The bit about a B+ diode failing is quite interesting as well. An incandescant bulb would light up in that instance, but your LED wouldn't, because it's pointing the wrong way..!

More excellent information there, thanks Ken. This is the benefit of having problems, they force you to learn about stuff you'd always wondered about, but never got around to reading up on.
So there's plenty of agreement about the warning lamp wire needing to supply a reasonable level of current to kick the alternator into operation, but that just puzzles me as to why my alternator is managing to give any output at all, and why it only struggles when it's got more load on it. Still the first line of inquiry though.
I've found a pack of resistors so will see what happens when I power the D+ connection through them, probably direct from the battery because it's easier to rig up for testing. The other tests suggested on the Pelican Parts page sound worth trying, but very awkward to actually try out with the alternator on the car.

Yes plenty of different ways the alt could potentially fail, guess the ideal answer could be to have a resistor and 2 LEDs all in parallel, with the LEDs facing opposite directions. The resistor would pass the neccessary current, and depending on which LED lit it would indicate a different problem.

I've tried a couple of experiments, firstly I removed the warning light wire from the D+ connection and replaced it with a 10w test light directly from the B+ output. It didn't make any difference, voltage still drops when all the lights are on.

Second was I bypassed the regulator, the equivalent of running 12v straight to the DF connection, except that the regulator is on the earth side of the field windings so I was shorting the output wire from the windings and earthing it on the casing. I did this with all the lights on, including the fog and brakes, and the revs at about 2,500. Just briefly flashing the wire from the windings to earth saw the battery voltage shoot up from 13.5 ish to something approaching 20v. I was a bit worried about what the ECU might think about this, but without separating the power to the ECU and feeding it from a different battery, I couldn't think of an easy way to avoid it. Anyway the engine kept running so hopefully no harm done. I did this first with the test light still connected, and then with just the wire from the LED warning light, the voltage shot up both times.

So the issue is with the regulator, but this doesn't help me understand why the voltage only drops when there's a load on the alternator. I think the next thing I'll try is disconnecting the internal regulator and running a wire from the original 2cv one, except I haven't got it here so that'll have to wait.

The wiper spindles have been leaking water for years now, so I thought it was finally time to splash out and buy some new ones. I went with the slightly pricey £45 each ones from ECAS, but they are very nicely made. Now I can't be arsed to write how to change wiper spindles instructions, but like much of my car, the wipers have been messed about with, so I thought I'd share the details.

I first did this with the old spindles quite a while ago, but didn't have any pics, so this time it was just the spindle that needed modifying.
First thing I did with my brand new rather expensive spindles was to cut the arm on one of them, and weld it back together 3mm shorter (Edit, this is perhaps a bit much, if you're giving it a go, try 2mm). I balanced it in a pot of water while welding, to avoid burning any O-rings that might be in it.




Before fitting them I soaked them in warm oil, and gave it plenty of time to seep into the bushes.
Either side of the spindle with the shortened arm I've welded in a pin to ensure the arm cannot go over-center, iirc they were a couple of nails, or pop-rivet shafts.



There's also evidence of where I previously adjusted the length of one of the linkage rods, but I can't remember if it was longer or shorter.



So why have I done all this? In conjunction with cranked(bent in the vice) wiper arms, The wipers now park at the bottom of the screen and still wipe all the way to the A-pillar. The originals look silly to me, why would you want them to park in the middle of the screen, what were Citroen thinking?

I'm now going to stoop to a new low in sad geekiness, I'm posting a video of windscreen wipers... Much to my disappointment, I can't embed it. So have a static pic, the link to the video is underneath should you feel the need.



http://s686.photobucket.com/albums/vv22 ... C11359.mp4

And yes I've got an intermittant relay too.

And finally Just to say I used the car today in the peeing rain, and although it generally still leaks like a sieve there wasn't any water dripping from the vent flap knob, so the new spindles have had some effect.

As usual, nice work. But, and I really hate to ask this, are you not a little OCD about the passenger side blade not sitting on the windscreen rubber?

Anotherone in the catagory....... why doing this...... because it can be done......

Nice work

No, because I know it can't. It sits in the best place it can. My work here is done!

Joolz,
top job, as usual, although the video needs slo-mo for maximum efffect.
Blink and you miss it...

ken

How much play should there be in the steering rack? There's in/out (backwards/forwards) movement at the inner end of the track rods. If I lever the track rod forwards, the mark on the anti-rattle rubber shows how far it moves, probably about 2mm.



Rocking the wheels, it feels bad, and if both wheels are rocked at the same time in opposite directions, there's quite a pronounced forwards/backwards movement at the inner ends.

http://www.ecas2cvparts.co.uk/steering- ... p-761.html