Alternator drain

[Egil Kvaleberg]

On 2 Apr 1997, Steve Baldwin wrote:

> The alternator doesn't have enough iron to do that, so it has another
> set of windings or an alternative means of powering the main windings at
> startup or low speed.

The startup current is usually the current that runs through the 
"charge" indicator in the dashboard. Once the ignition is on, the charge 
lamp has battery voltage on one side, and is connected to the field on 
the other. The lamp current will run through the field windings and to 
ground (via the regulator). One the alternator is running and charging, an 
extra set of diodes will provide the field voltage, and the charge lamp 
will see full voltage on both side, i.e. no current will flow.

Egil
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