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Re: Ignition Warning Light on with new alternator

To: Steve Laifman <SLaifman@SoCal.rr.com>
Subject: Re: Ignition Warning Light on with new alternator
From: garywinblad@attbi.com
Date: Thu, 12 Sep 2002 23:26:28 +0000
Steve and Larry,
Well I am a EE (maybe a dufus one too!) but that can't 
be...
Even if the alternator is not generating, it IS 
connected to the solenoid/battery connection.  Unless 
the alternator is bad and is drawing current when it's 
not outputting, there should be negligible voltage drop 
over that wire.  When the alternator is working 
properly, it is putting out around 14.5Volts and back in 
the trunk the properly working battery is at about say 
12.6Volts, meaning that even if you hooked the light 
directly to the alternator and the other side of it to 
the battery, you only have about 2Volts to run the light 
(and it is a 12Volt light) not to mention that the light 
will be ON when the alternator is alternating...!?  What 
am I missing?
What you are describing Steve is the operation of the 
stock generator set-up, BUT it depends on a "relay" in 
the Regulator which we now eliminated..
I'm confused!
Hacksaw Gary
> Larry has delivered the goods. He has told you how you wire a "1 wire" 
> alternator to give you a warning light. Easy as cake, simple as pie.
> 
> Now, there are still a bunch of folk out there who won't believe it 
> works, just because someone told them it did. They seem to want the 
> 'scientific explanation' to "believe".  Well, I believe Larry. BUT, for 
> those that want the nitty gritty, without the relativity theory, or 
> black holes, here it is.
> 
> There is no ground!
> 
> Yup. That's the deep dark secret. The other side of that idiot light 
> goes to the battery when the key is in the "run" position, like most 
> other switched stuff. When the alternator is not putting out as much 
> voltage as the battery, the current flows through the light to the 
> alternator's 1 wire, and thence to a lower potential (voltage), What do 
> you get? Light!.
> 
> OK, the alternator starts to turn and generate voltage. That voltage 
> goes through the light to the battery. The light dims until the 
> alternator voltage matches the battery voltage. Then the light has no 
> current flow from a voltage difference and goes out.
> 
> Now the cop-out. I'll leave it to Theo Smit to explain why it doesn't go 
> back on again when the alternator output voltage exceeds the battery 
> voltage for charging.  Bet it has something to do with a diode, though. :-)
> 
> Steve
> 
> Larry Paulick wrote:
> 
> > Gary, you guys are the EE, Sparky experts, they just give us CE's a 
> > hammer, and tell us to go at it.
> >
> > The hook up is charging wire from alternator to solenoid/battery 
> > connection, and the one wire to red warning light and then to #2 on 
> > ignition switch.
> >
> > It works.  I also use a volt meter.
> >
> > I still can't figure out how the wiring diagram on the flash to pass 
> > circuitry that Theo did for me.   Something is not right there but it 
> > works.
> >
> > Larry
> >
> > PS - I felt good and that my EE days were over when the Heath Kit 
> > stereo worked.
> 
> 
> -- 
> 
> Steve Laifman
> Editor
> http://www.TigersUnited.com

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