Alt excitation

[amalventano@sc.rr.com (Allyn)]

Brian,
you fried a diode in the cluster. its part of the alternator warning light
circuit, and has part in helping with excitation (feeds a tiny bit of
excitation current down the blue line).
Al


----- Original Message -----
From: "Brian Haygood" <haygood@myway.com>
To: <scirocco-l@scirocco.org>
Sent: Friday, December 20, 2002 2:59 AM
Subject: Help: Alt excitation


>
>
> So I burned up an alt a few months back and got another one from a lister
that was "recently rebuilt".  My old alt would excite and start charging at
about 1200 rpms, so it was rare to even start the car without the alt
kicking in.  The replacement alt won't excite until 3000rpm.  Works fine
once it is going.
>
> I have tried swapping in a new Voltage regulator (the one on there was in
really bad shape), cleaning all the contacts, and grounding it with jumper
cables.  None of this made any difference.  Given my new wires and
performance of the previous alt before it burned up, I have faith in the
wiring.  Car starts really easily and all.
>
> Old alt burned when I briefly hooked the battery up backwards (because my
Optima's terminals are oppositte the old Die Hard's, and also because I'm an
idiot).  Only part I'm reusing from that is the capacitor that plugs into
the back of the alt and screws into the alt's body.
>
> What can I do to improve the excitation in an Alt?
>
> Thanks.
>
> BH
>
>
>
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