Alt problem?

[sciroccos at earthlink.net (Jim Ruffi)]

Bosch's Automotive Electric/Electronic Systems Handbook says this:

"If the lamp is defective, there is no pre-excitation; self-excitation then
only takes place at high engine speed.  The fualt can be detected while the
engine is stationary since, of course, the lamp no longer lights up.

If, during engine operation, a break occurs in the exciter circuit, in the
alternator ground line (in the case of flixibly mounted alternators) or in
the pre-excitation lead, and there is a failure of the alternator current,
the driver is not warned even if the lamp is intact.  Only the installation
of an additional resistor guarantees that the generator warning lamp lights
up to inform the driver of a defect in the exciter circuit...."

(c) Robert Bosch GmbH, 1988

Based on Timbo's technote and Bosch's info, it seems to me you could monkey
with adding a resistor between the blue wire and ground and that *might*
change the operating characteristic of the exciter enough to affect a change
in the regulator operation.  Might have to be a beefy resistor, though, like
a couple of watts.  I have a box of (100) 10w, 51 ohm resistors here...dunno
if the resistance is too low, or if I'm even barking up the right tree.  I
can easily bring to Cincy.

Jim

>-----Original Message-----
>From: scirocco-l-bounces+sciroccos=earthlink.net@scirocco.org
>[mailto:scirocco-l-bounces+sciroccos=earthlink.net@scirocco.org]On
>Behalf Of Tim McConnell
>Sent: Tuesday, May 17, 2005 12:11 PM
>To: Julie Macfarlane
>Cc: scirocco-l@scirocco.org
>Subject: Re: Alt problem?
>
>
>Both of my cars have been like this. Can't quite figure it out.
>
>On 5/17/05, Julie Macfarlane <juliemac57@hotmail.com> wrote:
>> When I start my car I have to rush the engine to get the alt to kick in.
>>
>> Whats up with this?
>>
>> Julie Macfarlane
>
>