| Author | Message | ||
| Terry Irons (Tlirons)
Registered Member Username: Tlirons Post Number: 1 Registered: 1-2007 Posted From: 65.70.239.22 Rating: N/A |
I have a 97 eagle that will not charge. I am wondering how to check why it isn't charging. A friend said he checked the regulator, and that it is ok. If I put a hot wire to the middle contact on the regulator, it starts charging, but charges at 16 volts, and doesn't stop. I am wondering if it is a ground problem somewhere. From the regulator, there is 3 wires. From left to right, a black wire, a yellow wire, and a red wire. I know that the black wire is the ground. I am not sure where the yellow, and red wires are going. Both are hot though. | ||
| Bob greenwood (Bob_greenwood)
Registered Member Username: Bob_greenwood Post Number: 521 Registered: 7-2006 Posted From: 64.136.49.228 Rating: N/A |
a friend checked the regulator it's NOT regulateing terry best suggestion is take it to a shop that works on car chargeing systems,before you destroy it | ||
| John Harrelson (Jharl)
Registered Member Username: Jharl Post Number: 40 Registered: 7-2005 Posted From: 72.64.10.240 Rating: N/A |
I had much the same problem, except the light flickered all the time. This happened when I bought my bus in San Diego, CA I took off all of the components (3, diode pack, alternator, and regulator) for 30 bucks they rewired the diode pack. All else was good. It charged for a little while and still did the flickering thing. Later after, I stopped in AZ and found that the feed wire to the regulator was going through a fuse block (buss type) and it was so old that the connection through the fuse block was tenuous. to fix it I just put both wires to oen terminal on the fuse block. Charging great now. ti; the other wire is a field wire and tells the alternator to charge. Power should be about 14.3 volts. | ||
| George M. Todd (George_mc6)
Registered Member Username: George_mc6 Post Number: 53 Registered: 8-2006 Posted From: 207.231.81.154 Rating: |
The alternator will not charge without being "told" to. Also, the regulator needs to know what is going on, so that it can tell the alternator how much to charge. So, ALL of these systems have a wire run from the master switch to the regulator, which tells the regulator what the battery voltage is. This wire also provides power for the regulator to send out on the field wire to the alternator. The regulator input wire must be switched off when the engine is not running, or the regulator would put out full field current in an attempt to get the alternator to charge, even though the engine is not running, and would run the batteries down overnight. Connecting a "hot" wire to the field terminal of the alternator will make it go to full output, when connected to batteries, is about 16 volts. This tells us that there is nothing wrong with the alternator, and that the problem is with the regulator, or the wiring between the master switch, regulator, and alternator. The battery terminal on the regulator should read battery voltage to ground with the master switch on, the field terminal should read several volts (6-10) with the switch on and the engine dead, a lower number with the engine running and charged batteries. If you are reading 12V on the field terminal of the reg, check voltage to ground on the field terminal of the alt. Since you told us above that the alt puts out 16V with a jumper wire, and you have 12 volts on two terminals of the reg, it sounds like a loose wire or connection between the reg and the alt. | ||
| Terry Irons (Tlirons)
Registered Member Username: Tlirons Post Number: 2 Registered: 1-2007 Posted From: 65.70.239.22 Rating: N/A |
Gentlemen, I appreciate all of your help. I will try the above, and see if I can figure out exactly where the problem is. I had suspected the regulator, but I will check the wires first. I put a different tester on the contacts on the regulator, and I am getting low voltage out of the regulator without putting the jumper on the regulator. My tester was just a light up tester so I am unsure of how much, but the light was real dim. I will get an actual voltage meter, and validate the voltage. I just never had one go out all of a sudden. I had always seen signs of an oncoming problem first. Again, I appreciate all of your help. I was a driver for a charter coach company for years, but never had to work on them, so I am a little out of my league. Thanks!! | ||
| Sammy (Sammy)
Registered Member Username: Sammy Post Number: 64 Registered: 8-2005 Posted From: 68.237.213.178 Rating: |
Terry, before you do any troubleshooting make sure your batteries are fully charged, load test them to check condition of them too. This is the very first thing to be done when checking any charging system - car,bus,boat,etc.Good luck with your repair. |
