<html><head></head><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:HelveticaNeue, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif;font-size:16px"><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475870055324_7230"><span>yes, its all odd.</span></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475870055324_7232"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475870055324_7231">im sure it was pushing 15 amps back into the battery. </span></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475870055324_7233"><span>no motor running and lights on shows a discharge</span></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475870055324_7200"><span>and with the in line 35 amp fuse and it having blown also leads me to believe its true.</span></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475870055324_7200"><span><br></span></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475870055324_7200"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475870055324_7234">i know it can blow the battery up. seen it twice in my life</span></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475870055324_7199"><span><br></span></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475870055324_7198"><span><br></span></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475870055324_7196"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475870055324_7197">i hate messing with those bloody control boxes. that's why i went to an alternator in the first place.</span></div><div class="qtdSeparateBR" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475870055324_7195"><br><br></div><div class="yahoo_quoted" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475870055324_7078" style="display: block;"> <div style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475870055324_7077"> <div style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475870055324_7076"> <div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475870055324_7170"> <font size="2" face="Arial" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475870055324_7169"> <hr size="1" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475870055324_7214"> <b><span style="font-weight:bold;">From:</span></b> Randall <TR3driver@ca.rr.com><br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">To:</span></b> 'Frank Fisher' <yellowtr3@yahoo.com>; 'Triumphs List' <triumphs@autox.team.net> <br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sent:</span></b> Friday, October 7, 2016 3:36 PM<br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Subject:</span></b> RE: [TR] tr3 generator woes<br> </font> </div> <div class="y_msg_container" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475870055324_7075"><br>> at idle the amp meter read that the generator was pushing 15 amps back (+)<br clear="none"><br clear="none">That alone seems very odd to me. There is some variation, and of course two<br clear="none">different units fitted as original; but I've never seen a stock TR3<br clear="none">generator that could put out 15 amps at idle. Are you sure it was charging<br clear="none">and not discharging?<br clear="none"><br clear="none">> i didn't think the tr3 generator was capable of putting out 35 amps? i<br clear="none">> guess im wrong?<br clear="none"><br clear="none">It can do it, but not for long! The control box should limit the flow of<br clear="none">current to well under 35 amps even right after starting. It can go a little<br clear="none">higher than the rated current (either 19 or 22 amps, depending on whether<br clear="none">it's the earlier C39 or later C40 generator) for a minute or two, but any<br clear="none">more than that risks overheating and damaging the generator.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Even with a heavily discharged battery, the voltage should quickly rise to<br clear="none">where the control box limits the current. But it is possible to have a<br clear="none">shorted cell and still start the car. That can lead to overcharging and<br clear="none">again can damage the generator. So IMO it's wise to keep an eye on the<br clear="none">ammeter, and if you should see more than 20 amps (the ignition draws 2 or 3<br clear="none">amps) for more than just a minute or two after starting; stop and<br clear="none">investigate. If necessary, shut the engine off, pull the wire off the 'F'<br clear="none">terminal, and drive home without the generator.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Worth noting that continuous overcharging can also damage the rest of the<br clear="none">car. An overcharged lead-acid battery generates an explosive mixture of<br clear="none">hydrogen and oxygen (that "boiling" you see in the electrolyte is actually<br clear="none">water being converted back into it's component gases). If a spark happens<br clear="none">or something gets hot enough, the mixture can explode, blowing the battery<br clear="none">apart and even setting fire to the car!<br clear="none"><br clear="none">I'll never forget some stranger knocking on the door and asking "Did you<br clear="none">know your car was smoking?"! Although in that case, it was a non-LBC with a<br clear="none">shorted battery and a home-made battery charger. Fortunately I got the fire<br clear="none">out before the damage was too severe, but it burned the paint off the hood<br clear="none">and ruined nearby hoses & wires.<div class="yqt0369416723" id="yqtfd52911"><br clear="none"><br clear="none">> first thing is to get the in line fuse out.</div><br clear="none"><br clear="none">Yeah, the fuse is a bad idea, IMO. If it should blow, most likely the<br clear="none">generator field will remain connected to the battery (through the cutout and<br clear="none">regulator relays), so the output voltage will go very high and, very likely,<br clear="none">ruin the unit. Just like with current, the generator is quite capable of<br clear="none">developing enough voltage to ruin itself.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Although perhaps not necessary, I think I would disassemble the points on<br clear="none">the regulator relay for inspection and cleaning. IMO this is a periodic<br clear="none">maintenance item every 10 years or so (even though again, the book says<br clear="none">leave it alone).<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Right after that, I would check and adjust the contact gaps for both relays<br clear="none">in the control box, followed by adjusting the tension on the regulator<br clear="none">relay. The book claims these adjustments are made during manufacture; but<br clear="none">no manufacturer has been doing that for a long time. So even brand new<br clear="none">units need to be checked and (usually) adjusted.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">As a side note, the TR4 workshop manual gives an easier alternative to<br clear="none">disconnecting the wires from A and A1. Instead, leave the wires connected<br clear="none">and place a piece of paper or thin cardboard in the cutout contacts. I find<br clear="none">it helpful to tear it into a rough "U" shape so it stays in place easier.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">If it still doesn't act right; try the troubleshooting steps given at<br clear="none"><a shape="rect" href="http://tinyurl.com/hu23223" target="_blank" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1475870055324_7235">http://tinyurl.com/hu23223</a><br clear="none"><br clear="none">-- Randall<div class="yqt0369416723" id="yqtfd67707"><br clear="none"><br clear="none"></div><br><br></div> </div> </div> </div></div></body></html>