| Charging system trouble [message #318797] |
Sat, 10 June 2017 08:53  |
Kennet_D
Messages: 5
Registered: April 2017
Location: Troy, OH
Karma:
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Junior Member |
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Hi folks, new(ish) owner and first time poster here.
I've only put about 600~700 miles on our coach since I bought it from Tom Hampton in April. Lately I'd been noticing the "GEN" light had been glowing dimly. Reviewing this forum I decided I'd try installing an APC (haven't ordered it yet). As it happened, I had the coach back at Tom's shop last week for shock replacement and while I was there I described the situation to him. I also mentioned that the week prior I had found the engine battery completely dead, my guess being that we'd maybe left something plugged in to the dash cigar lighter for a week or two which drained it. Using the "BAT BOOST" toggle wasn't enough to crank it over either, but you could hear that it was trying to engage the starter at least. I recharged the engine battery with a trickle charger and that seemed to resolve it.
With a multimeter Tom confirmed alternator output around 13.6V and with engine off, battery was 12.7V so all ok. Then on the drive home the GEN light came on full bright. I confirmed at the center isolator post that alternator output was only about 1V and the battery was draining below 12V. Strange timing for this to happen, I though.
I removed the alternator and found it was an AutoZone Duralast reman unit (lifetime warranty). AutoZone gave me a replacement and I installed it last night. All was great as I compared my new voltage numbers to the ones shown on the flowchart elsewhere on this forum. I drove for about 1/2 hour and checked again (still good), then left it running with all exterior lights on for about 15 minutes while I adjusted a fog light. When I went back inside I saw the GEN light was back on again! I quickly checked voltages and saw the alternator was now up to 18V at the center isolator post and voltage at the engine battery posts was falling (still above 12V). I shut it off and walked away for the night completely disgusted. I'm guessing the high voltage is from a bad regulator, but isn't that part of the alternator assembly internally? Is there something killing these alternators or could I just have gotten a "bad" one from AutoZone?
Any wisdom here would be greatly appreciated! I should also mention that I took the engine battery (a newer looking Deka brand) to my local battery shop and they said it checks out OK. I've also confirmed my negative battery cable grounds to the engine block.
1975 Glenbrook 26'
[Updated on: Sat, 10 June 2017 08:56] Report message to a moderator |
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