Alternator upgrade for 118 NE With the installation of electric fans for radiator and higher wattage headlamp bulbs the demand for current went up. And the stock SA15 alternator rated for 40A was not able to take it any more in bumper to bumper traffic in the evening hours. The search began and landed at an I10 alternator for a fair deal. However it appeared like I had to prepare a new bracket to align the pulley position. After doing a few iterations with various geometry of brackets I still didn't gain the confidence over my bracket design. So I had given up and taken some rest from this project.
After a break, again I started hunting for the perfect alternator. But this time took my alternator bracket and some rough measurements from the vehicle. Finally picked up this Lucas TVS SIA130 12V 90A alternator. Commonly used in Indica / Indigo CRail BS4 engines. The machine appeared good and the seller (an alternator, starter motor repairing guy) just checked the machine at his test rig. I took the plunge and came home with the alternator, feeling lighter by 4200₹.
Got the pulley changed at another ₹150. Had to remove about 4mm of meat from the existing alternator bracket. As the lower bracket of alternator is wider than the mounting bracket a small spacer (20mm long) had to be machined to accommodate the space at the rear side. And finally got a new slotted bracket (for Rs120/-) for belt tension setting due to orientation change. With all mechanically set, time to address the electricals.
The connecting ring terminal was replaced with a 8mm one from 6mm. Crimped and soldered the new terminal. Next task was to identify the WL terminal and excitation pins. Unfortunately I had no info on the electrical side. Decided to dare and start the engine. Hooked up the multimeter and was happy to see more than 13V at idle. Revved the engine up and the voltage read till 14.6. Turned on all electrical loads. Still the voltage was 12.5V at idle. Had a wide smile and packed up for the day.
Took the car to an auto electrician in my neighborhood to identify the WL pin. He monkeyed around for some 5 mins and replied that the regulator needs replacement. My face turned pale and asked him how much it was going cost. He quoted Rs 1350/-. Luckily he advised me to reach out at the same place where I bought the machine so that the regulator might get replaced for free. Came home, but didn't rest there. Just to confirm if my meter lamp or wires were at fault, I tried to connect the warning lamp wire from the meter to body ground. The light didn't come up. Without giving up, cleaned up the terminals and tried again. The light came up. Man, my face turned red at the reply from the electrician. Googled for pin diagram for Indica BS4 alternator with TML part number and got the details and identified the WL pin. With this I cleaned up the wiring and concluded the alternator upgrade project.
Last edited by ilangop : 12th November 2018 at 16:09.
Reason: Spell check
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