[Healeys] Voltage Regulator Problems

[mike brooks]

Rich,

Time to get the multimeter out! I just went down to look at my BN2 with
the circuit diagram and put thinking cap on. The charging lamp is a 12volt
bulb, so it should be good for up to about 13 or 14volts before it blows
(roughly). So full charging voltage on the lamp may well blow it. From your
symptoms, you are seeing the increasing voltage from the generator on one side
of the lamp (wire 25, regulator terminal D and generator D) but not the
battery voltage (wire 9 from fuse) on the other. In fact to get the full
charging voltage on the lamp you must have the battery side of the lamp
grounded rather than connected via wire 9 to the battery via the fuse. I would
check the wiring first and then check voltages:-

1. Generator side of lamp to
ground (should be anything from a little under 12 volts at idle up to
regulated voltage (mine's about 13.5) as the revs increase)).
2. Battery side
of lamp to ground (obviously should be battery voltage).

I wonder if the
battery side of the lamp has been grounded at the tachometer?

Hope that helps
Mike Brooks
BN2
Milano, Italy

Rich C wrote:

>Hello all,
>
>I have a BN2 here
with a freshly rebuilt generator and a new RB106 regulator.
>Both have been
bench tested and the regulator contacts cleaned and dressed,
>and the
regulator bench set by my rebuilder. Everything has been polarized for
>Positive earth.
>
>I installed all the above into the car and started the
engine. The generator
>is charging properly. The ignition light will not go
out, but in fact as the
>revs are increased, the charging indicator light
glows brighter until it burns
>out!
>
>What is happening here? Everything
worked fine on the bench under varying
>loads. I'm rather gun shy of monkeying
with the regulator as once upon a time
>I caused an instant and nasty harness
melt down.
>
>Rich Chrysler