Ok, here's how you check your charging system. You'll
need a good acurate volt meter. Before you start the
car or have anything on, read the voltage accros the
terminals. 12.8 to 13.2 volts means that the battery
is fully charged. It dosen't matter if it will run
anything or not it is as charged as it will get. If
it dosen't do much, the battery is bad.
If the voltage is below 12.0 volts, the battery is
discharged. Now start the car and again read the
voltage. It should start to go up. If it goes up to
14-15 volts, it is charging the battery as fast as the
battery can take it. No turn on some lights and fans
and such and see if the voltage stays up or starts to
fall. If it starts to fall then you are running all
the amps out of the generator that you can. Remmember
that generators charge more the faster they are
running. More revs mean more amps, basically.
Once you think that you have a good charge shut off
the engine and read the volts accros the terminals.
again 12.8-13.2 is as full as you can get it. Turn on
some stuff and watch to see how fast the voltage
drops. Batterys often go bad and this seems to be
more common than a few years ago.
Two more tips. 1. Wash off the top of your battery.
Dirt and crud up there can allow for a path accros the
top that can discharge the battery. and 2. Clean the
terminals and connectors. Even if they look good but
you are having electrical problems, just clean them.
These were words of wisdom that were imparted by my
father to me many times over the years and when I
finally started to pay attention, my cars ran alot
more reliably.
Chris DeStaffany
1975 Spit, Starts and runs every time.
--- Stephane St-Amant <steph71tr6@crosswinds.net>
wrote:
>
> Thanks,
>
> If I understand you correctly, the warning light for
> a defective generator
> would be the IGNITION light in the speedo?
> (Left - High Beams, Center- Ignition, Right - Oil)
>
> BTW I finaly found out (reading the electrical
> schemas in the workshop
> manual) that it IS a generator. What is the best
> way to test the amp
> output? Already checked the voltage (looked OK) but
> the amps only gave me
> 1-2 amps. I'm probably doing something wrong 'cause
> I'm sure it should be
> higher than that. Any pointers?
>
> Note: One the car is started, the ignition light
> goes off. But my battery,
> evven after an hour of running at idle, doesn't get
> recharged! I know it's
> only a generator but shouldn't it be able to
> reccharge the battery if
> nothing else is turned on?
>
> TIA
> Steph
> Ottawa, Canada
> '69 Spit - Hers (Getting "new" fiberglass floors
> this week!)
> '71 TR6 - Mine (Can't wait for winter - that's when
> I will work on it
> again!!!)
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Stephen Hall <shall@fastpointcom.com>
> To: Stephane St-Amant <steph71tr6@crosswinds.net>;
> TRIUMPH LIST
> <triumphs@autox.team.net>; Spitfires List
> <spitfires@autox.team.net>
> Sent: Monday, August 07, 2000 7:45 PM
> Subject: Re: Spit MK3 Dash Warning Lights question
>
>
> > Hi Stephane-
> > You are correct-the other large red light is the
> Brake
> > Failure/handbrake light. The alternator/generator
> light should be one
> > of the three lights at the bottom of your
> speedometer. This is the way
> > my 1970 Mk 3 is set up.
> >
> > Cheers
> >
> > Steve Hall
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Jeff McNeal" <jmcneal@ohms.com>
> > To: "Stephane St-Amant"
> <steph71tr6@crosswinds.net>; "TRIUMPH LIST"
> > <triumphs@autox.team.net>; "Spitfires List"
> <spitfires@autox.team.net>
> > Sent: Monday, August 07, 2000 1:27 PM
> > Subject: Re: Spit MK3 Dash Warning Lights question
> >
> >
> > >
> > > Hi Steph,
> > >
> > > Can't help you with the dash lights, since the
> '69 models were
> > equiped with
> > > the later-style dashboards. Good luck on the
> floor patch -- just
> > make
> > > certain that the sheetmetal under your seats
> (the part that supports
> > your
> > > weight) is sound. The fiberglass fix has worked
> REALLY well for the
> > > footwells until I can have the entire
> floorboards replaced. Just
> > make
> > > certain that you use the heavier fiberglass
> "mat" material as
> > opposed to the
> > > thin, cheesecloth looking stuff. You'll wind up
> with a much
> > stronger floor
> > > and the heavier stuff is much easier to work
> with. Use a small
> > dense foam
> > > rubber roller instead of the usual plastic
> spreaders to apply the
> > resin to
> > > the mats -- MUCH easier to work with. I'd also
> recommend a few sets
> > of
> > > latex gloves within easy reach to keep that
> stuff off your hands!
> > >
> > > Best wishes,
> > >
> > > Jeff in San Diego
> > >
> > > '67 RHD Spitfire Mk3 aka "Mrs. Jones"
> > > Jeff's Classic '67 Spitfire Mk3 site & Vintage
> Spitfire Webring
> > > http://www.ohms.com/spitfire/spitfire.shtml
> > > home of the NEW Totally Triumph Auction
> > > "By Triumph enthusiasts, for Triumph
> enthusiasts"
> > > http://www.ohms.com/cgi-bin/TRauction.cgi
> > > and... The Triumph Autos/Parts Wanted Listings
> > > http://www.ohms.com/cgi-bin/TRwanted.cgi
> > > ...plus a few other surprises!
> > >
> > > * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
> * * * * * * * * *
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: Stephane St-Amant
> <steph71tr6@crosswinds.net>
> > > To: TRIUMPH LIST <triumphs@autox.team.net>;
> Spitfires List
> > > <spitfires@autox.team.net>
> > > Sent: Monday, August 07, 2000 9:58 AM
> > > Subject: Spit MK3 Dash Warning Lights question
> > >
> > >
> > > >
> > > > Hello All,
> > > >
> > > > I am please to report that all my lights are
> now connected
> > properly and
> > > > work! Thanks to all who helped! But this is
> not the end of my
> > electrical
> > > > "quest". Neither my Haynes, Bentley or
> original workshop manual
> > seem to
> > > > indicate the location or purpose of the many
> dash components. In
> > my '69
> > > > Spit, there is two big red warning lights in
> the top center of the
> > dash
> > > (one
> > > > between the gas and oil pressure gauge, and
> one between the oil
> > pressure
> > > and
> > > > the temp gauge).
> > > >
> > > > I already know that the left one is the
> four-way flasher indicator
> > (which
> > > > works now!) but what is the right one for. In
> my case, it is
> > always on
> > > > (when the key is turned). My guess was that
> it was the brake
> > failure
> > > > warning light but yesterday Saturday I found
> out that my battery
> > is not
> > > > being charged by the generator/alternator
> (which one is suppose to
> > be in
> > > > this car anyway?). So now, I think it may
> also be the warning
> > light for
> > > the
> > > > gen/alt. Which one is it?
> > > >
> > > > Again, TIA
> > > >
> > > > P.S. Thanks Jeff for your great webpage. I'm
> currently doing the
> > same
> > > > temporary fix to the floors than you did
> (which BTW are just a
> > little
> > > worst
> > > > than Mrs. Jones's were!). I'll let you know
> how mine turns out.
> > > >
> > > > Steph
> > > > Ottawa, Canada
> > > > '69 Spit - Hers (Now lighted like a Christmas
> Tree - until the
> > battery
> > > goes
> > > > dead!!!)
> > > > '71 TR6 - Mine (Disappearing slowly under a
> pile of boxes!!!
> > :-( )
>
=== message truncated ===
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