---------------------------------------------------------- AeroElectric-List Digest Archive --- Total Messages Posted Sun 03/22/15: 6 ---------------------------------------------------------- Today's Message Index: ---------------------- 1. 03:01 PM - Charging failure - suggestions welcome (Peter Pengilly) 2. 03:57 PM - Re: Charging failure - suggestions welcome (Tim Andres) 3. 04:35 PM - Re: Charging failure - suggestions welcome (BobsV35B@aol.com) 4. 07:33 PM - Re: Charging failure - suggestions welcome (David Lloyd) 5. 07:58 PM - Re: Charging failure - suggestions welcome (user9253) 6. 08:06 PM - Re: Charging failure - suggestions welcome (user9253) ________________________________ Message 1 _____________________________________ Time: 03:01:37 PM PST US From: Peter Pengilly Subject: AeroElectric-List: Charging failure - suggestions welcome Dear All, While flying today the low volts flasher came on - both volt meters confirmed battery voltage only, and ammeter (measuring current delivered by the alternator) showed zero. No big deal, we returned to the airport and landed. Predictably I did not have the time to investigate much, but there was no evidence of a shredded/broken alternator belt - although I couldn't verify it was definitely OK. I have now downloaded the EFIS data. It shows the measured voltage dropped from the steady state 14.6v to 14v over 21 seconds, with no change in current output, and then to 12.8v in 6 seconds with the current output dropping to zero. Although I haven't suffered a charging failure before I am tempted to say a broken belt would have lead a more rapid volts drop, so am thinking that its either an internal alternator or voltage regulator failure. Can anyone with more experience suggest how I can determine if the alternator or (external) voltage regulator has failed. I do not have a spare of either to swap in. All suggestions gratefully accepted. Regards, Peter RV-6A Lyc O-320 ________________________________ Message 2 _____________________________________ Time: 03:57:31 PM PST US From: Tim Andres Subject: Re: AeroElectric-List: Charging failure - suggestions welcome Assuming there is no mechanical damage, broken belt etc., the field circuit breaker isn't tripped, the next thing is look for is a broken "B" lead (large wire) or field wire. It seems fairly common for these to break at the alternator. Next thing then is figure out which wire is the field and does it have voltage on it while the engine is running. If you have voltage on the field terminal of the alternator but only battery voltage (~12 V), then the alternator is not working. If there is no field voltage then work the other way back to the regulator. Good luck Tim > On Mar 22, 2015, at 3:00 PM, Peter Pengilly wrote: > > > Dear All, > > While flying today the low volts flasher came on - both volt meters confirmed battery voltage only, and ammeter (measuring current delivered by the alternator) showed zero. No big deal, we returned to the airport and landed. > > Predictably I did not have the time to investigate much, but there was no evidence of a shredded/broken alternator belt - although I couldn't verify it was definitely OK. I have now downloaded the EFIS data. It shows the measured voltage dropped from the steady state 14.6v to 14v over 21 seconds, with no change in current output, and then to 12.8v in 6 seconds with the current output dropping to zero. > > Although I haven't suffered a charging failure before I am tempted to say a broken belt would have lead a more rapid volts drop, so am thinking that its either an internal alternator or voltage regulator failure. > > Can anyone with more experience suggest how I can determine if the alternator or (external) voltage regulator has failed. I do not have a spare of either to swap in. All suggestions gratefully accepted. > > Regards, Peter > RV-6A Lyc O-320 > > > > ________________________________ Message 3 _____________________________________ Time: 04:35:59 PM PST US From: BobsV35B@aol.com Subject: Re: AeroElectric-List: Charging failure - suggestions welcome Barring an obvious broken wire, I generally find corrosion in a connection or high resistance in a switch or circuit breaker. The easiest check is to check the voltage while the system is operating. Check the voltage on each side of every connection while the system is working hard. Any drop at all across a CB, switch, or other connection is a bad thing! Those buggers do wear out and they do develop hard to measure resistance. Need to be checked while under load.. Happy Skies, Old Bob In a message dated 3/22/2015 5:58:23 P.M. Central Daylight Time, tim2542@sbcglobal.net writes: --> AeroElectric-List message posted by: Tim Andres Assuming there is no mechanical damage, broken belt etc., the field circuit breaker isn't tripped, the next thing is look for is a broken "B" lead (large wire) or field wire. It seems fairly common for these to break at the alternator. Next