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Tripyrenees

Tripyrenees

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Luscan, France
OK, I have had this problem for a while now and thought it was the alternator. The first alternator I changed out as it was the original and I bought secondhand one. Charge came back perfectly with increase to 14 volts on revs etc.

2nd time it happened I just thought I was unlucky with the secondhand alternator and bought a new unit. Again charge returned and I thought all was fine.

3rd time [NOW] and I cannot believe it to be the alternator again (less than 8 months old). So could this be the regulator and could the regulator be damaging the alternator.

This is my 12 volt 1979 GTL "Sybil" car. Any tips on testing the regulator or at least separating the regulator and alternator to narrow down the fault.

Cheers
Ian
 
My problem with little and then no charge was purely the regulator. I just can't see how it should damage the alternator. In the regulator i think only two things can fail: the two coal 'fingers' with a spring in the end can be worn down, Or the electronic circuit in the regulator fails. The latter was my problem.

Tearing the regulator apart was not so difficult as long as you remember how every screw and wire is placed.
 
Prices here in Denmark:
New german made regulator with a not totally stable charge: 20£
New original french regulator with stable charge: 40£ ... I chose the french one.
Remember to unhook the battery before fiddling with the regulator by the way ;)
 
If you have a separate regulator then are you running a dynamo (DC current output) rather than an alternator (AC output converted to DC)? The dynamo is normally a smooth cylinder painted black which needed a separate regulator box. An alternator is normally silver aluminium colour with the regulator built in. Post photos.

I you are running a dynamo they are normally very reliable (brushes can wear sometimes) but the regulator box is very unreliable. If you are running an alternator with a regulator box all manner of things could be happening.
 
Don't forget Malcolm early alternator equipped cars between 76 and a approximately 81 82 when the dashboard changed had a separate regulator box for the alternator and these can definitely go wrong
early cars do not have an alternator light but just a voltmeter with a coloured needle on the dashboard not like the early Dynamo equipped models which have a charging light linked to the regulator box
 
I didn't know that. Were the alternators unusual to need the seperate regulating box? All of the alternators I have experience of have internal regulators. I wonder if the frequent failures might be a mismatch between later alternator and earlier box.
 
Yes they are a completely different type of alternator with a single spade connector for the feed which comes from the regulator box
if you fit the later alternator as indeed I have done on my yellow peril you need to bypass the regulator Box by joining the two wires together which then transfers the ignition live feed straight into the back of the Later alternator + terminal to Energize it the second Pin marked L which will have nothing connected to it would normally go back to the warning lamp on the dashboard knowing the quality of reconditioned alternators on the market these days anything is possible
The regulatir bolts on bulkhead and is used on R12 R16 R20 1972 to 1979 80 model years
Also common to peugeot citroen of similar vintage
 
This sounds useful, as I was wondering why my 81 furgonette has an alternator with regulator and an external unit too...need to check if the bypass is done.
 
It is a separate regulator and Alternator. But now I need to think about the new alternator I have put on it. Maybe it has an internal regulator and now trying to work through the separate regulator????

So what would I need to do here - I will have a better look int he morning.

thanks
 
Little look on ebay hasn't found much other than it seems to be used on 2cvs as well.
If you use later alternator on early car you can't expect it to charge as it needs 12v ignition supply to work
If it is connected via the old type box the 12v goes into box and what comes out other side is controlled by the actual voltage received in and at 13.8wiĺl continue passing voltage through this would normally then be cut as revs rise and battery reaches 14.4 and only when electrical load increases causing a votage drop will it re energise alternator
Hope you have followed that so far
Basically I wouldn't expect the alternator to work reliably
As I said if you remove old style box or just bypass it with a jump wire it will then pass actual system voltage direct to alternator which will then sort things out internally and output current down the thicker 10mm nut connection to battery
 
I put a voltmeter on the battery and no increase in volts when revs put on. Basically 12 volts.

Tapped the side of the regulator and the volts shot up to just under 14 Volts.

So my wiring is correct (phew, as I have rewired this car when I rebuilt it) and the alternator is the correct one for the car. So it seems I have a sticky regulator.

I am going to a Bourse d'exchange this weekend so will try and pick up a new/old one. If not I will take the cover off my existing one and give it a good seeing too.

Cheers everyone and please to see that Malcolm even learned something new :laughing:
 
But still, even though the alternators have 'internal' regulators, they are easy to work on. Its just mounted in a slot on top of the alternator, so I would look into that :)

Mine also got up to 14v momentarily, but it was a fault in the circuit not in the beforementioned coals.

I think those are the most common source of faults though.

(marked DF in following picture)

https://www.google.dk/search?q=regu...87AqcnnxwIVRlssCh1qFw-q#imgrc=BQQe1falaziHTM:
 
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