes. If there isn't voltage thru the brushes, there is no electricity generated. So, oil on the slip rings? Maybe.

Quick test: First time you start in the morning, when car has set overnight, leave the door open and look at the dome light while starting. If the light gets way dim, the battery is low. Try this when battery is dead and light goes almost out. If you get the dim light, have a look at the brushes and slip rings. After all, they are about the only things that wear - besides bearings - on the alternator.

Good Luck,

Bob

Gerard, I had a problem similar to that with the 242 that I had, wound up being the wiring from the altenator shorting out (probably the biodegradable wiring harness thing) Battery help up, (may have even been charging) but the lights were all on, fixed the wire and the problem went away. With a 79 you probably have the brushes and regualtor together (unless you are still on the original alternator, as I recall 79 was the year volvo decided to use some french manufactures alternator instead of a bosch one, made things confusing, and the best thing to do in that case is probably find a bosch one) but if you check and the brushes are worn that is most likely the problem. Good luck

Scott -

Yes, the 79's had a Marichal alternator and external regulator. I swapped in a later model Bosch, everything fit. Good Point.

Regards,

Bob

Thanks, Bob - will check tomorrow. Prolly means raiding the "parts car" again too ...

-- Kane

Kane -

There is a way to replace the brushes only, soldering them in. My WorldPac parts book shows the same part number for models from P1800 on to 940 B230FT. If your parts car doesn't yield a good set, try that route.

Good Luck,

Bob