| •
|
Check that the battery cables are
connected to the correct
terminals. |
| •
|
Disconnect the battery cables when the
battery is given a quick
charge. |
| •
|
Never disconnect the battery while the
engine is
running. | |
CHECK
THE BATTERY TERMINALS AND FUSES
| 1. |
Check that the battery terminals are not
loose or corroded. |
| 2. |
Check the fuses for
continuity. |
INSPECT
DRIVE BELT
Visually check the
belt for excessive wear, frayed cords etc.
If any defect has been
found, replace the drive belt.
|
Cracks on the rib side of a belt are
considered acceptable. If the belt has chunks missing from the ribs,
it should be replaced. |
VISUALLY
CHECK ALTERNATOR WIRING AND LISTEN FOR ABNORMAL NOISES
| 1. |
Check that the wiring is in good
condition. |
| 2. |
Check that there is no abnormal noise from
the alternator while the engine is
running. |
CHECK
DISCHARGE WARNING LIGHT CIRCUIT
| 1. |
Warm up the engine and then turn it
off. |
| 2. |
Turn off all
accessories. |
| 3. |
Turn the ignition switch "ON". Check that
the discharge warning light is lit. |
| 4. |
Start the engine. Check that the light is
lit.
If the light does not go off as specified,
troubleshoot the discharge light
circuit. |
VOLTAGE
DROP TEST OF ALTERNATOR OUTPUT WIRE
This test determines
whether or not the wiring between the alternator "B" terminal and the
battery (+) terminal is good by the voltage drop method.
PREPARATION
| 1. |
Turn the ignition switch to
"OFF". |
| 2. |
Disconnect the output wire from the
alternator "B" terminal. Connect the (+) lead wire of ammeter to the
"B" terminal of alternator and the (-) lead wire of ammeter to the
output wire. Connect the (+) lead wire of voltmeter to the "B"
terminal of alternator and the (-) lead wire of voltmeter to the (+)
terminal of battery.
|
TEST
| 2. |
Turn on the headlamps and blower motor, and
set the engine speed until the ammeter indicates 20A.
And then, read the voltmeter at this
time. |
RESULT
| 1. |
The voltmeter may indicate the standard
value.
|
| 2. |
If the value of the voltmeter is higher than
expected (above 0.2V max.), poor wiring is suspected. In this case
check the wiring from the alternator "B" terminal to the battery (+)
terminal. Check for loose connections, color change due to an
over-heated harness, etc. Correct them before testing
again. |
| 3. |
Upon completion of the test, set the engine
speed at idle.
Turn off the headlamps, blower motor and the
ignition switch. |
OUTPUT
CURRENT TEST
This test determines
whether or not the alternator gives an output current that is equivalent
to the normal output.
PREPARATION
| 1. |
Prior to the test, check the following items
and correct as necessary.
Check the battery installed in the vehicle
to ensure that it is in good condition. The battery checking method
is described in the section "Battery".
The battery that is used to test the output
current should be one that has been partially discharged. With a
fully charged battery, the test may not be conducted correctly due
to an insufficient load.
Check the tension of the alternator drive
belt. The belt tension check method is described in the section
"Inspect drive belt". |
| 2. |
Turn off the ignition
switch. |
| 3. |
Disconnect the battery ground
cable. |
| 4. |
Disconnect the alternator output wire from
the alternator "B" terminal. |
| 5. |
Connect a DC ammeter (0 to 150A) in series
between the "B" terminal and the disconnected output wire. Be sure
to connect the (-) lead wire of the ammeter to the disconnected
output wire.
|
Tighten each connection securely, as a
heavy current will flow. Do not rely on
clips. | |
| 6. |
Connect a voltmeter (0 to 20V) between the
"B" terminal and ground. Connect the (+) lead wire to the alternator
"B" terminal and (-) lead wire to a good
ground. |
| 7. |
Attach an engine tachometer and connect the
battery ground cable. |
| 8. |
Leave the engine hood open.
|
TEST
| 1. |
Check to see that the voltmeter reads as the
same value as the battery voltage. If the voltmeter reads 0V, and
the open circuit in the wire between alternator "B" terminal and
battery (-) terminal or poor grounding is
suspected. |
| 2. |
Start the engine and turn on the
headlamps. |
| 3. |
Set the headlamps to high beam and the
heater blower switch to HIGH, quickly increase the engine speed to
2,500 rpm and read the maximum output current value indicated by the
ammeter.
|
After the engine start up, the
charging current quickly drops.
