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Path: utzoo!dciem!bruce
From: bruce@dciem.UUCP (Bruce Ferguson)
Newsgroups: net.auto.tech
Subject: Re: Electrical problem
Message-ID: <1788@dciem.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 17-Feb-86 09:30:49 EST
Article-I.D.: dciem.1788
Posted: Mon Feb 17 09:30:49 1986
Date-Received: Mon, 17-Feb-86 12:20:08 EST
References: <190@gt-oscar.UUCP>
Reply-To: bruce@dciem.UUCP (PUT YOUR NAME HERE)
Organization: D.C.I.E.M., Toronto, Canada
Lines: 25
Summary: 


	At one time I had a similar problem on my 1971 Volvo
(similar regulator & Motorola alternator). It drove me nuts because
it defied (superficially, anyway) all that made sense. However,
there is an explanation for all observed phenomena, (least there is since
I stopped taking them wee pills) and it turned out that the reference
voltage that the regulator was seeing was lower than the voltage
coming from the alternator because corrosion had "necked-down" the
sense wire (right at a crimp-lug) and was dropping a couple of volts
by the time the regulator saw it. The regulator (via the field or
control output) was just doing its job in trying to regulate field
current to produce 14.2 volts (factory regulator setting at 20C.),
at its sense input. To supply current to the field winding, and
to function as a regulator, the current supply to the regulator
can be as much as , say 5 amps. It must therefore have connection
to B+ on the alternator or battery, of no less than about no.16 wire
. It is also important that both the alternator, and the regulator
are grounded properly or the same thing can happen, they "float".
In older cars, corrosion can introduce strange gremlins in the
electrical systems.
	I once had a friend with an old Volvo, that when cold, would
power the high-beams when asked for low-beams (indicator off), and
then switch over to the low-beams, (indicator off), after about
20 minutes.
Good Luck