This is probably a bit off topic but does anyone have a wiring diagram for an old automotive generator and associated regulator? I bought an old Bobcat skid steer. I was surprised to find that it has a generator rather than an alternator. THe generator has 2 posts to connect wires and the regulator has 3. Alternators are easy to trace the problem, but not generators. This one is not charging. Xan anyone help?
PS. There used to be a binary newsgroup for wiring schematics. I cant find it now. What is the group name?
You might try flashing the generator if it has been sitting a long time. Just connect the battery directly to the output side of the generator for a couple of seconds. The power flow thru the windings will setup a small residual magnetism in the core and the generator will use that to start the power output going again once it comes up to speed. Regular use maintains this residual magnetism so you don't need to do it again unless the unit sits idle for a long time. This was a common problem with generators.
- Tim -
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Email - tempowl@nospam.nbnet.nb.ca (remove the nospam part)
The two are fairly similar in principle. Both control the output current by varying that through the field winding. That is the small terminal. But when cars used this system the regulator commonly had 5 terminals. Perhaps the main difference is an alternator is permanently connected to the battery as the rectifier prevents current flow in the reverse direction. A dynamo has no diodes, so needs a relay to disconnect it when its voltage drops below that of the battery, called a cutout. It sounds like yours has no automatic charge control but only a cutout.
You can do a rough check on the dynamo by disconnecting it and linking the field and output terminals and connecting to a load - say a headlamp bulb. The brightness of that will vary with the speed. If it seems to work connect a DVM set to volts across it and check the polarity is correct. If no output or the polarity is wrong, leave the bulb connected to the dynamo and connect the other end to the battery. This will polarize it correctly by establishing residual magnetism in the field windings.
As regards the regulator - I can only guess. If it is simply a cutout it should be easy enough to trace the circuit and test. I'd guess there will be a resistor somewhere else which sets the current through the field winding.
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Dave Plowman dave@davenoise.co.uk London SW
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Generally, the two terminals on the genrator connenct to two of the terminals on the regulator, the third termial through the ammeter to the battery.
There are two types of generator systems, one which the field is conencted to the armature in the genrator, and grounted to exite it, the other with the field grounded in the generator, and pulled to the armature line in the regulator.
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