| silverchief | -- 06-26-2018 @ 9:30 AM |
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I have a year old Optima battery in my stock 46 coupe. I had the vendor test it recently because of it growing weaker over a period of weeks. It tested good, just over 6 volts. However, within about a week it was testing about 5.5 volts when at rest. On 7-5-17 in response to a generator problem, TomO furnished directions for testing the charging system, including the regulator. Running his test on my regulator shows slightly less than 6 volts at rest, and less than 7 volts at 1,500 rpm. which indicates a low charging rate, and could explain my battery growing weaker over time. My regulator is like new. Supereal says trying to adjust a regulator without years of experience and proper equipment is just asking for trouble - so forget that. I have two like new regulators I bought from a member retiring from the hobby. One is in a box marked "Authorized reconditioned regulator" and appears new but shows no brand name. It is marked Made in the USA" The other has paperwork showing it was rebuilt by Generator Exchange Company in Denver, and shows no evidence it has ever been installed. However, on it's cover is printed " FAJ-10505-A regulator," and the words "7 volts" and the words "50 amps". I should add that I had my generator rebuilt last year. If I pull the lights or radio on at idle, the amp meter shows a discharge, but with slight acceleration it comes right back to normal, so it appears to be doing it's job. I'm considering replacing my current regulator with one of the two but am suspicious of both. Any input will be appreciated.. This message was edited by silverchief on 6-26-18 @ 10:15 AM
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| ford38v8 | -- 06-26-2018 @ 12:38 PM |
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WE all know the term "rebuilt" has had different definitions over the years, but I see no problem in trying out either or both the regulators you have, and using TomO's directions in comparing them to your present regulator. Supereal's advice is good also. One thing I'll add, is that accurate testing of any adjustment should be done at operating temperature, which means under-hood temperature! Bench testing an electro-mechanical regulator will not give you a good test. Alan
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| 4dFordSC | -- 06-26-2018 @ 1:46 PM |
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My Optima will read 6 volts immediately after shutdown, but then drifts down to around 5.8 at rest. It's never been a problem.
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| Yokomo99 | -- 06-26-2018 @ 2:23 PM |
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At my work we charge AGM batteries a a rate of 2.35 volts per cell so on your car generator you should see about 7.05 to 7.1 volts while driving if the battery is fully charged and if it gets to 7.2 volts (2.4 volts per cell) then you are pushing it. The battery should show between 6 and 6.3 volts at rest. AGM batteries have a low internal resistance and will recharge faster than a flooded lead/acid battery. All of these readings are dependant on the temperature so these figures are only relative and will vary a few points between freezing and room temperature. I cannot give you direct readings because the AGM batteries I am referring to are 36 volt and weigh 4,500 lbs each. They are really expensive and we take very good care of them. Matt Be sure to check out my YouTube pages at: https://www.youtube.com/user/MatthewBergin1 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJCdOfmXtM8xO9nXeQ-iSQQ
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| silverchief | -- 07-02-2018 @ 10:51 AM |
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I swapped out my regulator for one of two extras I have. It shows exactly the same low charge readings as the other, both at idle,(slightly below 6V) and at 1,500 rpm, (slightly below 7V) I can't believe both are "out of range," and as previously stated, the remaining regulator has 7v and 50 amp printed on the cover. What is that all about? My generator was rebuilt about two years ago and there is no indication is is not working properly. Not sure what to do at this point.
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| cliftford | -- 07-02-2018 @ 4:09 PM |
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Assuming all wires and connections are good, and reg. well grounded, I would pull the gen and check it over.
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| cliftford | -- 07-02-2018 @ 4:09 PM |
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Assuming all wires and connections are good, and reg. well grounded, I would pull the gen and check it over.
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| MG | -- 07-02-2018 @ 4:16 PM |
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cliftford, Can you repeat that?.... Sincerely, MG
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| cliftford | -- 07-02-2018 @ 7:31 PM |
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Please excuse the multiple entrys
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| ford38v8 | -- 07-02-2018 @ 10:19 PM |
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Darn it, Bruce. You take all the fun out of it. Alan
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| TomO | -- 07-03-2018 @ 7:01 AM |
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Bill, either your battery needs a charge or your meter needs to be checked. A fully charged battery will read about 6.3V. I suspect your meter is not accurate. I bought a very impressive looking multimeter at a swap meet a few years ago. It had a nice case and I needed one to keep my Craftsman meter, that I carry in the trunk, safe from damage. The meter reads 0.5 volts low on the 10 volt scale, reads a short on any condenser that I try check and reads 105V an my 115AC at an outlet. I do use the nice case to protect my Craftsman meter, while it is in the trunk of the car. You can do a rough check of the meter by having your battery charge checked at AutoZone or Sears and compare the reading that they get with your meter. To adjust or check the operation of the voltage regulator, a good, accurate analog meter is required. A digital meter will give an indication of the voltage range that the regulator is regulating and can be used to check if the regulator is allowing the generator to charge the battery. If you are getting 7.2-7.4V at 1500rpm, the regulator is putting out enough voltage to charge the battery. Tom
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| silverchief | -- 07-03-2018 @ 7:46 AM |
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Thanks Tom - never suspected that the meter might not be accurate, it is an analog, and is over 30 years old. I will have my buddy run the same checks with his meter, and if there is any question I will buy a new high quality meter....just to be sure. A good investment. The engine was starting to turn over very slow, so I have the battery on my 6V charger now. It shows it is charging 3 amps, and will never drop lower than that. I am not surprised because I understand any home charger will not bring an Optima battery up to full charge. After a couple of hours of my 3 amp charging it is strong again. Still, I can't believe the battery is bad. It checked fine at the vendor two weeks ago, and afterwards when I install it, it is strong for about ten days, then the engine starts with the slow cranking. After a couple of hours of my 3 amp charging, it is like new again. I have tested repeatedly for any drain at the battery by connecting a test light between the negative post and it's disconnected cable. There is none. I will let you know what happens. This message was edited by silverchief on 7-3-18 @ 7:49 AM
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| TomO | -- 07-03-2018 @ 8:20 AM |
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Bill, the Optima is an AGM lead acid battery and can be charged just like any other lead acid battery. read the charging instructions for a 6 volt red top battery here: https://www.optimabatteries.com/en-us/support/charging/charging-tips Tom
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| TomO | -- 07-05-2018 @ 8:55 AM |
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Bill sent me a PM that said he checked his meter with another meter and they both read the same. I would follow this plan of action: Disconnect the ground cable. Charge the battery with the battery charger for 24 hours. Remove the charger, turn on the headlights for 30 seconds. Check the battery voltage. It should read at least 6.3 Volts. If it does not, go back to step 1. If you are here because you charged the battery for 48 hours and it is still low, your battery is bad. If the battery reads 6.3 volts, leave the ground cable disconnected and let the car sit for 2 days. Check the battery voltage, if it is low, the battery is bad. If the voltage is 6.3 or above, connect the grounding cable to the battery, remove the clock fuse and let the car sit for a couple of days. Check the battery once a day to see if it is discharging. If the battery is discharging, you have a drain on the battery. Go through the isolation procedure that you have done in the past to find the drain. If the battery maintains its charge, drive the car and check the battery when you park it for the night. If it is below 6.3 volts, you either have a charging problem or are driving short distances that do not allow the battery to recover from starting. Tom
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| silverchief | -- 07-05-2018 @ 6:38 PM |
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Tom, I am going to follow your suggestions to see what checks out. However, I take the car to coffee about every morning when the weather is nice, and the total distance is just under two miles, so you may be right that it does not recover enough charge to make up for that used to start the engine.
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