While doing a field test away for the weekend I heard the alt disengage when running the engine to charge my batteries. I plugged in and checked and noticed I only had 2% field percentage. Thus no alt output. What do I need to look at to find the source for this. It had been running fine for several days and the field stayed at 65% until that moment.
Also I have never seen my alt produce more than 45 amps and it’s set to max at 80 amps. I normally run my engine at approx 1500 rpms and at 2000 when I am in a hurry. At 1000 Rpms I get between 35 to 45 amps. How can I set up the WS500 to get more output at these engine speeds?
Hi, there are a few things you can check to see what is happening
- What is the charging state? Maybe it went into the Float stage. It displays this on the main screen in the bottom right window.
- Check the alternator temperature and the high limit. (This is not likely the issue as it would gradually pull it back)
As to output there are a couple of reasons why you might not be getting full output.
- If your field is being limited to 65% you have likely de-rated your alternator. This can be changed in Alternator setup parameters. Check to make sure it is not set to \"Small frame\" mode and then use the \"Normal rating\" parameter to increase its rating.
- And keep in mind that most alternators are rated at \"Cold\" temperatures. When they warm up they can loose 20-30% of their rated output
- To get more amps out of your alternator at low RPMs you will need to change your pulleys to make it spin faster at lower RPM and there are a couple things to keep in mind when doing this.
- Check your maximum alternator speed and size your pulley ratio to ensure it does not get exceeded. Most alternators have a 7,000 to 9,000 RPM lmit
- You may need to upgrade your belt system and if not already doing so, go to a serpentine belt with lots of surface area
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Cheers,
Rick
