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> How alternator light works, a more detailed description
Tom
post May 3 2014, 01:30 PM
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After reading many accounts of how this circuit works, I felt compelled to investigate further as I did not understand how two positives would cause a light to operate. They won't. One must be somewhat negative to complete the circuit. Internet searches turned up the same basic explanation, still was not buying it. I think it was being oversimplified.
This is how I think the alt light works:
When the key is on and engine not running, there is 12 volts + at the alt light power side coming from the fused side of fuse #9. The other side goes to a junction on the relay board with D+. With the key to off and a meter connected between D+ and ground at the relay board, the reading is 12 ohms. As soon as the key is turned to on, the reading jumps to 12.5 meg ohms and the light comes on. If the wire for D+ to the alt is removed, the reading stays the same and the light stays on. Removing the VR caused the reading to jump to infinity and the light goes out.
For the light to work, there has to be power to one side of the light and some resistance reading to ground for the other. Looking at the wiring diagram, one can follow the blue wire to the junction at the relay board at D+, then up thru the VR to a set of relay contacts, then down thru a ( resistor ?, not sure) and then down to the DF connection and on to the rotor where the current will produce a magnetic field. After the rotor, it goes to ground. When the alt spins enough RPM's, a voltage is produced and fed back to the VR, causing the relay to open and removes the ground path for the alt light.
I could be entirely wrong here, but this is what I see and my readings more or less confirm it. If you see an error in my thinking, please post and let me know.
Thanks,
Tom


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Posts in this topic
Tom   How alternator light works   May 3 2014, 01:30 PM
bulitt   I recall you need a light or resistor to "exc...   May 3 2014, 01:47 PM
toolguy   Light comes on when the alternator out voltage on ...   May 3 2014, 02:38 PM
Spoke   I could be entirely wrong here, but this is what ...   May 3 2014, 03:47 PM
Dave_Darling   A couple of minor misconceptions in the OP: The l...   May 3 2014, 04:24 PM
type47   ... and there are other failure modes that will m...   Aug 26 2014, 06:41 AM
Dave_Darling   Could you expand on this? If some of your altern...   Aug 26 2014, 09:23 AM
76-914   :wacko: Wow! I'm still a little dazed but ...   May 3 2014, 04:50 PM
worn   After reading many accounts of how this circuit w...   May 3 2014, 07:47 PM
stugray   Every one else covered the basics very well above....   May 3 2014, 09:21 PM
Tom   stugray, OMG, you are so right! I don...   May 4 2014, 12:44 PM
ThePaintedMan   Check the voltage regulator.   Aug 26 2014, 07:46 AM
stugray   There is a test where you unplug the VR and connec...   Aug 26 2014, 08:05 AM
type47   The alt I removed this morning and tested good has...   Aug 26 2014, 10:33 AM
type47   So, there is no joy in Mudville, the alt light is ...   Sep 5 2014, 09:21 AM
Spoke   Alternator testing good may not completely test al...   Sep 5 2014, 10:27 AM
type47   Alternator testing good may not completely test a...   Sep 5 2014, 03:21 PM
Spoke   Remove the gauge bucket with the GEN light. Start ...   Sep 5 2014, 04:02 PM
type47   ...what is the battery voltage when the car is id...   Sep 9 2014, 04:57 PM
The Cabinetmaker   Last time I saw a bad vr I replaced it with the so...   Sep 5 2014, 04:10 PM
type47   Last time I saw a bad vr I replaced it with the s...   Sep 5 2014, 05:29 PM
Dave_Darling   If that's the voltage across the battery posts...   Sep 9 2014, 11:55 PM
GregAmy   So instead of starting a new thread, I'm going...   Jul 27 2019, 09:25 AM
Spoke   I would take a guess at about 200 ohm should do. B...   Jul 27 2019, 10:14 AM
mikesmith   After reading many accounts of how this circuit w...   Jul 28 2019, 01:24 PM
GregAmy   That's some beautiful stuff right there (along...   Jul 29 2019, 02:51 PM
Spoke   That's some beautiful stuff right there (alon...   Jul 29 2019, 08:24 PM
mikesmith   - After posting, I took the racer out for a spin ...   Jul 29 2019, 03:42 PM
GregAmy   Your description just begs more questions, sadly. ...   Jul 29 2019, 07:56 PM
930cabman   Another old, old thread Generator light will not ...   Jul 10 2024, 04:52 PM
Spoke   Another old, old thread Generator light will not...   Jul 11 2024, 11:15 PM
930cabman   [quote name='930cabman' post='3155854' date='Jul ...   Jul 12 2024, 04:59 AM
Spoke   Thank you Spoke, this issue is with a recent /6 c...   Jul 12 2024, 07:58 AM
Lucky9146   Glad this thread got bumped, the diagrams and info...   Jul 11 2024, 11:17 PM
ClayPerrine   This sounds like an issue with bad grounds. Was...   Jul 12 2024, 05:32 AM
930cabman   This sounds like an issue with bad grounds. Wa...   Jul 12 2024, 05:38 AM
87m491   Not for nothing, but unless I missed it you have n...   Jul 12 2024, 06:30 AM
technicalninja   Spoke and Dave Darling have their shit together...   Jul 12 2024, 08:18 AM
930cabman   Once again, the 914 World Team has killed it. Now...   Jul 12 2024, 09:13 AM
930cabman   Excited Still having an issue, but seems as thoug...   Jul 14 2024, 04:32 PM
Superhawk996   Excited Still having an issue, but seems as thou...   Jul 14 2024, 05:44 PM
930cabman   [quote name='930cabman' post='3156695' date='Jul ...   Jul 15 2024, 11:29 AM
Superhawk996   When you say blue wire has nothing on it is th...   Jul 15 2024, 12:57 PM
930cabman   [quote name='930cabman' post='3156853' date='Jul ...   Jul 15 2024, 01:00 PM
Superhawk996   maybe the bulb wattage is not allowing the alte...   Jul 15 2024, 01:14 PM
930cabman   maybe the bulb wattage is not allowing the alt...   Jul 15 2024, 01:20 PM
Superhawk996   After a few blips she starts charging and stays...   Jul 15 2024, 01:33 PM
Spoke   Excited Still having an issue, but seems as thou...   Jul 15 2024, 08:23 AM
930cabman   Excited Still having an issue, but seems as tho...   Jul 15 2024, 09:21 AM
930cabman   Got it, mostly. As you can imagine this has been d...   Jul 15 2024, 04:25 PM
Superhawk996   Got it, mostly. As you can imagine this has been ...   Jul 15 2024, 05:02 PM
930cabman   Got it, mostly. As you can imagine this has been...   Jul 15 2024, 06:19 PM


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