thing then is figure out which wire is the field and does it have voltage on it while the engine is running. If you have voltage on the field terminal of the alternator but only battery voltage (~12 V), then the alternator is not working. If there is no field voltage then work the other way back to the regulator. Good luck Tim ________________________________ Message 4 _____________________________________ Time: 07:33:16 PM PST US From: "David Lloyd" Subject: Re: AeroElectric-List: Charging failure - suggestions welcome Hi Peter, Others have mentioned the usual types of failures; broken field wire, loose/dirty field connector, bad voltage regulator, etc. One of the weirdest charging failures happened to me. . . After a normal flight and visit, I fired up to return home and the charging circuit appeared dead. I could watch the volt meter slowly go to bed with the radios, etc. turned on. I was stuck in the boonies too. A dirt strip in a vineyard and no one around . . After testing the limited things I could and not finding the fault, I got the battery fully charged with the help of a friend and made the short flight home with 95% of the electrical bus shut down. When I was home and had access to voltmeters, tools, etc. I chased the down the fault after inventing new curse words, etc. and skinned hands. Turned out the main bus CB (original factory unit in my '65 185) had opened up without popping the indicator button. I was dumb-founded by that as it was about the last thing I checked. Thus, the charging system was fine doing its job, but, the charging current could not get to the bus nor the battery. Check the simple, easy things first and then move on to the un-obvious subjects. . . . David ----- Original Message ----- From: "Peter Pengilly" Sent: Sunday, March 22, 2015 3:00 PM Subject: AeroElectric-List: Charging failure - suggestions welcome > > > Dear All, > > While flying today the low volts flasher came on - both volt meters > confirmed battery voltage only, and ammeter (measuring current delivered > by the alternator) showed zero. No big deal, we returned to the airport > and landed. > > Predictably I did not have the time to investigate much, but there was no > evidence of a shredded/broken alternator belt - although I couldn't verify > it was definitely OK. I have now downloaded the EFIS data. It shows the > measured voltage dropped from the steady state 14.6v to 14v over 21 > seconds, with no change in current output, and then to 12.8v in 6 seconds > with the current output dropping to zero. > > Although I haven't suffered a charging failure before I am tempted to say > a broken belt would have lead a more rapid volts drop, so am thinking that > its either an internal alternator or voltage regulator failure. > > Can anyone with more experience suggest how I can determine if the > alternator or (external) voltage regulator has failed. I do not have a > spare of either to swap in. All suggestions gratefully accepted. > > Regards, Peter > RV-6A Lyc O-320 > > > ________________________________ Message 5 _____________________________________ Time: 07:58:02 PM PST US Subject: AeroElectric-List: Re: Charging failure - suggestions welcome From: "user9253" Bob Nuckolls' book (Revision 12A) offers good advice on troubleshooting an alternator & regulator. See Appendix Z note 8. Joe -------- Joe Gores Read this topic online here: http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=439750#439750 ________________________________ Message 6 _____________________________________ Time: 08:06:02 PM PST US Subject: AeroElectric-List: Re: Charging failure - suggestions welcome From: "user9253" http://www.aeroelectric.com/articles/Alternator_Testing.pdf Note that meter is set on AMPS, not volts. Joe -------- Joe Gores Read this topic online here: http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=439752#439752 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Matronics Email List Services ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post A New Message aeroelectric-list@matronics.com UN/SUBSCRIBE http://www.matronics.com/subscription List FAQ http://www.matronics.com/FAQ/AeroElectric-List.htm Web Forum Interface To Lists http://forums.matronics.com Matronics List Wiki http://wiki.matronics.com Full Archive Search Engine http://www.matronics.com/search 7-Day List Browse http://www.matronics.com/browse/aeroelectric-list Browse Digests http://www.matronics.com/digest/aeroelectric-list Browse Other Lists http://www.matronics.com/browse Live Online Chat! http://www.matronics.com/chat Archive Downloading http://www.matronics.com/archives Photo Share http://www.matronics.com/photoshare Other Email Lists http://www.matronics.com/emaillists Contributions http://www.matronics.com/contribution ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- These Email List Services are sponsored solely by Matronics and through the generous Contributions of its members.