Don't know yet Alan, I've not had the bill yet.

They usually send the bill out a week or so later.

Will let you know as soon as i do mate

 

Re. faulty alternator here -- an easy check is to put an ohm-meter across the slip ring connexions. It should read something around 50 ohms or so. If it reads o/c., strip it down and see if the brushes are worn out/ full of crud and not contacting the slip-rings. Being a moving and wearing part, this would be the 1st. thing I'd go for.
If you check with a normal ohm-meter, an AVO 7 or 8 or almost any old-fashioned analog meter between heavy current output and metal case, it should read like a diode, conductance one way, o/c the other way. Testing alternators is best done with an old-fashioned analog moving coil meter as digital meters can give peculiar readings with devices having semi-conductor diodes in them.

Leedsman.

 

Re. alternator cost for what it's worth. I was quoted £380 in Leeds about a year ago when I was doing tests and suspected the alternator might be faulty. It wasn't as it turned out.

You can do a real-life test with an alternator by passing a moderate current from a 12v battery limited by a side-lamp (essential or you'll damage it) through the slip ring connectors IN THE CORRECT POLARITY (essential or you'll damage it*). connect another lamp to the case and heavy-current terminal, and on spinning the armature the same direction as the engine does it, you shoud see it generate some voltage as shown by the lamp-load lighting up.

* The wrong polarity will force the alternator to try and produce a -ve output and the diode rectifiers will short this out since the metal case is used as normal -ve return current path.

Leedsman.

 

Good , and the often missed importance of cables and connections - all the way from battery to [internal & external regulators & ECU] alternator test & bypass. http://troubleshootmyvehicle.com/chrysler/3.3L/how-to-test-the-alternator-1 [no diesels of course] for those who feel able to tackle the diagnosis. http://www.autospark.com.au/products-all.shtml or new, interwibble or phone, I would only ever buy from a door I could bang on - there is always a local re furbisher - if it was DOA.

Pleased you are sorted Merlecollins !