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joe cool
Samba Member
Joined: August 20, 2006
Posts: 1259
Location: Yolo County CA
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 Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2015 6:39 pm Post subject: Red light on, what am I missing? |
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I must be doing something wrong but I don't know what.
Polarized generator and it spun clockwise (viewed from rear)
Grounded DF and tested voltage at D+, 14V at high idle up to 80V at WOT (this seems very high?)
Installed new voltage regulator
Polarized per instructions (in Portuguese) I think: D+ to B+, got a spark
Have 12V at terminal 61 on regulator
Engine running I get 0V at D+, 12.2V at B+ no increase with engine speed
I have no good ideas left, what do you think?
(Want some head and tail lights to drive to Thunderhill to watch LeMons race this weekend, don't dare hook up lights until I get this generating problem sorted out) |
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vwserphguy
Samba Member
Joined: April 30, 2009
Posts: 175
Location: Vail Valley
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| Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2015 8:38 pm Post subject: |
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I had same issue. Do you have a good ground wire from generator to body of vehicle?
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"Relax and just enjoy the ride knowing everybody passing is wishing they had one." |
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joe cool
Samba Member
Joined: August 20, 2006
Posts: 1259
Location: Yolo County CA
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| Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2015 9:19 pm Post subject: |
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| vwserphguy wrote: |
| I had same issue. Do you have a good ground wire from generator to body of vehicle? |
Yes, I was hoping that was the problem but it was not.
The 80V on unregulated generator seems high to me, any ideas? I am down to 2 hours on generator swap so I might just try a new one because I am all out of tests and ideas.
Help! |
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crofty
Judas of the North
Joined: August 09, 2000
Posts: 19672
Location: Land of Whine and Phonies
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| Posted: Fri Sep 11, 2015 6:47 am Post subject: |
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I've never heard of polarizing a regulator.
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| HamburgerBrad wrote: |
I slept on crofty's tent once. I passed out drunk from two bottles of Everett's brother's wine. |
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olliehank47
Samba Member
Joined: May 04, 2011
Posts: 1198
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| Posted: Fri Sep 11, 2015 7:53 am Post subject: Re: Red light on, what am I missing? |
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| joe cool wrote: |
I must be doing something wrong but I don't know what.
Polarized generator and it spun clockwise (viewed from rear)
Grounded DF and tested voltage at D+, 14V at high idle up to 80V at WOT (this seems very high?)
Installed new voltage regulator
Polarized per instructions (in Portuguese) I think: D+ to B+, got a spark
Have 12V at terminal 61 on regulator
Engine running I get 0V at D+, 12.2V at B+ no increase with engine speed
I have no good ideas left, what do you think?
(Want some head and tail lights to drive to Thunderhill to watch LeMons race this weekend, don't dare hook up lights until I get this generating problem sorted out) |
You have some real inconsistencies in your situation.
First, I too, have never heard of 80 volts being produced by a 12v generator. Second, you reported 14v at D+ during your generator test, but reported 0 volts at D+ on the regulator. How is that possible? D+ on the generator is connected directly to D+ on the regulator. If you measure 0 volts on D+ terminal of the regulator while the engine is running and it's connected to the generator, your generator is not producing any voltage. Third, 12.2 volts at B+ tells you no voltage is being sent to the battery from the regulator. You're likely measuring the battery voltage, that's why there is no change with increased rpm.
Finally, this is confusing, "Have 12V at terminal 61 on regulator" because of where you stated it in your post. It appears, because of where you wrote it, that you have 12v at 61 with the engine off. If that's the case, you have a fault. 61 is connected, internally, to D+. If you're getting 12v at 61, you should also get 12v at D+ on the regulator. In both cases, with the engine off, you should not only get 0 volts, but it should be a ground reading as well.
If you can, please clarify your reading at 61 and retest your generator. Report back your results. |
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joe cool
Samba Member
Joined: August 20, 2006
Posts: 1259
Location: Yolo County CA
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| Posted: Fri Sep 11, 2015 9:09 am Post subject: Re: Red light on, what am I missing? |
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| olliehank47 wrote: |
You have some real inconsistencies in your situation.
First, I too, have never heard of 80 volts being produced by a 12v generator. Second, you reported 14v at D+ during your generator test, but reported 0 volts at D+ on the regulator. How is that possible? D+ on the generator is connected directly to D+ on the regulator. If you measure 0 volts on D+ terminal of the regulator while the engine is running and it's connected to the generator, your generator is not producing any voltage. Third, 12.2 volts at B+ tells you no voltage is being sent to the battery from the regulator. You're likely measuring the battery voltage, that's why there is no change with increased rpm.
Finally, this is confusing, "Have 12V at terminal 61 on regulator" because of where you stated it in your post. It appears, because of where you wrote it, that you have 12v at 61 with the engine off. If that's the case, you have a fault. 61 is connected, internally, to D+. If you're getting 12v at 61, you should also get 12v at D+ on the regulator. In both cases, with the engine off, you should not only get 0 volts, but it should be a ground reading as well.
