Any idea of what this electrical device is

[woodlandfarms]

So my battery died, it is 10 years old so no big deal. Went to Napa as I needed the machine. Put the battery in and it wasn't charging. Grumble. Got into the engine and found a wire broken coming off the alternator and runing into this device before it went to the wiring clip on the side of the ngine.

I am pretty sure this is not factor. Not sure of its purpose. Have had no luck googling it.

Thoughts? Any of you deutz owners have this?

 

[zzvyb6]

So my battery died, it is 10 years old so no big deal. Went to Napa as I needed the machine. Put the battery in and it wasn't charging. Grumble. Got into the engine and found a wire broken coming off the alternator and runing into this device before it went to the wiring clip on the side of the ngine.

I am pretty sure this is not factor. Not sure of its purpose. Have had no luck googling it.

Thoughts? Any of you deutz owners have this?

Looks like a Zener diode. It's a 1-way current limiter (outbound only).

 

[ultrarunner]

So my battery died, it is 10 years old so no big deal. Went to Napa as I needed the machine. Put the battery in and it wasn't charging. Grumble. Got into the engine and found a wire broken coming off the alternator and runing into this device before it went to the wiring clip on the side of the ngine.

I am pretty sure this is not factor. Not sure of its purpose. Have had no luck googling it.

Thoughts? Any of you deutz owners have this?

Yes... it is a diode, guessing about 35 amps and often used to replace the old mechanical generator cut-out with 6 volt charging systems.

Being solid state it eliminates the cut-out points that wear with each make or break contact.

I've converted hundreds of Early Ford Generator cut-outs to solid state this way...

Without a cut-out of another device in line the battery would discharge through the generator anytime the generator output is less than the battery... so a real problem when the engine is off.

 

[BobRip]

It is a diode, probably not a zener. This could be the problem. There is a diode check function on most multimeters. It could be you could reconnect it and that will solve the problem. Be sure to connect it in the same way it was connected. Polarity is important.

 

[k0ua]

As others have said, a Diode. Not a Zener diode. Even if your meter does not have a diode check function, just check it on the ohms resistance scale. If it conducts one way, and not the other it is good. If it is open or shorted (low resistance both ways) it is bad. Unless your meters test voltage is less than the "knee" to turn on the diode, but most will check them just fine. The current rating of that diode is anywhere from 35 to 70 amps. A part number would be good if you had it. Something like 1Nxxxx

 

[woodlandfarms]

I guess I am trying to figure out now why it is in my system. the electrical was at some point messed with and this does not appear to be stock. Thoughts say that there is a back flow throught the alt that this is preventing.

I will pull it out of line and check its condition. A wire broke going to it (Vibration) so it was an easy fix and it is working well.

On a side note, can a Diode fail in the closed position? I have only seen them fail in Open.

 

[BobRip]

It is common to fail closed or shorted, the technical term. Open can also happen.

 

[k0ua]

I have seen plenty of diodes fail in both conditions, open and shorted. (not the same diode of course)