What no regulator - HELP

[71Dormobile]

Have been tidying up the wiring in my van taking out the leisure battery wiring, will redo it fresh etc.

Have noted that there isn't a voltage regulator mounted at the rear in the engine bay? The wiring form the battery goes straight to the starter / alternator shortcutting a regulator which is shown in the wiring diagram. Anyone any ideas why? and the pros cons etc. do I need a new one?

I'm putting a cut off switch in which can cut power to the van with exception of a min feed for the stereo etc.

Advice appreciated...

 

[Tofufi]

Some alternators have regulators internally - the one on my van does this.

Any pics of what you have?

Not got any close up pics, but my alternator is the internally regulated type - has one spade terminal and one circular/screw terminal on the top. Dynamos (all external reg) have two terminals, and externally regulated alternators have 4 or 5 IIRC.

If you're not getting more than 14v from the charging system with the engine running, then you don't have a problem.

 

[Haveacamper]

also, rev the engine a bit when you are checking the output voltage as it probably wont be above 14v we idling.

either that or you coul dfire her up in the dark and se if your headlights get a hell of alot brighter, or the windscreen wipers get faster. this is how loxy found out his reg was broken.

NaFe

p.s. if the reg is the red box that sits by/on the firewall then i think i have one of those from my old wiring you could have.

 

[buddysbuddy]

The most liklely explanation is that you have an alternator, rather than the original dynamo. As Tofufi
says, these have internal regs.

 

[Tofufi]

The most liklely explanation is that you have an alternator, rather than the original dynamo. As Tofufi
says, these have internal regs.

Not all of them, the very old one on my beetle has an external reg.

I think all new ones have been internal regulators since about 1970something though...

 

[71Dormobile]

Ah many thanks for the advice eveyone I think it must be an alternator with internal reg then, will take some piccies of the tidying up effort and post but looks exactly the same as tofufi's setup......

 

[71Dormobile]

Tofufi or anyone with the same set up could you tell me what electical leads are attached on your alternator....

Is there just the two one power from the battery and one lead of to the dash llight?

Cheers all

 

[58herbie]

Tofufi or anyone with the same set up could you tell me what electical leads are attached on your alternator....

Is there just the two one power from the battery and one lead of to the dash llight?

Cheers all

The wires that should be on the alternator are:

1) Thick Red.. term D+ originally this would go to the starter (term 30),(( joins with all other main poss on M8 stud)) but have seen some vans where people have gone straight to battery..

2) Green or Blue deppending on what has been used to join from where the reg was. This should be on Df and go to the blue warning light wire in the main harness.

3) Brown.. this should screw to the rear end of the alternator and then go down to the chassis.

Jon

 

[Tofufi]

Mine is as above, but I don't have the brown earthing wire.

8)

 

[58herbie]

Mine is as above, but I don't have the brown earthing wire.

8)

Tofufi

you should have the earth wire, if you look i bet you find the screw, because you are relie'n on a good contact through the pedastal, which could easy fail.

Jon

 

[Tofufi]

Mine is as above, but I don't have the brown earthing wire.

8)

Tofufi

you should have the earth wire, if you look i bet you find the screw, because you are relie'n on a good contact through the pedastal, which could easy fail.

Jon

Indeed.

It's on the 'to do' list, and I carry round a piece of wire which is suitable for bodging into an earth wire should it ever be needed...

 

[71Dormobile]

Thanks all very helpful will add the earth connection to the list of things to do!

 

[Slammed]

Easy to figure it out. Alternators with a built in regulator only have two terminals, one female and a round screw on one.

Extrenal regulator alternators have three female terminals in a U shape and one round screw on one.

Go count them! 8)

 

[71Dormobile]

OK dug through me photos of the bus as I stripped it down and found this....

Live from the battery, feed wire to the dash light and an earth connected on the same terminal so far have replaced the connectors on the live and dash light assuming I also need this earth on, obviously not an electrican

 

[58herbie]

OK dug through me photos of the bus as I stripped it down and found this....

Live from the battery, feed wire to the dash light and an earth connected on the same terminal so far have replaced the connectors on the live and dash light assuming I also need this earth on, obviously not an electrican

The earth should not be on there, There should be a screw to the rear of the alternator near to fan housing, it should connect via a ring terminal to there. with what you have there the light will never go out as it is perm to ground. if this was wired correctly the warn light wire will become live thus putting the light out as you will have a live to each side of the bulb and it will never light.

jon

 

[71Dormobile]

To be honest I'm not sure what that brown wire was or where it wnet to (assuem earth) but when I originally had the van it was on there. I did have a leisure battery and have removed all that as it was an accident waiting to happen follwoing the resto, alot of bare wires etc so tidied things up and this is one wire that ain't gone back on!

If ther isn't an area to bolt on an earth do you rely on the mounting to the fan hosuing etc? In which case assuem the wiring I now have on is OK, one live, one warning light conencted??

 

[Araon]

Ah interesting re the leisure batt as if it was a chrge sensing set up then theleisure battery would never charge if that brown is indeed an earth lead....if however its just a wire that fed the relay for the leisure and they opted for brown because it was handy then yeah ok (believe me I paid some tool to do mine plain lazy I guess but what a mistake :roll: that tape hid allsorts of ****)

 

[71Dormobile]

Ah interesting re the leisure batt as if it was a chrge sensing set up then theleisure battery would never charge if that brown is indeed an earth lead....if however its just a wire that fed the relay for the leisure and they opted for brown because it was handy then yeah ok (believe me I paid some tool to do mine plain lazy I guess but what a mistake :roll: that tape hid allsorts of ****)

Cheers all for your input, the wiring in mine is coming on now I've fortunately borrowed some top crimping tools heat shrnk etc and chopped out a lot of crap connections which include those shown and also the horrible blue split connectors... Well just need to push the van out the garage and charge the battery and spin the engine now, waiting for a dry day / week as once out I'll never push it back in so watch this space or the gallery... I'll be back