Riddle me this. Driving my 60 Roadster for approx. 45 minutes of Interstate at approx. 4K RPM's. Suddenly the charging light comes on. I'm 5-10 miles from my destination (today's FOG breakfast) so I figure I'll deal with it at the parking lot. Hit the off ramp and start slowing down and suddenly the light goes out. For giggles I rev it up. At about 4K+ it comes on, but other wise remains off. Drive the rest of the day with it acting normal around town and lighting up at highway revs (which varied throughout the day). I took a side trip to look at a FOG members 356 race engine and checked the generator at his garage. It appears fine. I decided that since the light was not always on that I'd save some pressious gas, and check a rally I wrote on the way home. The light only came on during extended spirited driving. And of course once I got back on the Interstate. Pulled the cap off the voltage regulator to watch it's function when I got home. Rev the car to 3-4K rpm's wait awhile and boom the light comes on. Let up and voltage regulator visually responds and light goes out. Anybody know what is going on? Why would it stop charging at high revs? And why did it start 45 minutes into the drive? Thanks!
Glen
64-Cx2
Apparent Voltage Regulator problem
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Glen Getchell
- 356 Fan
- Posts: 675
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- Location: Seminole, Florida
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Mike Zois
- 356 Fan
- Posts: 101
- Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2008 9:58 pm
- Location: North of SmelLA
Sounds like something is loose.
Do you have a digital fluke that you can hook up and then read when the light comes on? One would think that your charging volatage would dip when the light goes on and will go back to normal when it goes out.....
Bet it's a wire that's having an intermittent connection when the harmonics of the road and engine cause it lose connectivity....I hate that kind of head scratcher.
Do you have a digital fluke that you can hook up and then read when the light comes on? One would think that your charging volatage would dip when the light goes on and will go back to normal when it goes out.....
Bet it's a wire that's having an intermittent connection when the harmonics of the road and engine cause it lose connectivity....I hate that kind of head scratcher.
Mike Zois
57 Tubeframe Speedster
356 Registry# 17974
58 A Coupe, searching for parts
70 914/6 under restoration
73 911 RS Cabriolet
74 914 2.0 (sold)
Reno, NV
57 Tubeframe Speedster
356 Registry# 17974
58 A Coupe, searching for parts
70 914/6 under restoration
73 911 RS Cabriolet
74 914 2.0 (sold)
Reno, NV
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Rick Woltz
- 356 Fan
- Posts: 89
- Joined: Wed Mar 26, 2008 12:51 am
- Tag: Kailua, Hawaii
- Location: Kailua, Hawaii
Apparent Voltage Regulator problem
Glen,
Take your regulator out and look at the contact points in very good light. I
think you'll find pitted contacts that are sticking. I think it's the far
right one that limits the current.
Rick
A59D
-----Original Message-----
From: Glen Getchell [mailto:drivea356@knology.net]
Sent: Saturday, May 31, 2008 9:39 AM
To: 356talk@356registry.com
Subject: [356Talk] Apparent Voltage Regulator problem
Riddle me this. Driving my 60 Roadster for approx. 45 minutes of Interstate
at approx. 4K RPM's. Suddenly the charging light comes on. I'm 5-10 miles
from my destination (today's FOG breakfast) so I figure I'll deal with it at
the parking lot. Hit the off ramp and start slowing down and suddenly the
light goes out. For giggles I rev it up. At about 4K+ it comes on, but
other wise remains off. Drive the rest of the day with it acting normal
around town and lighting up at highway revs (which varied throughout the
day). I took a side trip to look at a FOG members 356 race engine and
checked the generator at his garage. It appears fine. I decided that since
the light was not always on that I'd save some pressious gas, and check a
rally I wrote on the way home. The light only came on during extended
spirited driving. And of course once I got back on the Interstate. Pulled
the cap off the voltage regulator to watch it's function when I got home.
Rev the car to 3-4K rpm's wait awhile and boom the light comes on. Let up
and voltage regulator visually responds and light goes out. Anybody know
what is going on? Why would it stop charging at high revs? And why did it
start 45 minutes into the drive? Thanks!
Glen
64-Cx2
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Take your regulator out and look at the contact points in very good light. I
think you'll find pitted contacts that are sticking. I think it's the far
right one that limits the current.
Rick
A59D
-----Original Message-----
From: Glen Getchell [mailto:drivea356@knology.net]
Sent: Saturday, May 31, 2008 9:39 AM
To: 356talk@356registry.com
Subject: [356Talk] Apparent Voltage Regulator problem
Riddle me this. Driving my 60 Roadster for approx. 45 minutes of Interstate
at approx. 4K RPM's. Suddenly the charging light comes on. I'm 5-10 miles
from my destination (today's FOG breakfast) so I figure I'll deal with it at
the parking lot. Hit the off ramp and start slowing down and suddenly the
light goes out. For giggles I rev it up. At about 4K+ it comes on, but
other wise remains off. Drive the rest of the day with it acting normal
around town and lighting up at highway revs (which varied throughout the
day). I took a side trip to look at a FOG members 356 race engine and
checked the generator at his garage. It appears fine. I decided that since
the light was not always on that I'd save some pressious gas, and check a
rally I wrote on the way home. The light only came on during extended
spirited driving. And of course once I got back on the Interstate. Pulled
the cap off the voltage regulator to watch it's function when I got home.
