What I saw today at 5:30 AM

[Deleted User]

The other day I posted a note about my antipercolator valves and I think it was Geoff that suggested I might be having a voltage problem. Well, while driving to breakfast this morning at 5:30AM, still dark out, I noticed my generator light was glowing very slightly, if I increased the RPM it got a little brighter. I think I have a generator problem and that could be why my battery isn't charging sufficiently to keep starting the car. I'll send the generator off to get it checked. The brushes are still fairly good but it won't hurt to get the commentator turned and install a new set of brushes.



Harry

[Deleted User]

Harry, Since your going to have the generator off you might have the voltage regulator checked also. I don't know if the Kenosha Hudsons need to have their generators polarized or not but someone will weigh in with that info I am sure.
Bob

[Deleted User]

Bob, thanks, the regulator is new in the last few months. When I replaced it I took the generator apart and cleaned everything and checked the brushes which looked pretty good, I should have had it rebuilt then but I was more worried about getting things running and had bigger problems to fix. I polarized everything when I hooked it all up and the generator light goes out when the car starts. If I hadn't been out driving before daylight I would have never seen the glow of the generator light showing a problem. Now that I know a problem exists though I can't ignore it.



Harry

hudsontech

Harry, I had this same problem with a 1969 Rambler. Light would sometimes come on bright, sometimes dim. I checked everything I could - alternator was fine, regulator was fine. There was absolutely no reason why it should do this.

Finally, in a state of desperation, I took every electrical connection apart under the hood that I could get at and cleaned them - even the plug-in bayonet connections (those do come apart, by the way). End of problem. Apparently one, or more, connections were corroded - happens over the years.

Just a thought.



Hudsonly,

Alex Burr

HudsonTech

www.freewebs.com/hudsontech

Park_W

Harry, Alex (above) may have the answer, or it may be that you have no problem at all. The Gen light operates off the difference between voltage measured at the ignition switch vs. voltage measured out at the ARM terminal of the voltage regulator. Any voltage loss in the wiring between the ARM terminal and the ignition switch will cause current to flow through the Gen light. It's quite common, maybe common enough to be called normal, that one can see the Gen light glowing slightly when viewed in the dark. Try it again, and turn on something that draws a fair bit of current, such as the headlights, and you'll see the Gen light get brighter. So a slight glow is probably OK if it can only be seen in the dark. As Alex says, bad connections, or bad "cutout" contacts in the VR, cause an abnormal voltage loss, making the Gen light glow brighter. The best test of the Gen and VR is to measure the voltage at the battery with the engine running at 1,000 rpm or so. It should be about 7.2 volts on a 6v system; about 14.4 on a 12v system.