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"Valeo" alternators - considered good ?

Nickhlx

By Nickhlx
in Boat Equipment

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Chalky Experienced

Chalky

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If its off a recent car it may well be controlled by either CAN or LIN (not hardwired) and being BMW you may also have the complication of autosar etc. More modern alternators have their voltage and current set points controlled over one of the vehicle comms networks and may not work correctly or at all if they don't receive the correct control signals.

230A will need an uprated drive belt system - it's about 4Hp!

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Sir Nibble Veteran II

Sir Nibble

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Valeo is an amalgam of the various French makes, Paris Rhone, SEV machal and Ducellier. They are well engineered and quite robust but as is the way with French alternators their life is limited by fatal slip ring wear caused by overly hard brushes. A sleeve repair is available for when this happens and need not be too expensive and in any case there is a lot of service in them before this occurs. If you do fit it you will need a substantial poly-vee belt to drive it and you will have to see to it that it spins at a good speed to maintain cooling. Bear in mind that a machine like this takes a lot of power to drive. In answer to your question though, they are as good as any other of the more modern machines (except Delco which are crap). This unit will also deliver a reasonable battery charging voltage without the need to fit an external "battery boiler" but won't work with a split charge diode without a little alteration in connection.

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Nickhlx Veteran

Nickhlx

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Is that remnants of Flexray after it completely fell on its arse because it's crap (like Autosar will IMO)?

 

I think one of the intended fitments is the current BMW X5... I was searching for alternators for big, expensive, modern cars with lots of (electrical) gadgets to run, thinking they would have a big alternator to run them all.., i.e. heated windows, wing mirrors and seats, big air blower fans and millions of gadgets smile.gif

 

Nick

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Chalky Experienced

Chalky

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No Flexray is a comms bus standard that allows synchronous streaming and asynchronous message data as well as being deterministic. Lots of talk about it, just not happened yet due to some entrenched standards etc

Autosar is a way of making automotive software a commodity item by using a virtual machine, Hardware abstraction layer & I/O interfaces inside each ECU which can run autosar compliant software. It's happening and has the potential to revolutionise the way in which automotive electronics are designed - the OEM can buy generic hardware optimised for an application and host their software on it. There are a number of prototypes running around and it's likely to hit mainstream in the next few years. I was involved in an early concept investigation which went into production about 10 years ago...

http://www.autosar.org/

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MoominPapa Veteran II

MoominPapa

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Autosar is a way of making automotive software a commodity item by using a virtual machine, Hardware abstraction layer & I/O interfaces inside each ECU which can run autosar compliant software. It's happening and has the potential to revolutionise the way in which automotive electronics are designed - the OEM can buy generic hardware optimised for an application and host their software on it. There are a number of prototypes running around and it's likely to hit mainstream in the next few years.

http://www.autosar.org/

 

That terrifies me. When this comes to pass I shall be driving my several Computer Science degrees around in a Morris Minor....

 

 

MP.

Edited by MoominPapa
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Gibbo Veteran II

Gibbo

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There are a number of prototypes running around and it's likely to hit mainstream in the next few years.

 

I did some research.

 

Define "few".

 

Are you a gambling man? Care for a wager?

 

I reckon it will fall on its arse.

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WotEver Veteran II

WotEverDonate to Canal World

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Autosar is ...

For some reason I'm reminded of:

 

From the coal industry, chairman of the Society for More Coal Energy, or "SMOCE", Mr. Terence Baggett. Representing the oil industry, head of the Society of Petroleum Industry Leaders, better known as "SPIL", Mr. Donald Fenswick. And from the nuclear industry, president of the Key Atomic Benefits Office of Mankind - "KABOOM", Mr. Arthur Dunwell.

 

Tony ;)

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by'eck Veteran

by'eck

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This is my tale of woe following failure of a Valeo 55 amp alternator fitted to 1993 Volvo TMD31B.

