I have a problem with my townace, the trouble started 3 weeks ago the warning lights on the dash started comming on then going out this included the turbo light stoping on, I found last weekend the battery was flat I am not sure if this points to the alternator going down or the regulator any help welcome
Keith.

- (#6757) KEITH DIXON, 15 Jan 03

I'd start with the alternator brushes...

- (#6758) david miller, 15 Jan 03

Please could someone help me with some advice on an electical problem. I was drivng into Bristol and all the dash instruments indicatiors etc stopped working = I called out Britannia rescue. No fuses were blown but they did some sort of temporary bridge with a wire in the fuse box to get me home. Called out an auto electriacian and he thought the alarm was wrongly wired and he did some rewiring. Car started and ran fine for about 30 miles although the radio did not work. Suddenly allthe panel lights came on and a beeper began to sound. Temperature, oil etc was OK. then electrics failed again. Had the car brought home on recovery. Local garage looked at it and said it was an alternator problem. I've had the alternator reconditioned but garage say it still isn't charging and the lights still come on and the beeper sounds. They say it's beyond them and I need an autoelectrician. (back to square one!)Could this be caused by the regulator? The firm who did the alternator say it is an external one. What does the alternator look like? Is it the unit near the main fuse box with two round metal bits on and a fuse in? my car is a lite ace made in April 1991. Any advice would be greatly appreciated as I'll at a loss where to go from here or who to trust to fix it.

- (#7589) Roger Marshall, 5 Mar 03

Fortunately so far I haven't had a problem with the electrics on mine so can't claim to be an expert.

I have to say that the symptoms you describe don't seem very conducive with a charging problem. If that were the case then presumably you would have been having problems with your battery charging and poor starting. When you say that "electrics failed" did you mean everything or just panel electrics?

It could be that you have two problems here.1 - either a failing relay such as the power main relay or ignition main relay or a short or bad earth in that area, which could explain the intermittent electrical failures. 2. If the alternator isn't charging as according to your garage, and you have had it reconditioned then yes the external alternator regulator may be at fault. I believe it's located behind the glove box, shaped like a rounded rectangular box held by a bracket with 2 bolts and a single outlet with wires going into a single multi-connector (you didn't mean what does the alternator look like did you?).

Other visitors to this site have had problems with the regulator and may give you more detailed info. A record of the thread should be on AceAnswers.

- (#7590) Ian Dunse, 5 Mar 03

Hello Roger,

I too am no expert but looking at the Russian manual diagrams, that are a little different from the Japanese models, it may be a problem leading from the ignition switch.

A simple test of this would be whether your indicators and wipers are working. The drawings indicate that if these are not working when you lose your instrument lights then they are all fed from IG1 & IG2 from the ignition switch. If these are not working then the problem lies either at the ignition switch or at the main fuses.

These are only my views from the Russian manual which is not totally accurate but worth a consideration.

Other points to mention are that if the Britannia guy bridged a circuit initially then he may have disconnected your auxhilliaries which are your radio and cigarette lighter and connected your IGN circuits to it instead.

The final point is that without the IGN circuit being live there would be no excitation supply to your alternator which is what kick starts it into life to charge.

Despite these views others may have other information regarding the regulator.
- (#7591) Mark, 5 Mar 03

would alternator failure cause the following:
dim headlights, warning lights lit when running,
all interior lights dim (including dashboard),
indicator failure.
oil & water at correct levels, alternator belt at
correct tension.
if it is the alternator any suggestions about where to
get one and approx cost for a toyota townace super extra 1988.(diesel).


- (#7592) steve, 5 Mar 03