Meet a colleague of Larry’s, Dan Marinucci. He is an Automotive Technical Training Specialist and has been writing and sharing information in MOTOR Magazine’s monthly import repair column “Foreign Service” since 1989.
“Larry Hagemeister, an experienced autoelectric specialist, said he encountered this fuse while troubleshooting dead batteries on a 2007 Freightliner van equipped with a 3.0L V6 Mercedes diesel. He owns Hagemeister Enterprises, an electrical rebuilding company with locations in Lebanon and Redmond, OR. Besides rebuilding a wide variety of electrical components, his crew often performs on-car diagnoses.
According to Hagemeister, this particular vehicle suffered from multiple problems and had an uncertain maintenance/repair history. However, the blown alternator fuse was the job’s biggest surprise.”
…more:
“Technicians may assume that all Sprinters are diesel-powered. But a diesel engine was optional on only some vans. And among common, service-age Sprinters, you’ll find a dualbattery electrical system fed by a 180A Valeo alternator. Auto-electric specialists have told me that this Valeo is relatively robust and durable; for example, the drive pulley clutch on a high-mileage Valeo alternator may wear out long before its electrical parts fail. Of course, a slipping clutch pulley causes a no-charge condition, so don’t overlook that possibility during your diagnosis.”
Read the full article here (PDF)
Or read the article on Motor Magazine’s website here
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