| Wolfie | -- 07-09-2012 @ 3:59 PM |
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I put a rebuilt generator on my car and have been running it for about a month. The battery gauge at first worked but stoped showing a charge recently and doesn't move at all. A volt-ohmeter on the battery with the engine running shows a wide and wild jumping charge rate. With the engine off the battery shows 5.95 volts. Could anything other than the generator be causing this?
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| supereal | -- 07-09-2012 @ 5:18 PM |
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We need to know the year and model of your car to comment. This message was edited by supereal on 7-9-12 @ 5:18 PM
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| Wolfie | -- 07-09-2012 @ 5:23 PM |
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It is a 1940 Fordor deluxe. Thanks!
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| supereal | -- 07-09-2012 @ 5:30 PM |
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Check the output of the generator by placing a voltmeter between the battery terminal on the regulator and ground. The output should be fairly steady around 7.5 volts. If not, it is likely the generator is failing, probably the brushes or the commutator are worn, or the british springs are weak. I'd suspect a repair or rebuild is in order. It could be a weak battery or poor connection, but mt bet is on the generator.
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| supereal | -- 07-09-2012 @ 5:30 PM |
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Check the output of the generator by placing a voltmeter between the battery terminal on the regulator and ground. The output should be fairly steady around 7.5 volts. If not, it is likely the generator is failing, probably the brushes or the commutator are worn, or the british springs are weak. I'd suspect a repair or rebuild is in order. It could be a weak battery or poor connection, but mt bet is on the generator.
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| Wolfie | -- 07-09-2012 @ 10:28 PM |
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Well my battery went dead so I'm going to take my generator back to see if it is working properly.
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| supereal | -- 07-10-2012 @ 6:57 AM |
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A good battery that goes dead can be a symptom of a faulty voltage regulator with a sticking or stuck cutout relay. Once the battery is discharged, it may not be able to be charged by the car's system due to high internal resistance. The only sure way of diagnosing a bad regulator without special equipment is by swapping a known good or new unit.
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| Wolfie | -- 07-10-2012 @ 8:24 PM |
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I thought about the voltage regulator but had no way of testing it and don't understand this electrical stuff anyway. I've already taken the generator back to have checked. The voltage regulator would be an easy fix if it is the culprit.
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| TomO | -- 07-12-2012 @ 8:25 AM |
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You should have brought the voltage regulator with it and they could have checked it at the same time. When you have charging problems, it is always a good idea to bring both the regulator and generator in for testing. That way, when you get it back, you know it should work. Tom
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| Wolfie | -- 07-12-2012 @ 5:44 PM |
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TomO, that is a great idea to take the voltage regulator in to have checked at the same time but I didn't think of it. I got the generator back today and it is good, so I bought a new voltage regulator and will give that a try.
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| TomO | -- 07-13-2012 @ 7:05 AM |
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I hope that your new voltage regulator fixes the problem.Poor grounding of the regulator or generator will also cause charging problems. If you had your regulator checked with the generator, you would know where to start looking. Unfortunately replacement parts are not always completely functional. In lay terms, "there is a lot of cr*p out there" Tom
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| Old Henry | -- 07-13-2012 @ 7:21 AM |
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Before buying a new regulator check the wiring. I replaced a generator and regulator before figuring out that the old stainless steel wire to my field coil was broken inside of the insulation so I couldn't see it. Had I checked the wiring I'd have saved the cost of a new generator and regulator. Run a jumper from the field terminal on the regulator to the field terminal on the generator and see if it starts generating. Or, even easier, put an ohm meter on each end of the wire and see if you have continuity. Check other wires the same way. Old Henry (The older I get, the better old looks.) This message was edited by Old Henry on 7-13-12 @ 9:20 AM
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| Wolfie | -- 07-13-2012 @ 7:17 PM |
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I put a new voltage regulator on today and that took care of the problem. My battery gauge has never worked so well. Thanks for the input!
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| DEAN333 | -- 07-14-2012 @ 6:33 PM |
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I have a 1936 Deluxe Touring Fordor....at idle i get 6.5 volts using the aforementioned test, 5.9volts with headlights on. Isn't there an adjustment to the 3rd brush on the generator and is there any adjustment of the voltage regulator? Thanks, Tim
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