I just bought a 2001 Disco knowing it needed a headgasket. I didn't think it would be that big of a deal because I just got done living in LA and my buddy with a Disco never experienced problems with finding a good mechanic. Well, I am in Toledo now and when I went looking for someone to do the job you would have thought I was asking them to work on the space shuttle. No mechanic that I can find here seems comfortable with LR's.

So I findally found one at a pretty big and decently reputable and it took him a week longer than the week he said it would take. Then he called to say it was ready but "the altenator was only putting out 12.5" and offered to put in a new one for 400. I'm kind of broke so I said thanks but no because, up to the headgasket jub I was experiencing no electical/starting problems.

It started ok at the shop when I picked it up late Friday but did notice they had it on the charger when I came. I drove it home about 10 miles with no problem but the next start was a very hard start. Never had that happen before. The start after that one almost didn't go so I knew there was no choice but to get an altenator and new battery. I got the OME Boshe altinator and the best battery I could get and put it in myself.

It did not fix the problem. Still very hard to start so I took it to the place I got the battery and they tested the system and told me the altenator was putting out "nothing". I then took it to the place I got the altenator and he did a more serious test with better equipment. Well, first he took off the neg batt cable with it running and turn the lights and some other accessories on and it did not die. Then he tested everything and it showed that the altenator was putting out and average 12.5 but nothing more.

He told me that the altenator on my Disco has a built in regulator and for some reason he things when the first shop put everything back together that they didn't get a wire right or something because "nothing is telling the regulator to crank the altenator up to put a charge on the battery".

Does this sound right? Like I said, everything was fine including running the radio on the battery for a couple hours at the drive inn movie and she would start right up. Post headgasket she has serious problems. New altenator and battery she still has problem. I am taking her back to the shop that did the headgasket but, they being new to me and I don't know whether to trust them yet or not, I would like as much info as I can get so I can figure out if they are trying to take me for an expensive ride I can't afford. Also, if anyone has some things I can look for to try to remedy the situation myself that would be so awesom I would send ya a couple cases of beer.

Thanks.

 

Just finished doing a head gasket job myself and I'm drawing a blank on how he could have screwed installing the alternator. There are only 2 wires, power and ground. I'm thinking it is something else.

 

the tow wires are not power and ground. the small one is for the batt light on the instrument pack. is that light on? take a look at the alternator bracket, theres a big ground cable that should be attached to the side of about half way down on the battery side, is that hooked up?

 

Sorry my bad my point is that they are very simple nothing to really mess up, 2 wires. Especially seeing you got it replaced and it is still happening.

 

I did have the check engine light come on right before I put the new alternator and batt in but do not recall ever seeing the batt light. After I put the new alt & batt in no lights are coming on including the check engine light. It just does not want to start. No fuse problems. I will check for the "big ground cable" you mentioned. I did not remove it myself and don't even recall seeing it. THANK YOU for the help.

 

Does it not want to start or will it not turn over?
Turn the key and nothing? Any clicks? Does the battery have a charge?
Is the belt routed correctly?
http://www.roverparts.com/TechTips/s...routing_D2.cfm

 

It still has enough chage that it isn't clicking yet but it is also a brand new battery and I am trying not to put to much stress on it till I figure this out. I turn the key and it just really slowly turns over and then barely kicks and starts. Like I said, this is a totally new problem. It started like a champ before the headgasket job but obviously went straight to overheating because of the HG issue. What is so weird to me is the altenator will keep it running because we unhooked the battery and it never died. It just won't go to 13.5-14 volts, only 12.5. The altenator guy said the regulator on the altenator isn't telling the altenator to go higher with the volts to charge the battery. He thinks something didn't get wired right post HG job but I am having my doubts with every mechanic I have met in Toledo, Ohio. I am learning so much more in this forum and things makes sense to me when I read them here. These mechanics here in Toledo are just confusing me and I do not know who to believe or where to start looking for the problem.

 

There really is not much wiring involved in a head gasket job to get wrong, exactly 3 wires (ground and 2 alternator wires). Unless the guy is a total hack. Like roverguy said make sure your ground wire is on and tight (follow the black battery wire to the ground bolt) and that the 2 alternator wires are tight. Obviously before you go poking around pull the black wire off your battery.

Do you have a battery charger you can hook it up to? I know your battery is new and all but what you are describing sounds like mine does with a low battery. Also make sure your battery terminals are tight.

 

Thanks everybody. I will check the neg grounds, recheck the two wires on the alt and make sure the batt terminals are locked down tight. I'll also put a solid charge on the batt even though it's brand new and showing proper charge. Does anybody know how the regulator works on the alt? Does it vary the output of the alt depending on the charge on the batt and, if so, how does it know the batts condition. I never did study the electrical systems because I have been so luck to never had had one before.

 

While you are troubleshooting check that your auxiliary is routed properly and that it is in decent shape and not slipping. If you have a voltmeter read the voltage at the battery and at the alternator. On the regulator it just reads the voltage from the battery and adjusts the output of the alternator as needed. It is and integral part of the alternator and if you have a new alternator you have a new regulator.