I get 14.8V at battery when idling and ammeter shows 15 amp charging but when I turn on headlights, the battery voltage drops to 12.5V and ammeter shows 15 amp discharge. If I increase rpm the battery votage will get to 13V and ammeter will get to zero. Is this normal?
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Re: 1959 electrical question
Sounds pretty normal but if you increase the RPM to, lets say 3000, you should see some charging when the headlights are on. You just might need a little adjustment on your voltage regulator.
greetings,
Rob.Rob.
NCRS Dutch Chapter Founder & Board Member
NCRS Software Developer
C1, C2 and C3 Registry Developer -
Re: 1959 electrical question
James,
The ammeter should only swing to the charge side if the battery is down, like right after a start or you have a high load on the system. If the battery is fully charged, it should show almost 0 amps. The nominal voltage should be aroung 14- 14.5 volts when the speed is above idle. Modern cars show voltage rather than current, it is a more accurate indication of what is really going on with the charging system. If your system is only running 13 volts, you can adjust the voltage up inside the regulator.
Regards, John McGrawComment
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