Charging battery with alternator

[BobRip]

First off you can damage an alternator with an unregulated charge spend the extra dollars and buy one that is regulated. The diodes in an alternator can be damaged by voltage above 16.
I have seen many a unit with a bad alternator that they just change the alternator boost it to start and tell the customer to drive the long way home 3 months later he is back for warranty.
If you have a single battery charge it, by itself.
If you have multiple batteries separate them and charge them independently.
I have a Duramax and use the truck to boost equipment, when this fall I separated them and charged them one took about 2.5 hours to come to light on charge the other 20 minutes. This is with a 10 amp regulated charger. I have an 80 amp charger that I use on some units to bring batteries back from the dead, when sulphated.

My alternator had a built in regulator. Are there any unregulated alternators out there? Certainly not on cars or trucks. Are you referring to tractors?

 

[Johnp33]

Unregulated Charger,

 

[BobRip]

Unregulated Charger,

Got it. Thanks. I agree. You can also damage a battery.

 

[Keoke]

Hi JD & folks, The alternator on the Olds has a built in regulator that reads the alt output voltage at it's 1/4" output stud. The digital voltage reading showing at the dash most likely is coming from the accessory terminal of the ignition switch. This voltage is quite a ways downstream from the alt itself is subject to proximity load draw as well. Bottom line, this is not a good way to check your VR setting. Best best is hook a quality DVM to the output stud on the alt for true VR setting. Alternator output in amps should be low (minimum loads) for this test so that the VR can start to clip field current and thus regulate amperage output. Most VR units set between 13.8 & 14.6 volts, although some OEM's go cheap with small gauge wire will run as high as 15.0 volts
cheers,

 

[Keoke]

Hi John, when two batteries are in parallel, as in your truck, the alt voltage regulator will only see the stronger of the two and thus set the alt charge rate to that battery.
Bottom line, the weaker battery will never get to control the charge rate but will serve as a sump for alt current flow even though this flow may be at lower levels then desired.
Rv's are a classic case of the above. Camping overnight runs the camping battery down but when you start the vehicle in the morning it is the truck battery that directs the the alt output. If the alt VR was to only see the weak camping battery voltage then it would charge it up at a much quicker rate.
cheers,

 

[Johnp33]

I worked on class eights and use to separate them all 4 and charge them separately, to give the best battery life and starting ability. BUT of course as a mechanic i guess I thought my batteries were exempt, at least it was not suphated. That was a bonus.
They Did also make Alternators that did not have integral alternators, Dodge and Ford both used them. As did Lucas.

 

[AKfish]

Ak, Happy New Year, to my buddy up there in the tundra.
Hopping all is well with the JD110.
Hey, we will taking a cruise to coastal Alaska in August.

take care bud,
george

Thanks, George. Used the 110 yesterday (my son, actually) to clean up a 9" snow dump.

August, huh? Well, I've been doing hay in August the past 2 years (later than I'd prefer) and I'm always lookin' for help....

I'll be waitin' at the dock in Seward.

AKfish

 

[JDgreen227]

Hi JD & folks, The alternator on the Olds has a built in regulator that reads the alt output voltage at it's 1/4" output stud. The digital voltage reading showing at the dash most likely is coming from the accessory terminal of the ignition switch. This voltage is quite a ways downstream from the alt itself is subject to proximity load draw as well. Bottom line, this is not a good way to check your VR setting. Best best is hook a quality DVM to the output stud on the alt for true VR setting. Alternator output in amps should be low (minimum loads) for this test so that the VR can start to clip field current and thus regulate amperage output. Most VR units set between 13.8 & 14.6 volts, although some OEM's go cheap with small gauge wire will run as high as 15.0 volts
cheers,

THanks for info you supplied, ditto to everyone else who has contributed to this thread, I have learned a lot from the replies.

 

[Soundguy]

Hi JD & folks, The alternator on the Olds has a built in regulator that reads the alt output voltage at it's 1/4" output stud. The digital voltage reading showing at the dash most likely is coming from the accessory terminal of the ignition switch. This voltage is quite a ways downstream from the alt itself is subject to proximity load draw as well. Bottom line, this is not a good way to check your VR setting. Best best is hook a quality DVM to the output stud on the alt for true VR setting. Alternator output in amps should be low (minimum loads) for this test so that the VR can start to clip field current and thus regulate amperage output. Most VR units set between 13.8 & 14.6 volts, although some OEM's go cheap with small gauge wire will run as high as 15.0 volts
cheers,

Yes, I realize the remote sense function is there to up alt v output so that at the end of the line of the small wire it is close to correct.

when i measured I was measuring at the alt output. Apparrently GM is still going at it with the big hammer and making 15v charge outputs possible.. I like the old 14.4-14.7 jobs.. IMHO.. easier on electrical systems...

soundguy

 

[BobRip]

Yes, I realize the remote sense function is there to up alt v output so that at the end of the line of the small wire it is close to correct.

when i measured I was measuring at the alt output. Apparrently GM is still going at it with the big hammer and making 15v charge outputs possible.. I like the old 14.4-14.7 jobs.. IMHO.. easier on electrical systems...

soundguy

GM drops the voltage as the system warms up. It settles down to around 14.2 volts. I have seen seven years on an original Chevrolet battery. I doubt they are damaging them.