Table of Contents
How do you know if your voltage regulator is out?
Probably, the most common symptom associated with a bad regulator is flickering, dimming, or pulsing lights. To be more specific, you may notice that the vehicle’s: Headlights fluctuate between bright and dim, without you doing anything. High beam isn’t working as expected.
What happens when voltage regulator is bad?
A damaged or failed voltage regulator can rapidly diminish the alternator’s ability to cycle power from the battery. This may cause the vehicle to experience dimming or pulsating external systems, such as headlights and dashboard elements.
How do I know if my stator or voltage regulator is bad?
The most obvious symptoms of a bad motorcycle stator include no spark, weak spark, or intermittent spark (also known as misfiring). Hard starts and a poorly running engine can also be clues that your stator needs to be rebuilt or replaced.
What is the voltage regulator on a Chevy?
The voltage regulator is built into the alternator on all Chevys made from the 1980s to at least 2010. Simply put, the regulator restricts the amount of voltage being sent to the battery. Without a regulator the battery would receive upwards of 30-volts of power while charging, which would quickly damage or destroy your battery.
What to do if your car voltage regulator is not working?
Being old enough to remember these electrical systems, Memmolo threw in his two-cents in the trouble-shooting department. “If the wiring is all original, check two things. First, unplug the voltage regulator and see if the engine shuts off with the key as normal. If that works, replace the regulator,” Memmolo said.
Do you have to polarize the generator before testing the regulator?
The generator should be polarized before testing the regulator. Most instruction manuals and even voltage regulator instructions state that the voltage regulator needs to be polarized but that is generally referring to the generator since the regulators are not polarity sensitive.
What should voltage drop be on voltage regulator?
“Do a check of all ground connections and a voltage drop test across the battery cables. The voltage drop should not exceed 0.4 volts,” he advised. A side-by-side comparison of the bad regulator to the brand new, off-the-shelf parts store replacement. Forgetting that he had said “check two-things,” Memmolo went on to feed us more information.