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Alternator / Charging issue

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sreeves(at)gw.med.sc.edu
Guest

Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 6:36 pm Post subject: Alternator / Charging issue

A while back my alternator decided to start cycling on and off every 

now and again, mostly when under load.  It will never do it during a 

day flight, and only during the day when running strobes.  I can 

induce it at night fairly easily sometimes with the navs, fuel pump, 

landing light, and panel lights (no strobes needed..they seem able to 

induce the problem by themselves).  I was returning from Miss. a few 

nights ago and it decided to do this.  I shut down the strobes and 

everything was fine (as usual).  I turned the strobes back on and the 

last 30 min or so of the flight was uneventful.



I installed a new B&C battery yesterday and the problem occurred 

again yesterday evening 1 time near the beginning of the flight, and 

more so on the ground after I landed and had the engine at idle 

power.  I stayed in the pattern since I had a "known" electrical issue.



Here are  few things I may have forgotten to mention, and I can't be 

sure if this could be a cause of my problem.

2)  I notice both my EI voltmeter as well as the Dynon (backup to my 

gyro  )  are reporting about 13.5V when in flight.  I would assume 

this should be around 14.5 or so.  I think before this problem it 

did.  Funny the little things you start to notice when you actually 

have a problem.



3)  The main problem is that if under load, the system will "shut 

down" the charging system intermittently and then come back 

online.  Sometimes in a rapid (5 secs or so) succession 	or sometimes 

in more erratic unpredictable intervals. Like the flight back the 

other night, it acted up then stayed online for the remainder of the 

flight.  I'll see the voltage annunciator come on and the voltage 

drop to 11.8 or 12...then it will go back up to 13.5.  It may stay 

for a while...the remainder of the flight...or maybe 10 secs.  It's crazy.



	I thought I had the alternator tested at one time and was told it was fine.



I also just replaced my main solenoid (it was going bad..wouldn't 

connect when I turned the master on).  That's fine now, but that 

didn't help the problem either.



This problem is driving me crazy.  Any and all input would be appreciated.



I'm almost convinced I'm never going to find the root if this 

thing.  Thanks again.



Steve Reeves

Glasair 38SR

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Dick Sipp

Joined: 11 Jan 2006
Posts: 215
Location: Hope, MI

Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 9:01 pm Post subject: Alternator / Charging issue

Steve,



I saw nearly identical symptoms on my RV4.  It turned out to be a poor quality crimp on the b lead connector on the alternator.  



Dick Sipp

RV10 N110DV

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bakerocb

Joined: 15 Jan 2006
Posts: 727
Location: FAIRFAX VA

Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 5:11 am Post subject: Alternator / Charging issue

1/15/2008



Hello Steve, Suggest that you check the wiring, particularly the ground 

wire, on your voltage regulator.



'OC' Says: "The best investment we can make is the effort to gather and 

understand knowledge."



----------------------------------------------



Time: 06:36:07 PM PST US

From: Steve Reeves <sreeves(at)gw.med.sc.edu>

Subject: Alternator / Charging issue

A while back my alternator decided to start cycling on and off every

now and again, mostly when under load.  It will never do it during a

day flight, and only during the day when running strobes.  I can

induce it at night fairly easily sometimes with the navs, fuel pump,

landing light, and panel lights (no strobes needed..they seem able to

induce the problem by themselves).  I was returning from Miss. a few

nights ago and it decided to do this.  I shut down the strobes and

everything was fine (as usual).  I turned the strobes back on and the

last 30 min or so of the flight was uneventful.



I installed a new B&C battery yesterday and the problem occurred

again yesterday evening 1 time near the beginning of the flight, and

more so on the ground after I landed and had the engine at idle

power.  I stayed in the pattern since I had a "known" electrical issue.



Here are  few things I may have forgotten to mention, and I can't be

sure if this could be a cause of my problem.

2)  I notice both my EI voltmeter as well as the Dynon (backup to my

gyro  )  are reporting about 13.5V when in flight.  I would assume

this should be around 14.5 or so.  I think before this problem it

did.  Funny the little things you start to notice when you actually

have a problem.



3)  The main problem is that if under load, the system will "shut

down" the charging system intermittently and then come back

online.  Sometimes in a rapid (5 secs or so) succession  or sometimes

in more erratic unpredictable intervals. Like the flight back the

other night, it acted up then stayed online for the remainder of the

flight.  I'll see the voltage annunciator come on and the voltage

drop to 11.8 or 12...then it will go back up to 13.5.  It may stay

for a while...the remainder of the flight...or maybe 10 secs.  It's crazy.



 I thought I had the alternator tested at one time and was told it was fine.



I also just replaced my main solenoid (it was going bad..wouldn't

connect when I turned the master on).  That's fine now, but that

didn't help the problem either.



This problem is driving me crazy.  Any and all input would be appreciated.



I'm almost convinced I'm never going to find the root if this

thing.  Thanks again.



Steve Reeves

Glasair 38SR

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nuckolls.bob(at)cox.net
Guest

Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 8:52 am Post subject: Alternator / Charging issue

At 09:34 PM 1/14/2008 -0500, you wrote:



 	  Quote: 	
		  



A while back my alternator decided to start cycling on and off every now 

and again, mostly when under load.  It will never do it during a day 

flight, and only during the day when running strobes.  I can induce it at 

night fairly easily sometimes with the navs, fuel pump, landing light, and 

panel lights (no strobes needed..they seem able to induce the problem by 

themselves).  I was returning from Miss. a few nights ago and it decided 

to do this.  I shut down the strobes and everything was fine (as 

usual).  I turned the strobes back on and the last 30 min or so of the 

flight was uneventful.



