Overcharging?
 

Hi Everyone! It was a beautiful day so I got my coupe out for a little spring drive. Fired right up after sitting all winter. Only went 5 mikes is so and could smell that "charging battery" smell. Went back to the house and put my meter on the battery. It was charging at 8.5volts. Just went thru last year and cleaned all the cable connections etc.. The amp gauge was only at around the 4-5 amp range. What do you think? Cutout??? Thanks

Re: Overcharging?
 

The cutout is not a regulator.

Was the battery on a tender during storage? If not, perhaps the system was working to replenish the battery. Though I'm not sure you should be smelling it. Further investigation required!

Re: Overcharging?
 

Thanks for the reply. The battery was not on a tender. It did fire right up with no issue though. I did replace the battery last summer. The old one just didn't crank it anymore, and was about 10 years old. The only thing that caught my attention was the smell. It's that "ozone" smell. I work around electric forklifts and smell the batteries all the time when they are on the chargers. Maybe it just needs a good charge? What acts as the regulator on this system? Thanks again.

Re: Overcharging?
 

There is no regulator, unless you add one. Moving the third brush will change the charge rate. I use a regulator, but for a stock generator I wouldn't have the charge rate more than 2 or 3 amps at most.

Re: Overcharging?
 

Sitting all winter and the battery is at 8.5 volts? Somethings not right. Sure you measured it correctly?

Re: Overcharging?
 

Basically the battery. See the link for a short explanation of the three
brush generator. http://www.splitdorfreg.com/Splitdor...or_systems.htm

Bob

Re: Overcharging?
 

Sounds like a battery problem. Disconnect the battery from the car. Put the charger on the battery and charge it an accordance with the instruction on the charger. (I don't know what charger you have, trickle, automatic, fast charge etc.)

You could also just take the battery to be tested.

Re: Overcharging?
 

Don S, I assume your A is 6 volt car?

Re: Overcharging?
 

The battery was at 8.5 volts after driving for about 20 minutes. Don't know what it started out at (from sitting) but the car cranked right up. If the battery acts like it's own regulator, then maybe it is just weak from sitting. I'll get it out and charged up and recheck it and the generator output again. I'm using my good fluke meter so it should be pretty accurate. Thanks

Re: Overcharging?
 

Yup, 6 volts, Pos ground. New battery last summer. Everything stock as far as I can tell.

Re: Overcharging?
 

If a 6 volt battery is reading 8.5 volts, I'd say that it's already overcharged...

Re: Overcharging?
 

Try an analog meter some of the digitals don't like the Model A electrical systems.

Bob

Re: Overcharging?
 

RE; If the battery acts like it's own regulator
The battery does not act as a regulator, that's the job of the mechanical cutout (or modern diode or regulator) mounted on the generator. Check the battery voltage at the post again, it should be just over 6 volts. Have you replaced the cutout? REcheck the AMP output at the generator, maybe you have a bad ampere meter and it is reading low.

Re: Overcharging?
 

Got it on charge today. Going to let it charge up for the day. Located an analog meter to try. I was doing some reading on the cutout too. Just have to see what it looks like after a good recharge. Thanks everyone! I'll try to keep ya posted. Happy Easter!

Re: Overcharging?
 

Really the cutout is simply that, it's just a set of contacts that close once the generator is producing more voltage than the battery. Then it "cuts out" of the circuit when the generator is producing less voltage than the battery... like when you shut the car off. Otherwise current would flow out of the battery into the generator and drain the battery. The cut-out does no "regulation", the third brush can add or decrease the current (amps) but still no regulation.

Re: Overcharging?
 

So, if the cut-out failed to cut out when the ignition is off would mean that the points stay closed and that one could detect the battery voltage on the "GEN" side of the cut-out?

Re: Overcharging?
 

Regardless of the points, if the cutout failed in the closed position, the generator would be trying to turn against the fan belt, as it is really just a DC motor.

The points have nothing to do with it.

Re: Overcharging?
 

I was using the wrong term - when I said "points" I meant the contacts in the cut-out. So when the cut-out fails in the closed position, there would be 6 volts on the "BATT" side of the cut-out and 6 volts measurable on the "GEN" side, which would be trying to motor the generator and turn the fan, correct?

Re: Overcharging?
 

Yes

Re: Overcharging?
 

The ammeter on most cars is NOT an accurate meter. If you truly have 8.5 volts on the battery, you are definitely overcharging. Use an accurate ammeter in-line with the generator, and at cruising RPMs set your 3rd brush for about 3 or so amps of charge. If you replace the cutout with a voltage regulator (in a cutout can style) first set your charge current to about 12 or 13 amps, then replace the cutout with the regulator.