Traveller electric problems

[cameronhenderson]

Sorry this may be a bit longwinded.
Out in my traveller yesterday after a long spell of inactivity. Not sure it would start but it did, then I set off on a 15 mile drive. It started to rain and got foggy, so lights and wipers on. I also tried briefly main beam and the fan. About a mile from my destination the wipers and indicators stopped working. I thought a problem to look at back home. I parked up, did my business and came back to the car. When I turned on the ignition the wipers parked and the indicators worked. When I pulled the starter switch the ignition light went out and nothing happened. I checked under the bonnet and all seemed fine.
Fortunately, I got a push start and set off home. Initially the wipers and indicators worked but as I got near home, the same thing happened againand I noticed the ignition light flickering. I parked the car in the garage and put it on charge and this morning everything seems ok.
My questions are :-
1. Is this likely just to be a slightly tired battery?
2. How do I check if the dynamo is working properly?
3. Should I think about an alternator?
4. Should I buy one of these solar trickle chargers and just keep it plugged in?
Your help will be most appreciated.

John Henderson

[DAVIDMCCULLOUGH]

Hi John,

I suspect you may have 2 issues here! The wiper and indicators is probably a dirty/corroded fuse connection as well as a battery thats probably a bit low from sitting around.

Ive changed to an alternator last winter on my everyday minor as I use a heated back window. For years Ive managed with just a dynamo without too many issues and on my other minors that dont go out all the time Im happy to keep them with dynamos.


To check if the dynamo is working put on the headlights and give it a rev, the headlights should brighten and when you drop the revs will go dimmer again.

[KeithL]

As David said, unless you have added additional equipment (such as a heated rear window) then a dynamo should be fine.

As regards keeping the battery in tip top condition I would recommend a CTEK charger if you have access to a power supply. You can leave it connected all the time the car isn't in use. It will check and charge the battery and then maintain the charge if the car isn't used for a bit. It also has a recondition mode to bring tired batteries back to life. We have the MXS 5.0 Charger which we use on all our cars, including those with AGM batteries.

[oliver90owner]

How long was this spell of inactivity?

Did you do any checks before using it?

Likely a dead, dry battery.

[biomed32uk]

I would second the CTEK MXS 5.0, not cheap but can be left permanently connected without any risk of boiling the battery.

If I am not going to use the car for more than a week then it sits on the CTEK. I have made a permanent connection for it, I have a little socket that hangs down by the tie plate that it just plugs into, making it very quick and easy to use.

If it's a standard car with a decent battery and the regulator is setup correctly the dynamo will be fine.