Rev the car to 3-4K rpm's wait awhile and boom the light comes on. Let up
and voltage regulator visually responds and light goes out. Anybody know
what is going on? Why would it stop charging at high revs? And why did it
start 45 minutes into the drive? Thanks!
Glen
64-Cx2
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Barry Brisco
- 356 Fan
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- Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2008 4:41 pm
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- Location: San Francisco
- Contact:
Apparent Voltage Regulator problem
Glen, remove the generator cover (the narrow black curved piece with
the vents in it), start the engine, and then rev it to 4K by moving
the carb linkage with the decklid open, and gently press down on the
generator brushes (being careful to avoid the fan belt) and see if
the red light goes out.
One or both of your brush springs may have weakened, and at high rpms
may not be able to hold the brushes firmly in contact with the
commutator. Or the brushes have worn down quite a bit.
NLA sells new brushes. But as far as I know, no one sells new springs.
Barry Brisco
---------------------------------------------------------------
At 12:38 -0700 5/31/08, Glen Getchell wrote:
the vents in it), start the engine, and then rev it to 4K by moving
the carb linkage with the decklid open, and gently press down on the
generator brushes (being careful to avoid the fan belt) and see if
the red light goes out.
One or both of your brush springs may have weakened, and at high rpms
may not be able to hold the brushes firmly in contact with the
commutator. Or the brushes have worn down quite a bit.
NLA sells new brushes. But as far as I know, no one sells new springs.
Barry Brisco
---------------------------------------------------------------
At 12:38 -0700 5/31/08, Glen Getchell wrote:
Post generated using Mail2Forum via email.Riddle me this. Driving my 60 Roadster for approx. 45 minutes of
Interstate at approx. 4K RPM's. Suddenly the charging light comes
on. I'm 5-10 miles from my destination (today's FOG breakfast) so I
figure I'll deal with it at the parking lot. Hit the off ramp and
start slowing down and suddenly the light goes out. For giggles I
rev it up. At about 4K+ it comes on, but other wise remains off.
Drive the rest of the day with it acting normal around town and
lighting up at highway revs (which varied throughout the day). I
took a side trip to look at a FOG members 356 race engine and
checked the generator at his garage. It appears fine. I decided
that since the light was not always on that I'd save some pressious
gas, and check a rally I wrote on the way home. The light only came
on during extended spirited driving. And of course once I got back
on the Interstate. Pulled the cap off the voltage regulator to
watch it's function when I got home. Rev the car to 3-4K rp
m's wait awhile and boom the light comes on. Let up and voltage
regulator visually responds and light goes out. Anybody know what
is going on? Why would it stop charging at high revs? And why did
it start 45 minutes into the drive? Thanks!
Glen
64-Cx2
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Barry Brisco
1959 356A Coupe 105553, Ivory / Brown
2009 987 Cayman, Carrera White / Beige (daily driver)
1959 356A Coupe 105553, Ivory / Brown
2009 987 Cayman, Carrera White / Beige (daily driver)
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Barry Brisco
- 356 Fan
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- Contact:
As an addendum to my post about checking generator brushes and springs, Joe Leoni emailed me this information (below) and gave permission to post it to the Forum. Valuable advice as always from the 356 Electrics guru.
Barry
================================
From: "Joe Leoni" <joe@356electrics.com>
Pushing up on the brush is usually an indication of short brushes.
The bottom brush wears faster than the top.
So push up on the bottom one.
Now Bosch has made the brush pig-tail a bit short.
So when the brush wears out the rivet won't touch the commutator.
This is a good design, as it saves the commutator from being destroyed.
But pushing up makes contact.
After market brushes can wear out very quickly.
The compound in the brush isn't just carbon.
So always look for the gold color on the top of the Bosch brush.
There are a couple different style brush springs, and neither one is available.
Replacement springs will always be used.
The longer ones are on the generator's with the louvered cover, and the DF and D+ are switched. This generator has a brush box made of a plated material.
Where as most common brush boxs are made from brass.
Barry
================================
From: "Joe Leoni" <joe@356electrics.com>
Pushing up on the brush is usually an indication of short brushes.
The bottom brush wears faster than the top.
So push up on the bottom one.
Now Bosch has made the brush pig-tail a bit short.
So when the brush wears out the rivet won't touch the commutator.
This is a good design, as it saves the commutator from being destroyed.
But pushing up makes contact.
After market brushes can wear out very quickly.
The compound in the brush isn't just carbon.
So always look for the gold color on the top of the Bosch brush.
There are a couple different style brush springs, and neither one is available.
Replacement springs will always be used.
The longer ones are on the generator's with the louvered cover, and the DF and D+ are switched. This generator has a brush box made of a plated material.
Where as most common brush boxs are made from brass.