[Diy_efi] Charging (alternator/Regulator) woes

[Torbjörn Forsman]

This is a very common cause of charging problems. On french vehicles 
from the 70's, this kind of charging system (called "battery sensing 
system") was very common, as well as the charging problems. It was 
common practice to fit a relay as you describe first time a car owner 
got charging problems. Somewhat newer variants of that system have a 
voltage sense wire directly from the battery to the regulator while the 
field current still is taken via the key switch.
But with "Bosch-style" alternators with integrated field diodes, all 
such problems are avoided.

/Torbj?rn Forsman


Bill Washington wrote:
> Gents,
>     I just remembered an experience I had with a car I was driving a few 
> years ago - intermittent charging - sometimes chsrge, sometimes discharge -
> Auto-electrician replaced the Regulator claiming it to be faulty - no 
> change - the problem turned out to be that the battery feed for the Reg 
> came directly through the ignition switch, and the contacts in the 
> ignition switch had worn to the point that it had become resistive, thus 
> not being able to supply enough current via the regulator to the 
> Alternator rotor (field winding) the solution was to use the ignition 
> switch to throw a relay which in turn supplied 12V directly from the 
> battery to the regulator, which cound that accurately control the field 
> current to the alternator ..... problem solved!
> 
> Regards
> Bill
> _______________________________________________
> Diy_efi mailing list
> Diy_efi at diy-efi.org
> http://lists.diy-efi.org/mailman/listinfo/diy_efi
>