10 replies to this topic

[allied35]

I have an odd problem with my 14. battery had a dead cell, got a new one today, was not charging..... found broken wire coming from stator. fixed that and now if i put my DVM leads on the battery it is very erratic. meter goes from 7V DC to something crazy like 200V DC. thought my meter was bad, so i popped the hood on the car checked that, worked fine...

any idea's?? I'm lost, thinking i have a bad regulator but why would it be going so crazy? also whats a good replacement regulator? the one at NAPA was like $100....

Thanks guys!

-Pat

[MH81]

I think you need to check the voltage from the stator and work from there. A bad regulator can make the voltage go high, but not that high.

Just out of curiosity, I assume you were on DC, not AC volts. The other thing that can go wrong in DMM's is a situation where unfiltered ripple in a DC circuit can cause it to go crazy. Seems to happen more in cheaper units, but had a Fluke one time that I had to be very careful trusting because of it.

[Alc]

Pat are you taking those voltage readings at the lead part of the battery or terminals ? Maybe you not making good connections at the battery cables there causing those readings ,Al

Edited by Alc, June 29, 2012 - 08:30 PM.

[allied35]

I was in DC, it was also doing it in AC though... Meter is a snap on unit, so I'm not sure about the unfiltered ripple thing. I did check the stator, had 31 volts AC at WOT.

I was also checking on the battery terminals. Put new ends on right before I put the new battery in.

I think it has to be something simple, got a wiring diagram lastnight and will be looking some more today. Keep the ideas coming! Thanks again!
-Pat

[JDBrian]

Sounds like your meter is not making a connection to the battery. No way should you get a 200v reading unless there is a bad connection at the meter or at the battery (terminal or internal) which is disconnecting the battery from the regulator resulting in a spike of voltage.
As far as DVM readings go the best type of meters for reading AC voltages are the True RMS type. The average reading meters are fooled by waveforms with high crest factor(peak to average ratio) Unfortunately the True RMS feature is only available on the more expensive models. I've also seen meters that are sensitive to nearby arcing or contact closures, producing a brief high voltage reading in these conditions.

[Alc]

Brian are you talking about interfearance from maybe the spark plugs , kind of like old car radioes with solid wires ? Al

[MH81]

Brian are you talking about interfearance from maybe the spark plugs , kind of like old car radioes with solid wires ? Al

That can certainly affect things, one trick (doesn't always work) is to wrap the device (in this case, meter) in tinfoil and ground the foil with a clip lead. Give it a tinfoil hat, so to speak.

They make really expensive grounding mats that can be used, but this is a cheap second best.

In this case, I'd say Brian is right on connections issues, unless you have a contactor style regulator, then the arcing and field collapse from the contacts can give off some wild stuff.
Do you happen to have an old fashioned analog meter around?

[JDBrian]

Brian are you talking about interfearance from maybe the spark plugs , kind of like old car radioes with solid wires ? Al

Al, It could be from wires. It could be from large charge current pulses running through the nearby wires. With a DVM a pulse received at the meter leads can end up causing a problem with the conversion circuitry. With an analog meter it will mechanically filter (average) high speed pulses. Without being there to see what is happening it's hard to troubleshoot something like this. 200volts just doesn't sound likely.

[allied35]

well, I got most of it figured out. pulled the plug wire out of the coil and it was rusted, i had to store it outside for about three weeks before my wife and I closed on our house..... Found an old coil off my 69 chevy and a plug wire off a ford truck... threw them on and the erratic voltage was gone! still not charging well though, found broken wire on stator leads so i fixed that, but the terminals on the regulator are really loose. so I think I need one. anyone know a replacement that is available at napa?

Thanks for all the help guys!!

-Pat

[MH81]

I should have specified a little. My tinfoil hat idea only works with radiated (thru the air) interference, not induced (on the wires) problems. The tinfoil will do nothing if it's getting into the wires and then into the meter.

[olcowhand]

The regulator also has to have a perfect ground to work right, or at all. May just need removed & the base connection cleaned up. You can use most any 15 amp regulator off a Kohler or Onan.

Here is a place I get parts. Either of the "Late Style" at the top will work fine. If you want similar to your OE regulator, you'd need to scroll down the page to this one:
Part #AHAKH6001
TRANSPO - PREMIUM QUALITY - OEM SPEC OR BETTER - HAS FINS FOR EXTRA COOLING $27.13 + $7.95 shipping

But before ordering, please contact Bob's Lawn & Garden (site sponsor) or another site sponsor to see if they can help.