Alternator not regulating charge

[Mike OReilly]

My alternator is putting out 14.8 volts, non-stop. It has ceased to regulate its charge level. I have an external regulator. My working theory is that the regulator is somehow not functioning, but as usual, my knowledge of how these things work is near zero.

The regulator has four wires that run between it and the alternator. Black and Red, which seems to be positive and negative since that’s where they go on the alternator. Then there is a white and a blue which goes to a plug in the back of the alternator.

So far, all connections seem sound.

Thoughts?

Here are pics of the regulator and the alternator. The regulator is:
Transpo Series #911-04. 14 volt, 5 amp field.

I can’t see any marking on the alternator. Seems to be a standard 55 amp output.

[a64pilot]

Your regulator has failed I believe. I thought though they mostly failed to an open circuit, (no charge)
You have as I see it two choices, another regulator or an internal regulated alternator.
Some like Mark Grassers has a little bus bar that in the event of a failed external regulator the bus bar can be connected and that enables the internal regulator.
However I know nothing about yours.

Man that thing is in there tight isn’t it?

[a64pilot]

If money is tight, I think you could go to the old fashioned contact point external regulator for $20 or so?
Check first, but I think you can.

[sailorboy1]

If you have FLA batteries just go wth it that’s what I have mine at all the time

But I would follow that blue wire, jump around the harness on it

[djmarchand]

Regulators do fail, and it sounds like your just did, although I am with the PP- they mostly fail open circuit.


Balmar regulators aren't perfect and some do fail like everything electronic, but they do a good job and can be purchased for about $300.


David

[Kenomac]

Dump your regulator and start a new batch.

[Mike OReilly]

Thanks for all the quick responses guys. I’m going to display my ignorance (a pretty common thing, I know ).

A64: When you say "old fashioned contact point external regulator”, can you explain a bit more. How would that work? How do I know if it would work with my alternator?

SB: When you say “go with it”, I assume you don’t mean just leave the alternator pumping at 14.8 v all the time? I do have LFA batts, but I wouldn’t want to leave it running at full bore for more than an hour.

Can you explain your blue wire thoughts? Like I say, the connections seem fine. But I’m sure I must be missing something.

djmarchand: Yes, a Balmar replacement regulator is possible … but I’d love to be able to solve this one without having to spend more money if I can.

Ken: "a new batch”? You’re gonna have to translate this for me.

[Nicholson58]

I also suspect your controller has failed. Have you followed the stet by step of the makers trouble shooting? If you have none, download the pdf for a Balmar 614. It’s pretty good and mostly universal. I have two Balmar 624 external regulators, love them. I have had only one failure in ten years and that was a direct lightning strike.

http://www.balmar.net/wp-content/upl...ion-Manual.pdf

[smac999]

Is that a 3 stage reg? It's probably not and it's normal to stay at 14v.

If it was not regulating. It would be at over 20v. If it's holding a voltage. It is regulating.

I would start by cleaning all the connections. It may aciunt for it being a little too high.

But you probably want to buy a good adjustable reg like a balmar mc614

The blue wire is the controlling wire. At 12v the alt will be maxed at. As batteries get fuller. The voltage on the blue wire will drop. 12, 10, 8, 6v. Etc. This means it is regulating. If it did not drop. And stayed at 12v+. The battery voltage would just keep climbing until they blew up.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Nicholson58

I also suspect your controller has failed. Have you followed the stet by step of the makers trouble shooting? If you have none, download the pdf for a Balmar 614. It’s pretty good and mostly universal. I have two Balmar 624 external regulators, love them. I have had only one failure in ten years and that was a direct lightning strike.

http://www.balmar.net/wp-content/upl...ion-Manual.pdf

Thanks for this. Unfortunately I’ve got no documentation for this Tempo regulator, and can’t find anything online that looks like mine. But this Balmar one looks helpful. I’ll trace things through now that I know what to start looking for.

I’m not sure how old my regulator is. It’s worked for the last seven years I’ve had the boat. Never been an issue, so I never thought about it. And I don’t know why it stopped working now.

I actually discovered this about two months ago as we were headed out. It’s kinda funny, but I guess I don’t really need an alternator. We managed for the last two months with just solar and wind, with the occasional boost from the portable gas generator. But I’d rather get this sorted…

[a64pilot]

A lot of the tempo regulators I found on the internet had a potentiometer on a wire for adjusting output voltage.
Look for one.

[kenbo]

Mike,

Your regulator is fine and working properly. That model of Transpo regulator is just like an internal voltage regulator. It allows the alternator to put out as much current as possible until the vSet is reached, in your case that's 14.8v. Then is just tapers the field current to hold that voltage indefinitely. With FLA batteries that's OK, just add water when necessary.

Very common regulator in HD trucks and it looks loke you have a truck alternator as well. That's a 4" J mount you have. It ain't broke don't fix it!

Ken

[kenbo]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

A lot of the tempo regulators I found on the internet had a potentiometer on a wire for adjusting output voltage.
Look for one.

A64 is correct, that model, the 911-04 has a potentiometer to adjust the vSet. Seems like yours is set to 14.8 which is fine depending on your brand of FLA battery.

[a64pilot]

Back in the day, all alternators were externally regulated, Little black boxes mounted to the firewall of a car, had a set of contact points in them.
Looked like this. Ought to get you to 14 V continuous like a car.
However I don’t know how to wire one to your alternator, best check that first.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...T21FPRJGDM4YS6
Cheap, but work, just isn’t digital accurate, three stage charging etc.
Just hold set voltage, nothing more.

I have a Balmar 614 myself and an older Mark Grasser reg as a spare, they were for their expense, an exceptional value, but I see he has his new regulators out and I can’t get a price on his web site, it may not work with Apple
If I were you, maybe give Mark a call on Mon, he is a straight forward guy, whatever he says is worth listening to.

[sailorboy1]

[QUOTE=Mike OReilly;2716225]
SB: When you say “go with it”, I assume you don’t mean just leave the alternator pumping at 14.8 v all the time? I do have LFA batts, but I wouldn’t want to leave it running at full bore for more than an hour.

I did mean that. I have my alternator set to stay at 14.8v for 6 hours. Been that way for years and never hurt the batteries. Before I changed to the 6 hours I had it at 1 hour, batteries neve4 really got charged if I motored a l9ng time.

I’ve watched my battery acceptance for years now. From -80ah n the morning it will take 5-6 motors of motoring to really get charged. The only down side is you may have to water the batteries more often (I use about 2 cups for m6 4 every 1.5 months)

But if you have a sealed start battery etc you need to isolate that or it will cook