Can generators and alternators still charge batteries if the dash warning light is disconnected? (i.e. the little wire from the regulator to the dash light is not connected)nn[ Edited on 5-7-05 by Purple Martin ]
1959 red & white Beetle
1975 Kombi camper
Yes
Hi
No, most cars need to have the resitance from the dash bulb to make the system work.
Steve
just do a test I guess.. hook a multimetre up to the battery with the engine running, should read over 12v if its charging?...
as steve said on a alternator the dash light is part of the circut if disconnected it won't charge.on a generator it doesn't require the dash light to be in place,so there you have it a boot in both camps cheers dsk steve
So an alternator based system can be crippled by a blown bulb? I don't like that one little bit.
Would an equivalent resistor to replace the bulb and a correctly driven LED do the trick?
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Vehicle: 1975 Special order delivery walkthrough panel based LCA pop-top camper. Motor: Nippon 1.8L Single port Wasserboxer, Transmission: 3 rib 002.
hmmm im not sure about that as i sometime disconnect the bulb if they stay on all the time and they still go/run 4 months later ???
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the globe IS part of the circuit, i have a voltmeter and was playin round with the globes then ran the engine and there was no charge when the alt warning bulb was out. Im sure a LED or resistor would be able to do the trick, grab a bulb and do the calculations!
I was just thinking of the LED and the resistor because it would seem like a much more reliable setup if the charging circuit depends on a lightbulb.
The resistor would put a load on the circuit. As resistors rarely fail there is a reliability increase. LEDs also barely ever fail. It may need a second driving resistor to power it, because you can't connect a normal LED directly. It'd have the same effect as a short circuit.
LEDs let through as much current as they can, whereas bulbs pretty much let through what they need. I think. I've always thought the gauge bulbs looked like a good match for an LED.
If at first you don't succeed. Build, build again.
Vehicle: 1975 Special order delivery walkthrough panel based LCA pop-top camper. Motor: Nippon 1.8L Single port Wasserboxer, Transmission: 3 rib 002.
An LED won't work b/c an LED (being a diode) only lets electricity flow in one direction whereas a globe lets it flow both ways.
I think there are a lot more things to be worried about b4 you play with the charging light! (At least there is on my kombi...)
rhddlxbd wrote:as steve said on a alternator the dash light is part of the circut if disconnected it won't charge.on a generator it doesn't require the dash light to be in place,so there you have it a boot in both camps cheers dsk steve
OK thanks!
***DUMB QUESTION OF THE YEAR***
So what is this a photo of?
1959 red & white Beetle
1975 Kombi camper
So the power feed to the alternator light is AC?
It looks like an alternator to me. The generators are plain old cylinders.
If at first you don't succeed. Build, build again.
Vehicle: 1975 Special order delivery walkthrough panel based LCA pop-top camper. Motor: Nippon 1.8L Single port Wasserboxer, Transmission: 3 rib 002.
The power feed to the alternator dash light is 12v + DC
When the aternator is NOT charging the 12V goes thru the globe and eventually grounds in the alternator. So the globe lights.
When the alternator is charging, there is 12V at both sides of the globe and it goes out.
Why are you so worried about a globe in there anyway.
Almost EVERY car in the world with an alternator fitted uses a globe in the exciter circuit and they rarely give drama.
Worry about more important things that a bloody alternator light.
L8tr
E
Im not a complete idiot, quite a few parts are missing....
I have to throw this in: if the light stays on it can still charge
did it in my merc after floodwters got in and left it for months
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