T&T: Alternator Misbehavior

[Truelove39 at aol.com]

Hi Jim,
I suspect that the original regulator was not a 3-step and  the new one is.
When the new regulator goes into bfloatb the field voltage is  cut back
and
initially causes the tach to flinch; eventually it may drop to  zero. Because
your tach is powered from this same source (the field) it will  exhibit this
behavior. You have two solutions b live with it and know that  when the tach
drops to zero the batteries are charged, or go with a new tach  that isnbt
driven
from the alternator.
Regards,
John
bSeahorseb


> But when the batteries
become  fully charged, or when the batteries have been on a shore power
charger  overnight, the output voltage from the alternator reaches around
14.5 volts,  and the VDO automotive-type analog voltmeter begins to
fluctuate
wildly.  Concurrently, the tachometers also fluctuate wildly,  which is
disconcerting.  (Actual engine speed does not change.)   Other gauges (oil,
temp) do bobble a very little bit; but nowhere near the  way the voltmeter
does.  This behavior was never observed with the  Cummins OEM alternator, but
that alternator did not achieve output voltages  above 13.6 volts, either,
which was always suspect.








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