I'm looking for advice or even a possible hand to troubleshoot a possible charging problem. I recently noticed the dashboard ammeter indicated the battery was being discharged as the engine was running. I first noticed this in the evening with headlights on while idling at stoplights and figured it to be normal, but a week ago, during the day while driving, the ammeter still showed the discharging. Tonight I put the voltmeter across the battery before starting the car and it read 12.01V. After starting the engine and allowing the motor to warm up I measured again and saw 12.V. Should I not have seen about 14V?
With the headlights on, I see no change in the intensity of the light between idle and rev'ing.
While the engine idled, I also put a DC clamp meter around the +ve wire to the battery and measured a -3A discharge of the battery. Measuring the current again at the armature terminal on the generator I saw the same -3A discharge. I couldn't read the DC clamp meter while reving the engine, but the dashboard ammeter still indicated a discharge while the engine RPMs increased.
1st Have you disconnected the batt. recently??? Think if so, the regulator will have to be polarizied. 2nd. the voltage regulator could have "crapped" out, but seeing as your show - at generator you may have "brush" or armature problem. Going to have to go through all componants. Have you got a "MOTORS" manual, they give complete systems check. I have one from 50's up to 61,should be the same as 62 can try & copy some of it for you. where bouts are you, don't think BIO is filled out . Pete
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Some times I wake up GRUMPY, but today I let her sleep in !!!!!!!!BLACKSTOCK Ont.
Hi Pete, Strange you couldn't see my Bio. I didn't think it was hidden. I do have the '61 service manual, and '62 supplement as to the troubleshooting. I'm not even an amateur at this. I'm looking to learn more without running to a garage for everything. Thanks for the tip, I tried polarizing the generator, and expected a spark when shorting the Batt and Gen terminals on the regulator. I saw nothing. Anyway it looks like the rate of charge is +1.2A and the voltage at the battery remains steady at only 12V no matter how fast the engine turns. With a heavy load, the battery still discharges at a constant rate, and the voltage remains a steady 12V. When I increase the rpms, there is no improvement. Its got me confused as to whether I really have a problem, so I may need to ponder the next move. If I replace the regulator, is there any setup of the regulator necessary? Brian
Try this, remove the cables from the battery and check polarity and voltage .a fully charged battery should be 12.65 volts. If not charge the battery up fully before polarizing the generator. You should see a small spark when you polarize. And with a clamp on meter there is a polarity when using dc , twist the meter and watch the polarity change.
-- Edited by pontiax on Saturday 15th of October 2011 08:39:39 PM
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pontiax- (canadian pontiac X frame)1964 Parisienne 2dr. Hardtop ,lagoon aqua metallic (Q) ,421 cid Dart Industries block and heads. 550 hp. 575 ft lb of torque.
Thanks for the information and what to look at / try. Not really sure what happened but everything is normal again. Battery charge voltage was up to 15V and the battery charging.