If you can, please clarify your reading at 61 and retest your generator. Report back your results. |
12V at terminal 61 with ignition on but engine not running (12V via terminal 15 and idiot light, not 12V from generator)
Wires between generator and regulator disconnected, DF and D- on generator grounded, engine running: at D+ I get 14V at high idle and voltages up to 80V at speed
Wires between generator and regulator connected, engine running: I get 0V at D+ and battery voltage at B+
@Crofty
I think "polarizing the regulator" is really polarizing the generator through the regulator, but I don't read Portuguese
Thanks for the help, but I am still stumped. I am mistrusting the generator, possible it is showing voltage unloaded but not generating under load? |
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easy e
Samba Member
Joined: May 28, 2008
Posts: 3931
Location: 1 hr north of Santa Barbara
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BarryL 
Samba Member
Joined: November 01, 2004
Posts: 14269
Location: Casa de Oro, California
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| Posted: Fri Sep 11, 2015 9:49 am Post subject: Re: Red light on, what am I missing? |
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| joe cool wrote: |
| Wires between generator and regulator disconnected, DF and D- on generator grounded, engine running: at D+ I get 14V at high idle and voltages up to 80V at speed |
The generator is putting out but you will fry your field if you try this for too long. |
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olliehank47
Samba Member
Joined: May 04, 2011
Posts: 1198
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| Posted: Fri Sep 11, 2015 11:36 am Post subject: Re: Red light on, what am I missing? |
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| joe cool wrote: |
| olliehank47 wrote: |
You have some real inconsistencies in your situation.
First, I too, have never heard of 80 volts being produced by a 12v generator. Second, you reported 14v at D+ during your generator test, but reported 0 volts at D+ on the regulator. How is that possible? D+ on the generator is connected directly to D+ on the regulator. If you measure 0 volts on D+ terminal of the regulator while the engine is running and it's connected to the generator, your generator is not producing any voltage. Third, 12.2 volts at B+ tells you no voltage is being sent to the battery from the regulator. You're likely measuring the battery voltage, that's why there is no change with increased rpm.
Finally, this is confusing, "Have 12V at terminal 61 on regulator" because of where you stated it in your post. It appears, because of where you wrote it, that you have 12v at 61 with the engine off. If that's the case, you have a fault. 61 is connected, internally, to D+. If you're getting 12v at 61, you should also get 12v at D+ on the regulator. In both cases, with the engine off, you should not only get 0 volts, but it should be a ground reading as well.
If you can, please clarify your reading at 61 and retest your generator. Report back your results. |
12V at terminal 61 with ignition on but engine not running (12V via terminal 15 and idiot light, not 12V from generator)
Wires between generator and regulator disconnected, DF and D- on generator grounded, engine running: at D+ I get 14V at high idle and voltages up to 80V at speed
Wires between generator and regulator connected, engine running: I get 0V at D+ and battery voltage at B+
@Crofty
I think "polarizing the regulator" is really polarizing the generator through the regulator, but I don't read Portuguese
Thanks for the help, but I am still stumped. I am mistrusting the generator, possible it is showing voltage unloaded but not generating under load? |
Thanks for the clarification.
Yes, 12v at 61 with the ignition "on" would be correct.
Still, you have 0 volts at D+ with the generator/regulator wired up and engine running. Try one more test. Keep everything connected. Use your meter and, with the engine running, measure the voltage at the D+ terminal of the generator. What do you get? 0 volts? If so, the only change between this test and the other you ran is that DF was grounded to the generator frame when you got 14v, and now DF is being grounded through the regulator--or is it? If the above test shows 0 volts, I'd suspect the voltage regulator. |
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joe cool
Samba Member
Joined: August 20, 2006
Posts: 1259
Location: Yolo County CA
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| Posted: Sat Sep 12, 2015 4:57 pm Post subject: |
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| DF post is spinning and wire is loose on inside of generator. That may be the problem. It is going to be a pain to fix without removing and disassembling generator. Will report back when I get it fixed. Thanks for the help. |
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Brokenbus
Samba Member
Joined: May 04, 2005
Posts: 272
Location: Balibago
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| Posted: Sat Sep 12, 2015 6:19 pm Post subject: |
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| No need to disassemble the genny but you'll probably need to take it out to solder the wire back on. I've done it, theres a thread or 2 about it. Bet you wont make that mistake again. |
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zozo
Samba Member
Joined: October 15, 2005
Posts: 5217
Location: South of Ol' San Antonio
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| Posted: Sat Sep 12, 2015 8:01 pm Post subject: |
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| I did it with the gen installed, and I have only one eye and terrible vision. Not that difficult. Took about 30 mins end to end. |
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joe cool
Samba Member
Joined: August 20, 2006
Posts: 1259
Location: Yolo County CA
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| Posted: Sat Sep 12, 2015 9:40 pm Post subject: |
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| Any tips/tricks you can share with me? I was thinking I would try and crimp on a spade or ring terminal then solder, how did you do it? |
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zozo
Samba Member
Joined: October 15, 2005
Posts: 5217
Location: South of Ol' San Antonio
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| Posted: Sun Sep 13, 2015 11:02 am Post subject: |
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| I used the tip of the soldering iron to hold the wire in place, then just touched the solder to it. Luck? Divine intervention? Who knows? I couldn't believe it either. |
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