 

Just finished successful sea trial during sale of my yacht when the prospective owner decides he wants to see the alternator charging the batteries for the third time that day. Sod's law at this point it fails :(

 

Consult with boatyard manager in Antigua who points me in the direction of the only company on the island capable? of fixing it. Tells me they are highly experienced & I should have no concerns....... :rolleyes:

 

Drop it off & following day hear that its "fixed" for a mere £20. At alternator place they are just about to take my money when I query the repair. Eventually sent round the back to talk to “Africa”. Thats not his real name which is unpronounceable, but its apparently a novelty that he was actually born in Africa despite most of the population being of African origin. Anyway he starts to demonstrate that it works on a motor driven test rig but with half the peripherals removed. Flashes & bangs as he dabs exciter wire on the D+ terminal & I see unloaded output pass through 20 volts! at which point it starts making a funny humming noise requiring quick disconnection from test rig :o I explain to him that volts need to come out of the built-in split charge system with two connections both labeled with large “+” which ought to be a clue. Things start to go downhill fast then when he tells me that cant possibly happen. Another guy jumps in & tries to demonstrate that I'm wrong as well with a dirty multimeter. My protests that its worked this way for 18 years fall on deaf ears. Shortly after the light dawns & he agrees that I am right after all. As it turns out all “Africa” did was to clean it, so second guy then insists he test the regulator which proves faulty. Things are looking better – we have a fault although probably induced by them. Things start to look up…… :) then down again when he returns after a 30 minute wait with a regulator that will fit but wont work because the original has separate exciter wire :(

 

Get sent up the road with old regulator to Battery shop where they stock a huge range of regulators (but not one to match mine). They quickly find one which looks like it might have a fighting chance of fitting though, right number of wires etc. but then they can’t find the price. Wait a full 20 minutes to be deprived of nearly £40. Take new reg back to Africa who says it will be ready & working tomorrow. This assumes he can find all the nuts/bolts/connectors presently mainly on the dirt floor & that he doesn't break any more plastic parts as there won't be anything left to bolt together.

 

Following day its ready, "fixed & tested". Africa has even done a half decent job of soldering field wire to one of the brushes on new regulator to allow connection of Sterling alternator booster. Bit suspicious that the repair charge is still only £20, but not complaining ;)

 

Back on the boat, after great difficulty re-fitting it in confined space (its on far inaccessible side of engine) feel gutted when it shows no sign of producing any volts. With nothing to loose take it apart myself. Find missing spacers allowing potential short & trapped wires on new regulator which of course is not the correct one anyway. Drill holes in plastic regulator housing to allow safe passage of wires, re-assemble & re-fit. Yippe! both start & service batteries showing charge volts although still haven't reconnected Sterling reg. After this is connected even more charge volts :D

 

New potential owner is disappointed he is not getting new unit out of me but after four consecutive demonstrations (he is very disbelieving fellow) it remains working. Good job!

 

Lessons learnt:

Valeo alternators (and probably most others) withstand outrageous abuse.

Unless there are true professionals around always trust yourself

Alternators aren't that complicated

Edited by richardhula
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Chalky Experienced

Chalky

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I did some research.

 

Define "few".

 

Are you a gambling man? Care for a wager?

 

I reckon it will fall on its arse.

There's a difference between whats in the public domain and what's not. The concepts were developed on a large European luxuary vehicle about 10 years ago and have been used on a number of vehicles by a number of manufacturers since. The work was expanded and this has become autosar. I was one of the system architects in at the conception and birth. If you know where to look you can see the fingerprints of autosar in lots of places, although not everyone has used the whole concept.

Edited by Chalky
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Gibbo Veteran II

Gibbo

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There's a difference between whats in the public domain and what's not. The concepts were developed on a large European luxuary vehicle about 10 years ago and have been used on a number of vehicles by a number of manufacturers since. The work was expanded and this has become autosar. I was one of the system architects in at the conception and birth. If you know where to look you can see the fingerprints of autosar in lots of places, although not everyone has used the whole concept.

 

I'll bet you a tenner it falls on its arse :)

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