[marcman]

HELP!
my 87 zook alternator is on the way out. it wont idel and wen it does its as rough as heshin undies, next my brother tried to jump start his HQ ute off it and now it wont start!!!! if u turn the key on to run u get oil and battery lights and wen u turn the key to start the lights go out... and nothing no clicks nothing i'm lost. any help would b awsome thanks heaps people

[stockman]

flat battery?

[marcman]

yeah tried that sorry forgot to mention it

[v.w.dave]

OK people just for the laymen out tere the alternator has nothing to do with starting your car. The alternator simply recharges your battery and runs the electronics while the engine is running.
Just because your battery shows 12v when you check it with a multimeter does not mean its good.
If you know its a electric problem start with checking all your grounds and connections. Check the water leavels, get it load tested. Check the complete output of the alternator. Check it with loads on/off, at high revs low revs.
Then you need to check the starter/solenoid. Then if all that is good you need to move on to the ignition switch. Simply put there is more to checking a starting /charging system then checking battery voltage.

[v.w.dave]

But from reading your problem you need to check the signal wire at the starter (the small wire) its probably unplugged or bad connection

[MrRocky]

check fuses
and starter wires

[Santos]

v.w.dave wrote:

But from reading your problem you need to check the signal wire at the starter (the small wire) its probably unplugged or bad connection

x2

makes an excellent immobiliser

[Scrawny]

Sounds to me like the battery has dropped a cell. Do all the other checks as Dave suggested and take the battery somewhere to be checked properly

[TZAR]

Your brother probably stole your battery and put his dead one in his car....

[marcman]

ok checked fuses they're all good. swapped battery with a new one still nothing
the starter motor still works if u use a screw driver???

[Scrawny]

Do you mean it works if you short out the contacts? Then you have a dead solenoid on the starter.

[SuziBlu]

Suzis run a 2 pole starter, and go well, then stop dead.

[marcman]

i think your rite about the starter motor. is there anyway to tell if the ignition has shit itself???

[SuziBlu]

Can you use a multimeter, or get someone who can.

Test the power at the battery, the at the starter motor poles, if its there, and there is nothing, its cactus.

That would be my first port of call, then after do the ignition bit.

[marcman]

all good guys it was the in-line fuse or what should have been it (speaker wire) was fried so just fixed it up and its all good as gold thanks everyone for the advice
cheers marc