HDJ101 Alternator Delay

[crhyne]

Hey team, this week I changed the batteries on my HDJ101 to 27 and 27F type batteries as well as changing out the old alternator belts. The alternator tensioner bolt was sheared off by a previous owner and I did not realize this until I went to loosen the belts. When I put the new belts on I used a ratchet strap on the alternator and a fixed point to tighten the belts to spec; I probably should not have done this. I just got this cruiser about a month ago and haven't paid as much attention to the voltage gauge immediately following start up as I should have, but now I notice that after start up the alternator does not charge the batteries until ~ 30 seconds after start up which I didn't think was occurring before. When the alternator starts charging, I hear a click in the engine bay that sounds like a relay, and the weather is about 10-20 degrees cooler than it has been. Before then the batteries sit at about 11.7 volts until all at once the alternator charges them to the normal 14+ volts. I have verified this with a multi meter. Can anyone let me know if this is normal behavior and maybe some sort of preheating thing or if not do I need a new alternator? Thank you.

 

[crhyne]

Update/Answer to anyone that happens upon this: it is normal. It is just significantly colder today than normal and it is some sort of preheating system associated with the glow plugs.

1HD FT alternator charging

Hi all. Can anybody help me with my alternator problem please? I have a 96 model 80 series with the above engine, auto trans. Every morning I start it the alternator has only 12.3 volts at the alternator....

www.exploroz.com

 

[Hulsty]

As you found, completely normal, it is hard on the alt/batteries, here in Oz a lot of people just unplug the relay and if visiting a snow area plug it back in. I have no trouble starting mine at -5c without plugging it in.

 

[uHu]

Is this the 1HD-FTE engine?
If so, there are no glow plugs. Only a heating grid on the intake pipe to help with emissions for the first 30 sec of a cold start. It does nothing to help with starting, at least not down to minus 25 C. Disconnect it by unplugging the control signal to the relay, a tiny plug next to the roundish relay on the RHS inner fender. Keeping it active will kill your batteries in 3 years instead of 6, and shorten the life of the alternator considerably.

 

[crhyne]

Is this the 1HD-FTE engine?
If so, there are no glow plugs. Only a heating grid on the intake pipe to help with emissions for the first 30 sec of a cold start. It does nothing to help with starting, at least not down to minus 25 C. Disconnect it by unplugging the control signal to the relay, a tiny plug next to the roundish relay on the RHS inner fender. Keeping it active will kill your batteries in 3 years instead of 6, and shorten the life of the alternator considerably.

You're right, there are no glow plugs, I meant glow screen. The dash light on the car is the glow plug light so I just call it that. I should get out of the habit haha. I'll see about disconnecting it thank you for the insight.