Therefore, the above operation must be
done quickly to read the maximum current value
correctly. | |
RESULT
| 1. |
The ammeter reading must be higher than the
limit value. If it is lower but the alternator output wire is in
good condition, remove the alternator from the vehicle and test
it.
| • |
The nominal output current value
is shown on the nameplate affixed to the alternator
body. |
| • |
The output current value changes
with the electrical load and the temperature of the
alternator itself.
Therefore, the nominal output
current may not be obtained. If such is the case, keep
the headlamps on the cause discharge of the battery, or
use the lights of another vehicle to increase the
electrical load.
The nominal output current may
not be obtained if the temperature of the alternator
itself or ambient temperature is too high.
In such a case, reduce the
temperature before testing
again. | | |
| 2. |
Upon completion of the output current test,
lower the engine speed to idle and turn off the ignition
switch. |
| 3. |
Disconnect the battery ground
cable. |
| 4. |
Remove the ammeter and voltmeter and the
engine tachometer. |
| 5. |
Connect the alternator output wire to the
alternator "B" terminal. |
| 6. |
Connect the battery ground
cable. |
REGULATED
VOLTAGE TEST
The purpose of this
test is to check that the electronic voltage regulator controls voltage
correctly.
PREPARATION
| 1. |
Prior to the test, check the following items
and correct if necessary.
Check that the battery installed on the
vehicle is fully charged. The battery checking method is described
in the section "Battery".
Check the alternator drive belt tension. The
belt tension check method is described in the section "Inspect drive
belt". |
| 2. |
Turn ignition switch to
"OFF". |
| 3. |
Disconnect the battery ground
cable. |
| 4. |
Connect a digital voltmeter between the "B"
terminal of the alternator and ground. Connect the (+) lead of the
voltmeter to the "B" terminal of the alternator. Connect the (-)
lead to good ground or the battery (-)
terminal. |
| 5. |
Disconnect the alternator output wire from
the alternator "B" terminal. |
| 6. |
Connect a DC ammeter (0 to 150A) in series
between the "B" terminal and the disconnected output
wire.
Connect the (-) lead wire of the ammeter to
the disconnected output wire. |
| 7. |
Attach the engine tachometer and connect the
battery ground cable.
|
TEST
| 1. |
Turn on the ignition switch and check to see
that the voltmeter indicates the following value.
If it reads 0V, there is an open circuit in
the wire between the alternator "B" terminal and the battery and the
battery (-) terminal. |
| 2. |
Start the engine. Keep all lights and
accessories off. |
| 3. |
Run the engine at a speed of about 2,500 rpm
and read the voltmeter when the alternator output current drops to
10A or less |
RESULT
| 1. |
If the voltmeter reading agrees with the
value listed in the regulating voltage table below, the voltage
regulator is functioning correctly. If the reading is other than the
standard value, the voltage regulator or the alternator is
faulty.
REGULATING VOLTAGE TABLE
Voltage regulator ambient temperature °C
(°F)
|
Regulating voltage (V)
|
-30 (-22)
25
(77)
135 (275)
|
14.2 ~ 15.3
14.2 ~
14.8
13.3 ~
14.8
|
|
| 2. |
Upon completion of the test, reduce the
engine speed to idle, and turn off the ignition
switch. |
| 3. |
Disconnect the battery ground
cable. |
| 4. |
Remove the voltmeter and ammeter and the
engine tachometer. |
| 5. |
Connect the alternator output wire to the
alternator "B" terminal. |
| 6. |
Connect the battery ground
cable. |