I installed a new B&C battery yesterday and the problem occurred again 

yesterday evening 1 time near the beginning of the flight, and more so on 

the ground after I landed and had the engine at idle power.  I stayed in 

the pattern since I had a "known" electrical issue.



Here are  few things I may have forgotten to mention, and I can't be sure 

if this could be a cause of my problem.

2)  I notice both my EI voltmeter as well as the Dynon (backup to my gyro 

 )  are reporting about 13.5V when in flight.  I would assume this 

should be around 14.5 or so.  I think before this problem it did.  Funny 

the little things you start to notice when you actually have a problem.



3)  The main problem is that if under load, the system will "shut down" 

the charging system intermittently and then come back online.  Sometimes 

in a rapid (5 secs or so) succession   or sometimes in more erratic 

unpredictable intervals. Like the flight back the other night, it acted up 

then stayed online for the remainder of the flight.  I'll see the voltage 

annunciator come on and the voltage drop to 11.8 or 12...then it will go 

back up to 13.5.  It may stay for a while...the remainder of the 

flight...or maybe 10 secs.  It's crazy.



         I thought I had the alternator tested at one time and was told it 

 was fine.



I also just replaced my main solenoid (it was going bad..wouldn't connect 

when I turned the master on).  That's fine now, but that didn't help the 

problem either.



This problem is driving me crazy.  Any and all input would be appreciated.



I'm almost convinced I'm never going to find the root if this 

thing.  Thanks again.


	




   I've never encountered a system problem that was not

   fixable.



   You don't say what kind of alternator. External or internally

   regulated?



   Bob . . .

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wgill10(at)comcast.net
Guest

Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 8:05 pm Post subject: Alternator / Charging issue

Hello Steve,



The 13.5 volt output appears to be too low, possibly due to a bad diode.

The intermittent nature also could be due to excessive leakage from one

or more of the other diodes when the alternator gets hot. It might be

wise to take it to an alternator overhaul shop to be checked vs. the

local auto parts establishment. What type of alternator do you have? Any

cooling via blast tube? Please let us know what you find. Thanks.



Bill



--

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nuckolls.bob(at)cox.net
Guest

Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2008 12:09 pm Post subject: Alternator / Charging issue

At 10:50 AM 1/15/2008 -0600, you wrote:



 	  Quote: 	
		  

<nuckolls.bob(at)cox.net>



At 09:34 PM 1/14/2008 -0500, you wrote:



>


	




   Steve,



   I'm going on vacation tomorrow morning early. Didn't see

   a response as to what kind of alternator we're trying

   to troubleshoot.



   Bob . . .

 	  Quote: 	
		  >A while back my alternator decided to start cycling on and off every now 

>and again, mostly when under load.  It will never do it during a day 

>flight, and only during the day when running strobes.  I can induce it at 

>night fairly easily sometimes with the navs, fuel pump, landing light, 

>and panel lights (no strobes needed..they seem able to induce the problem 

>by themselves).  I was returning from Miss. a few nights ago and it 

>decided to do this.  I shut down the strobes and everything was fine (as 

>usual).  I turned the strobes back on and the last 30 min or so of the 

>flight was uneventful.

>

>I installed a new B&C battery yesterday and the problem occurred again 

>yesterday evening 1 time near the beginning of the flight, and more so on 

>the ground after I landed and had the engine at idle power.  I stayed in 

>the pattern since I had a "known" electrical issue.

>

>Here are  few things I may have forgotten to mention, and I can't be sure 

>if this could be a cause of my problem.

>2)  I notice both my EI voltmeter as well as the Dynon (backup to my gyro 

> )  are reporting about 13.5V when in flight.  I would assume this 

>should be around 14.5 or so.  I think before this problem it did.  Funny 

>the little things you start to notice when you actually have a problem.

>

>3)  The main problem is that if under load, the system will "shut down" 

>the charging system intermittently and then come back online.  Sometimes 

>in a rapid (5 secs or so) succession   or sometimes in more erratic 

>unpredictable intervals. Like the flight back the other night, it acted 

>up then stayed online for the remainder of the flight.  I'll see the 

>voltage annunciator come on and the voltage drop to 11.8 or 12...then it 

>will go back up to 13.5.  It may stay for a while...the remainder of the 

>flight...or maybe 10 secs.  It's crazy.

>

>         I thought I had the alternator tested at one time and was told 

> it was fine.

>

>I also just replaced my main solenoid (it was going bad..wouldn't connect 

>when I turned the master on).  That's fine now, but that didn't help the 

>problem either.

>

>This problem is driving me crazy.  Any and all input would be appreciated.

>

>I'm almost convinced I'm never going to find the root if this 

>thing.  Thanks again.

   I've never encountered a system problem that was not

   fixable.



   You don't say what kind of alternator. External or internally

   regulated?



   Bob . . .



--

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        Bob . . .



        ----------------------------------------)

        ( . . .  a long habit of not thinking   )

        ( a thing wrong, gives it a superficial )

        ( appearance of being right . . .       )

        (                                       )

        (                  -Thomas Paine 1776-  )

        ----------------------------------------

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