Installation manual
DC
ELECTRICAL
SYSTEM
ALTERNATOR
The
charging
system
consists
of a
DC
belt driven alternator
with a voltage regulator,
an
engine
DC
wiring
harness, a
mounted
DC
circuit
breaker
and
a
battery
with
connecting
cables.
Because of
the
use
of
integrated
circuits (IC's), the
electronic voltage regulator
is
very
compact
and
is
mounted
internally
or
on
the
back
of the
alternator.
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ALTERNATOR
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ENGINE
GROUND
ALTERNATOR
TROUBLESHOOTING
1Ilm==1110RED
SEE
WIRING
DIAGRAM
FOR
WIRE
CONNECTIONS
TO
OPTIONAL
ALTERNATORS.
. A
WARNING:
A
failed
alternator
can
become
very
hot.
Do
not
touch
until
the
alternator
has
cooled
down.
Use
this
troubleshooting
section
to
determine
if
a problem
exists
with
the
charging circuit
or
with
the
alternator.
If
it
is
determined that the alternator
or
voltage
regulator
is
faulty,
have a qualified technician check
it.
The alternator charging circuit
charges
the
starting battery
and the
service
battery.
An isolator
with
a
diode,
a solenoid
or
a
battery
selector switch
is
usually
mounted
in
the circuit
to
isolate the batteries
so
the starting
battery
is
not
discharged
along
with
the service
battery.
If
the
alternator
is
charging
the
starting
battery
but
not
the
service
battery,
the problem
is
in
the
service
battery's
charging
circuit
and
not
with the
alterna-
tor.
Testing
the
Alternator
A
CAUTION:
Before
starting
the
engine
make
certain
that
everyone
is
clear
of
moving
parts!
Keep
away
from
sheaves
and
belts
during
test
procedures.
A
WARNING:
When
testing
with
a
multimeter:
DC
and
AC
circuits
are
often
mixed
together
in
marine
applications.
Always
disconnect
a
shore
power
cord,
isolate
DC
and
AC
converters,
and
shut
down
the
engine
before
performing
DC
testing.
No
AC
tests
should
be
made
without
a
proper
know/edge
of
AC
circuits.
1.
Start
the
engine.
2.
After
the
engine
has
run
for
a
few
minutes,
measure the
starting
battery
voltage
at
the'
battery
terminals using a
multimeter
set
on
DC
volts.
a.
If
the
voltage
is
increasing
toward
14
volts, the alterna-
tor
is
working;
omit
Steps
3 through 8 and
go
directly
to
"Checking
the
Service
Battery"
on
the.next
page.
b.
If
the
voltage
remains
around
12
volts,
a problem
exists
with
either
the
alternator
or
the charging
circuit;
continue
with
Steps
3
through
8.
MUlTIMETER
ING
OR
TESTING
THE
START
BATTERY/ALTERNAT
{ENGINE
RUNNING}
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STARTING
BATTERY
-
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GROUND
3.
Turn
off
the
engine.
Inspect
all
wiring
and
connections.
Ensure
that the
battery
terminals
and
the engine
ground
connections
are
tight
and
clean
..
A
CAUTION:
To
avoid
damage
to
the
battery
charging
circuit,
never
shut
off
the
engine
battery
switch
when
the
engine
Is
running!
4.
If a
battery
selector
switch
is
in
the
charging
circuit,
ensure
that
it
is
on
the
correct
setting.
5.
Tum
on
the
ignition
switch,
but
do
not start the
engine.
6.
Check
the
battelY
voltage.
If
the
battery
is
in
good
condi-
tion,
the
reading
should
be
12
to
13
volts.
TESTING
THE
ALTERNATOR
VOLTAGE·
(IGNITION
ON
•
ENGINE
OFF)
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Engines ·&·Generators
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GROUND
24