Test voltage regulator

[Guest PetePontiac]

How can you test your voltage regulator to make sure it is working correctly ,this is a 6 volt system ? PETE

[Owen_Dyneto]

What symptoms are you experiencing? If the system isn't charging at all, the standard test is to temporarily ground the Field terminal at the regulator. If the system then charges, the problem is the regulator. If it does not, the problem is the generator. If the generator charges full even with a fully-charged battery, you have a faulty regulator or a grounded field either within the generator, in the wiring harness, or in the regulator.

[Guest PetePontiac]

Ok my regulator

there is 3 terminals

left to right "Bat." " Gen. " " FLD. "

So do I take the FLD. and disconnect it and then ground it ?

PETE

[oldford]

The B terminal is the Battery connection. The voltage measured to ground at this terminal is the battery voltage. The A terminal is the Armature of the generator, or the output voltage. The F terminal is the Field winding of the generator. The regulator works by grounding the fields through a relay. If the fields are grounded with a wire, you essentially remove the regulator from the circuit. If the generator is working properly, grounding the fields should cause the voltage reading at the A terminal to go to about 7 volts.

Frank

[startergenrebuilder]

Keep in mind that by grounding the field wire, you are only bypassing the field control portion of the generator. That still leaves the cutout portion of the regulator in circuit. If you want to bypass the regulator all together, you would need to jumper the "BAT" & "GEN" wires together and then ground the field wire. Another way to do this without the jumper wire is to remove the regulator cover and manually close the cutout points with your finger. By the way, all of these should be done momentarily as a quick check only.

If you ever need any help, feel free to call or email me.

-Jason

Edited June 11, 2013 by startergenrebuilder (see edit history)