Battery not receiving a charge
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Battery not receiving a charge
So let me say this first. I am not a mechanic or anything close to it. I do however take pride in trying to do things myself. So my problem is this. I have a 1954 Ford f100 that has a 292 Y Block in it freshly rebuilt. I put in a new voltage regulator (12v) and a new Battery. I have also hooked up 2 different Generators and I am getting the same thing which is my battery going dead after several starts. Once again I am not a mechanic so I would like to know of maybe something I could do or have done to find out what is causing this. I have also read several other threads about this subject or similar to it and it is way over my head. I need extremely simple.
any info will help thanks.
any info will help thanks.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 1,994
Likes: 3
From: Morgan Hill, CA
OKC,
When you install a generator, usually you have to flash the field to get the generator to generate for the first time that you use it.
I don't have a manual for a 54, but there are two common ways to do this. One, with the engine running, you provide power to the field lead for a couple of seconds...by jumpering a wire directly from the battery to the field lead. If your 54 is 12v negative ground, you would jump from the battery positive to the "F" connection on the generator.
You do this because when generators are unhooked and stored, the iron magnets lose their magnetism. Those magnets are augmented by wire windings around them (an electro-magnet) which strengthen the magnetic field inside the generator. In everyday use, the windings create enough magnetism around the iron cores to leave them magnetized...weakly, but enough residual magnetism will be there to energize the generator when you start turning it (i.e. running the engine).
The other method is to motorize the generator by removing the belt and, depending on what schematic your shop manual provides, you usually power the "BAT" terminal and ground the "F" terminal on the generator. It should turn like a motor. The same thing happens to the iron cores...they become magnetized.
I prefer the flashing the field approach because you can hook a multi-meter to the battery and watch the battery voltage when the generator starts generating.
If you do the running engine flash-the-field approach, you should have the engine running at a high idle...enough for the generator to be charging. Generators don't work very well at low RPM settings. If it works, you should see static battery voltage at the battery (something like 12 to 13 volts). When the generator comes on line the voltage will go higher. After you detach your jumper lead (since you only held it there for a few seconds), the battery should slowly climb to regulated voltage (should be around 13.5 volts).
Dan
When you install a generator, usually you have to flash the field to get the generator to generate for the first time that you use it.
I don't have a manual for a 54, but there are two common ways to do this. One, with the engine running, you provide power to the field lead for a couple of seconds...by jumpering a wire directly from the battery to the field lead. If your 54 is 12v negative ground, you would jump from the battery positive to the "F" connection on the generator.
You do this because when generators are unhooked and stored, the iron magnets lose their magnetism. Those magnets are augmented by wire windings around them (an electro-magnet) which strengthen the magnetic field inside the generator. In everyday use, the windings create enough magnetism around the iron cores to leave them magnetized...weakly, but enough residual magnetism will be there to energize the generator when you start turning it (i.e. running the engine).
The other method is to motorize the generator by removing the belt and, depending on what schematic your shop manual provides, you usually power the "BAT" terminal and ground the "F" terminal on the generator. It should turn like a motor. The same thing happens to the iron cores...they become magnetized.
I prefer the flashing the field approach because you can hook a multi-meter to the battery and watch the battery voltage when the generator starts generating.
If you do the running engine flash-the-field approach, you should have the engine running at a high idle...enough for the generator to be charging. Generators don't work very well at low RPM settings. If it works, you should see static battery voltage at the battery (something like 12 to 13 volts). When the generator comes on line the voltage will go higher. After you detach your jumper lead (since you only held it there for a few seconds), the battery should slowly climb to regulated voltage (should be around 13.5 volts).
Dan
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Freshman User
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 33
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OKC,
When you install a generator, usually you have to flash the field to get the generator to generate for the first time that you use it.
I don't have a manual for a 54, but there are two common ways to do this. One, with the engine running, you provide power to the field lead for a couple of seconds...by jumpering a wire directly from the battery to the field lead. If your 54 is 12v negative ground, you would jump from the battery positive to the "F" connection on the generator.
You do this because when generators are unhooked and stored, the iron magnets lose their magnetism. Those magnets are augmented by wire windings around them (an electro-magnet) which strengthen the magnetic field inside the generator. In everyday use, the windings create enough magnetism around the iron cores to leave them magnetized...weakly, but enough residual magnetism will be there to energize the generator when you start turning it (i.e. running the engine).
The other method is to motorize the generator by removing the belt and, depending on what schematic your shop manual provides, you usually power the "BAT" terminal and ground the "F" terminal on the generator. It should turn like a motor. The same thing happens to the iron cores...they become magnetized.
I prefer the flashing the field approach because you can hook a multi-meter to the battery and watch the battery voltage when the generator starts generating.
If you do the running engine flash-the-field approach, you should have the engine running at a high idle...enough for the generator to be charging. Generators don't work very well at low RPM settings. If it works, you should see static battery voltage at the battery (something like 12 to 13 volts). When the generator comes on line the voltage will go higher. After you detach your jumper lead (since you only held it there for a few seconds), the battery should slowly climb to regulated voltage (should be around 13.5 volts).
Dan
When you install a generator, usually you have to flash the field to get the generator to generate for the first time that you use it.
I don't have a manual for a 54, but there are two common ways to do this. One, with the engine running, you provide power to the field lead for a couple of seconds...by jumpering a wire directly from the battery to the field lead. If your 54 is 12v negative ground, you would jump from the battery positive to the "F" connection on the generator.
You do this because when generators are unhooked and stored, the iron magnets lose their magnetism. Those magnets are augmented by wire windings around them (an electro-magnet) which strengthen the magnetic field inside the generator. In everyday use, the windings create enough magnetism around the iron cores to leave them magnetized...weakly, but enough residual magnetism will be there to energize the generator when you start turning it (i.e. running the engine).
The other method is to motorize the generator by removing the belt and, depending on what schematic your shop manual provides, you usually power the "BAT" terminal and ground the "F" terminal on the generator. It should turn like a motor. The same thing happens to the iron cores...they become magnetized.
I prefer the flashing the field approach because you can hook a multi-meter to the battery and watch the battery voltage when the generator starts generating.
If you do the running engine flash-the-field approach, you should have the engine running at a high idle...enough for the generator to be charging. Generators don't work very well at low RPM settings. If it works, you should see static battery voltage at the battery (something like 12 to 13 volts). When the generator comes on line the voltage will go higher. After you detach your jumper lead (since you only held it there for a few seconds), the battery should slowly climb to regulated voltage (should be around 13.5 volts).
Dan
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Starting the truck is what is draining the battery.
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