Can someone please send me the request and post addresses for the Autocross
mailing list? (It seems like it should be something like autox@autox.team.net,
but I don't want to muck around trying to second-guess.) This is for a friend
in Seattle who wants to get involved with autocross. (Mentioning what
he wants to use violates the LBC content of this list, but it's somewhat
amusing: He wants to autocross his 1974-chassised Bradley GT kit car.)
Ob.Brit.content: Has anyone ever seen the following charging-system
symptoms -- system works normally when the battery is fully charged and
the total load is low, but if the battery drops below a certain level,
or the load gets too high, the ammeter pops over to the "D" side of the
dial, and things begin to get slow/dim (much like the car's owner,
perhaps...). I haven't had a chance to check the alternator's output
yet, but I'm suspecting it's either a marginal alternator or a bad
regulator (even though both were recently replaced), or something
else... .
This is on a '69 Lotus Europa S2, with the Renault R16 engine and 30-amp
alternator. Additional information: The schematic shows two leads to
the + terminal of the alternator, while mine has only one lead, with a
second lead that's been disconnected from *something* tie-wrapped to the
harness. Also, there's a lot of "bounce" in the ammeter needle when the
system is charging, I assume from the mechanical regulator, although it
doesn't seem to me that it should be opening and closing that much.
There's also an alternator *rely* that appears in the schematics, and
which I *believe* I've located, next to the regulator, but the manual
doesn't give any troubleshooting information on it, or even describe its
function.
Thoughts I've had (aside from setting the car on fire): Replace the
mechanical regulator with an electronic unit (have to find out what's
suitable first); swap the relatively large alternator pulley currently
installed for the smaller-diameter one that came with my replacement
unit (hoping the higher shaft RPMs will increase the output); Hook up
the "unused" wire of unknown purpose and hope that it magically fixes the
problem (risky... I tried this with a vacuum tap one time on the first
vehicle I ever owned, and thus learned how to rebuild a carburettor);
let the car sulk in the garage for awhile longer, hoping it will see the
error of its ways and decide to behave itself.
Suggestions are welcome, if I happen to see them while I'm at home, I
can probably provide more accurate information.
-coryc
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