Would a failed alternator cause many dash warning lights?

[Coup27]

Hi,

Recently, "check VSC" started coming on on the display along with the red ! light, the amber engine management light and the amber traction control light. This is an intermittent problem and these 4 keep coming on and going off as leisure.  The last couple of days the red Battery charging light and red airbag light have both joined the party, coming on and going off at leisure. I took my car to an auto electrician who found the charging circuit was not working. He tested the wires (going to I think?) the alternator and they were as expected but there is no supply being sent to the Battery.

If my alternator has failed would this somehow be responsible for causing all of the other dash lights to come on?

Thanks.

[johnatg]

Quite possibly = all the electronics are very sensitive to voltage and if your alternator was not charging the voltage would have been low and possibly varying under varying loads.

Get the alternator tested before committing to buying a new one (it might just be something in the wiring) and check the possibility of a rebuild - there are lots of specialist companies offering that - usually vastly cheaper than buying new or exchange.

[Coup27]

Thanks for the reply. I'm now booked in on Tuesday with an "automotive DC component specialist" who are able to rebuild alternators on site. I shall let you know how it goes. 

[TigerFish]

Yeah, as mentioned, each system is sensitive to voltage. It is exactly what happens when the alternator went on my gen 1 GS300. First the charge light, then engine management, abs , vsc etc all followed.


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[jumbojake]

in the older cars, the fuse for the alternator warning light was used as the starting current to make the alternator work .... this had blown and as a result didn;t get a warning light and my alternator didn;t work.   I only noticed as I was driving along, slowly things stopped working.. lights dimmed, wipers then radio .... amazingly the ignition worked until I got to the office.

 

on a modern car you have so many electrical items to drive the car and also for safety, it just wouldn;t be safe to drive

 

[Coup27]

The place I went to said the alternator had failed and it was beyond sensible refurbishment. They said the diode/converter pack had failed/partially failed and as a result some or all of the windings had burnt out. The cost for replacement was £170 for the part, £50 labour plus VAT which I didn't think was too bad. While the Battery icon has now gone from the dash the check VSC lights returned about 20 minutes into my journey home. I checked the new alternator myself when I got back and the Battery terminal voltage was 13.8v when the engine was running. I am going to charge the Battery fully over the weekend just on the off chance but not really sure what to do next.

Update: Speaking to a friend he recommended clearing the fault codes now the new alternator is fitted. I have a cheap OBDII reader which I just used and the only code I got back was "DPF filter not at optimal threshold" but I cleared all codes anyway and check VSC went off so I will see what happens next.

Edited July 18, 2018 by Coup27