Hi list, Thanks heaps to everyones ideas recently of why my alternator light wouldnt go out until the engine revved to 2000 rpm or so. Based on this discussion I did some tests on the alternator operation and its wiring (its a bosch IR alternator, replacing a lucas internally regulated alt the PO had wired up, with the external reg removed).
It turns out the problem was the actual indicator light!! It appears the alt requires an indicator globe of sufficient current draw/wattage to be connected, perhaps to tell the alternator circuit that the engine is about to be started. Without this initial current draw of sufficent size (about .2A) when turning the key, the alt doesnt "know" the engine is on, so the alternator doesnt kick in, and the light stays on. But then you hit 2000 rpm and this must be a failsafe trigger to turn on the alternator, for example, when the indicator light blows. I had no idea the actual light would have any effect on an alternators operation, so it never occured to me to mention I had been playing around with replacing my warning lights with LEDs! It turns out because the LED draws 1/20th of the current of the globe, the alternator didnt know the engine had been turned on until it hit 2000 rpm as above. So for those whos alternators are doing the same, check that the indicator light wire to be the back of the alternator is of a good connection, same at the connection to the instrument panel, and that the globe hasnt been changed to a lower wattage (at least 2W). Thanks for the help and sorry for the length Andrew --membersozdat------------------------------------------------------- OZDAT Mailing List Please Note:- Send (un)subscribe requests to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Send submissions to [EMAIL PROTECTED] No unauthorised redistribution of this email http://www.ozdat.com/ozdatonline/index.htm http://www.ozdat.com/ozdatonline/listindex.html http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------
