C.E. Niehoff & Co. N1241-1 Troubleshooting Guides - Manual (Page 3)

Page 3
TG0043B
D. Basic Troubleshooting
1. Inspect charging system components
Check connections at ground cables, positive
cables, and regulator harness. Repair or replace
any damaged component before troubleshooting.
2. Inspect connections of vehicle batteries
Connections must be clean and tight.
3. Determine battery type, voltage and state
of charge
Batteries must be all the same type for system
operation. If batteries are discharged, recharge
or replace batteries as necessary. Electrical
system cannot be properly tested unless batter-
ies are charged 95% or higher. See page 1 for
details.
4. Connect meters to alternator
Connect red lead of DMM to alternator 28 V B+
terminal and black lead to alternator B– termi-
nal. Clamp inductive ammeter on 28 V B+
cable.
5. Operate vehicle
Observe charge voltage.
If charge voltage is above
33 volts for 28 V system
or 16 V for 14 V system,
immediately shut down
system. Electrical system
damage may occur if
charging system is allowed
to operate at excessive
voltage. Go to Table 1
at left.
If voltage is at or below regulator setpoint, let
charging system operate for several minutes to
normalize operating temperature.
6. Observe charge volts and amps in each circuit
Charge voltage should increase and charge amps
should decrease. If charge voltage does not in-
crease within ten minutes, continue to next
step.
7. Batteries are considered fully charged if charge
voltage is at regulator setpoint and charge amps
remain at lowest value for 10 minutes.
8. If charging system is not performing properly,
go to Chart 1, page 5.
SYMPTOM ACTION
TABLE 1 – System Conditions
Check: loose drive belt; low
battery state of charge.
Check: current load on system
is greater than alternator
can produce.
Check: defective wiring or poor
ground path; low regulator
setpoint.
Check: defective alternator
and/or regulator.
Check: wrong regulator.
Check: high regulator setpoint.
Check: defective regulator.
Check: alternator.
Check: presence of energize
signal.
Check: battery voltage at alter-
nator output terminal.
Check: defective alternator
and/or regulator.
Go to “Flashing Amber” in
Table 2, page 6.
Low Voltage Output
High Voltage Output
No Voltage Output
C. Preliminary Check-out
Check symptoms in Table 1 and correct if necessary.
A. Tools and Equipment for Job
• Digital Multimeter (DMM)
• Ammeter (digital, inductive)
• Jumper wires
If no tools are available, monitor LED code.
B. Identification Record
List the following for proper troubleshooting:
Alternator model number ____________________
Regulator model number _____________________
Setpoint listed on regulator __________________
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Section 2: Basic Troubleshooting
No 14 V Output
CAUTION