Chapter 1 Routine maintenance and servicing

1595Ford Fiesta Remake5A•6 Starting and charging systemsA Pulley nutB Spring washerC PulleyD Through-boltE Retainer plate screwF Drive end housingG BearingH Bearing retaining plate7.13b Exploded view of the AOO2T Mitsubishi alternatorJ SpacerK RotorL SpacerM Slip ring end bearingN PlugP CapQ Terminal insulatorR Slip ring end housing14 Remove the rotor from the rear housingand the stator. If difficulty is experienced, heatthe rear housing with a 200-watt solderingiron for three or four minutes.15 Unbolt the rectifier/brush box and statorassembly from the rear housing (seeillustration).16 Unsolder the stator and brush box fromthe rectifier, using the very minimum of heat.Use a pair of pliers as a heat sink to reducethe heat transference to the diodes(overheating may cause diode failure).17 Renew the brushes if they are worn downto, or beyond, the minimum specified length.Unsolder the brush wires at the pointsindicated (see illustration), then solder thenew brush leads so that the wear limit lineprojects 2 to 3 mm from the end of the holder(see illustration).18 Clean the slip rings with a solventmoistenedcloth, then check for signs ofscoring, burning or severe pitting. If evident,the slip rings should be attended to by anautomobile electrician.S RectifierT Dust coverV RegulatorW Brush springX BrushY Regulator screwZ Stator19 Refit in the reverse order of removal.Insert a piece of wire through the access holein the rear housing to hold the brushes in theretracted position as the rotor is refitted (seeillustration). Do not forget to release thebrushes when assembled.8 Starting system - testing1Note: Refer to the precautions in Section 1before starting work.1 If the starter motor fails to operate when theignition key is turned to the appropriateposition, the following possible causes maybe to blame.a) The battery is faulty.b) The electrical connections between theswitch, solenoid, battery and startermotor are somewhere failing to pass thenecessary current from the batterythrough the starter to earth.c) The solenoid is faulty.d) The starter motor is mechanically orelectrically defective.7.15 Rectifier/brush box (1) and regulatorunit (3) retaining nuts on the Mitsubishialternator. Note that cap (2) covers theregulator nut2 To check the battery, switch on theheadlights. If they dim after a few seconds,this indicates that the battery is discharged -recharge (see Section 3) or renew the battery.If the headlights glow brightly, operate theignition switch and observe the lights. If theydim, then this indicates that current isreaching the starter motor, therefore the faultmust lie in the starter motor. If the lightscontinue to glow brightly (and no clickingsound can be heard from the starter motorsolenoid), this indicates that there is a fault inthe circuit or solenoid - see followingparagraphs. If the starter motor turns slowlywhen operated, but the battery is in goodcondition, then this indicates that either thestarter motor is faulty, or there is considerableresistance somewhere in the circuit.3 If a fault in the circuit is suspected,disconnect the battery leads (including theearth connection to the body), the starter/solenoid wiring and the engine/transmissionearth strap. Thoroughly clean theconnections, and reconnect the leads andwiring, then use a voltmeter or test lamp tocheck that full battery voltage is available atthe battery positive lead connection to thesolenoid, and that the earth is sound. Smearpetroleum jelly around the battery terminals toprevent corrosion - corroded connections areamongst the most frequent causes ofelectrical system faults.7.17a Unsoldering a brush wire on aMitsubishi alternator7.17b Fitted position of new brush on aMitsubishi alternator7.19 Use a length of wire rod to holdbrushes in the retracted position whenreassembling the rotor to the housing onthe Mitsubishi alternator