Battery durability/generator question

Hey all,
My generator crapped out on the way back from work today. I drove about 15
minutes in daylight with it down. I need to drive a total of two hours tomorrow
(to and fro work) with no headlights on or windshield wipers. Do you think the
battery will hold out long enough for me to make it?
As for the generator it is a new Bosch unit, less than a year old. I had the
heater on and could smell something burning, kind of a sweet smell, and then
the red light came on. Belt was fine, no smoke spewing forth but there was a
cigarette but sized bit of brown, papery like material that I pulled out of the
gennie. Any ideas of what happened here?
--Dan E

Hmmmmm interesting........I suggest you get a new battery, then if that
doesnt work take the car to trustwoethy and reliable mechanic. Thank you
for your time sir
"Braukuche" > wrote in message
...
> Hey all,
> My generator crapped out on the way back from work today. I drove about 15
> minutes in daylight with it down. I need to drive a total of two hours
tomorrow
> (to and fro work) with no headlights on or windshield wipers. Do you think
the
> battery will hold out long enough for me to make it?
> As for the generator it is a new Bosch unit, less than a year old. I had
the
> heater on and could smell something burning, kind of a sweet smell, and
then
> the red light came on. Belt was fine, no smoke spewing forth but there was
a
> cigarette but sized bit of brown, papery like material that I pulled out
of the
> gennie. Any ideas of what happened here?
> --Dan E

Hi

Depends on your battery rating. My gen packed up on my split bus months
ago. I got a bigish battery on it and can go a week or two between
charges. driving an hour a day, with some night driving !
Then there is my wife with her austin mini (uk), will only fit a small
battery in the tray, with a working alternator etc and it still wont
start some mornings !

Can you charge it up at work for the return journey ?

I think once you got it started it needs to be really flat before your
engin stalls.


Rich

Braukuche wrote:
> Hey all,
> My generator crapped out on the way back from work today. I drove about 15
> minutes in daylight with it down. I need to drive a total of two hours tomorrow
> (to and fro work) with no headlights on or windshield wipers. Do you think the
> battery will hold out long enough for me to make it?
> As for the generator it is a new Bosch unit, less than a year old. I had the
> heater on and could smell something burning, kind of a sweet smell, and then
> the red light came on. Belt was fine, no smoke spewing forth but there was a
> cigarette but sized bit of brown, papery like material that I pulled out of the
> gennie. Any ideas of what happened here?
> --Dan E

Sounds like your regulator is faulty, and fried the generator. It would be a
good idea to disconnect the generator and not rev the engine, if you decide
to drive it, otherwise the gen will continue to burn...

While the engine is running, the ignition system draws something like 2.5 to
3.5
amps.
In the worst case of (3.5 amps, + 1 amp for reserve) X 2 hours = 9 Ah. If
the battery is in a decent condition it will have a capacity of more than
20Ah,
so I wouldn't worry about it. It would be good if you can charge it
overnight.

Bill,
'67 bug.

"Braukuche" > wrote in message
...
> Hey all,
> My generator crapped out on the way back from work today. I drove about 15
> minutes in daylight with it down. I need to drive a total of two hours
> tomorrow
> (to and fro work) with no headlights on or windshield wipers. Do you think
> the
> battery will hold out long enough for me to make it?
> As for the generator it is a new Bosch unit, less than a year old. I had
> the
> heater on and could smell something burning, kind of a sweet smell, and
> then
> the red light came on. Belt was fine, no smoke spewing forth but there was
> a
> cigarette but sized bit of brown, papery like material that I pulled out
> of the
> gennie. Any ideas of what happened here?
> --Dan E


"Braukuche" > wrote in message
...
> Hey all,
> My generator crapped out on the way back from work today. I drove about 15
> minutes in daylight with it down. I need to drive a total of two hours
> tomorrow
> (to and fro work) with no headlights on or windshield wipers. Do you think
> the
> battery will hold out long enough for me to make it?
> As for the generator it is a new Bosch unit, less than a year old. I had
> the
> heater on and could smell something burning, kind of a sweet smell, and
> then
> the red light came on. Belt was fine, no smoke spewing forth but there was
> a
> cigarette but sized bit of brown, papery like material that I pulled out
> of the
> gennie. Any ideas of what happened here?
> --Dan E

>Sounds like your regulator is faulty, and fried the generator. It would be a
>good idea to disconnect the generator and not rev the engine, if you decide
>to drive it, otherwise the gen will continue to burn..<

Curious, why do you think it would be the regulator? Is there some way I can
test the regulator to see if it is faulty before I replace the generator and
end up frying another one? If I convert over to an alternator what do I have to
change other than the pedestal?
--Dan E

The regulator used with the generators, has two relays in it. The one is
used to select between high and low charging rate, depending on the voltage
on the battery's terminals. The other is used to protect from overcurrent or
reverse current or something, I can't remember now.

When the battery is in low charge state, the voltage on it's terminals will
be lower (eg 12.5-13V with the engine running) than when the battery is
fully charged (14-15V with the engine running). So the regulator should
select high charging rate when the battery is not fully charged and low
charging rate otherwise.
Things gets a bit more complicated when the engine is running at high revs,
or when you turn on the headlights which draw a significant current. When
the engine revs high, the power output of the generator exceeds what the
battery can absorb with charging, and the voltage is raised (the battery is
being overcharged), so the regulator should switch to low charging rate. But
when you turn on the head lights, they draw the excess power, so the
regulator should switch back to high charging rate.

If the regulator fails to switch from high charging rate to low charging
rate at the correct voltage threshold, or if the batery is damaged and the
voltage won't climb to 14-15 Volt when fully charged, then the generator
will work allways hard, at it's maximum power output. And if you rev the
engine at high rpms, the generator will fry.

I don't have a test procedure for the regulator handy, maybe someone else
has. But you have to use a Bosch regulator matching the generator.

The alternators usually have an internal electronic / solid state regulator,
which adjusts the output voltage of the alternator to a constant 14.2V (if
the revs are enough).
So if you replace the gen with an internally regulated alternator, you have
to remove the old regulator. The (internally regulated) alternator has two
terminals, a B+ terminal which goes directly to the battery (and the
fusebox), and a second that goes directly to the speedo light.

Setup with regulator
--------------------

Battery _____________
========| |======= Gen +
| Regulator |
------------|____________|----------- Gen DF
Speedo light


Setup with alternator
---------------------

Battery - - - - - -
======================== Alt B+
| |
------------------------------------ Alt Speedo light
Speedo light - - - - - -

^
Removed regulator.


Bill,
'67 Bug.



"Braukuche" > wrote in message
...
> >Sounds like your regulator is faulty, and fried the generator. It would
> >be a
>>good idea to disconnect the generator and not rev the engine, if you
>>decide
>>to drive it, otherwise the gen will continue to burn..<
>
> Curious, why do you think it would be the regulator? Is there some way I
> can
> test the regulator to see if it is faulty before I replace the generator
> and
> end up frying another one? If I convert over to an alternator what do I
> have to
> change other than the pedestal?
> --Dan E