Voltage Regulator
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Mountain Pass
Joined: May 2018
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Likes: 12
Voltage Regulator
I installed a brand new ACdelco Voltage Regulator, Part #F662, in an 83 Ford E250 and I have a full 5 amp parasitic draw. When I disconnect the feed line to the Voltage Regulator from the positive side of the battery to the “A” post, the entire parasitic draw disappears. Does this mean the new Voltage Regulator has a short creating the parasitic draw? The charging voltage is correct at high idle, 14.5.
Thanks
mjac
Thanks
mjac
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Mountain Pass
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 217
Likes: 12
That is what I don’t understand. . The only wire I disconnect is the bleed wire running from the positive post of the battery to the “A” Terminal on the Voltage Regulator and the whole parasitic draw disappears. The battery lead wire running from the battery terminal on the Alternator to the positive post on the battery is still hooked up. So I thought that eliminated the Alternator and the Alternator is charging properly. Also the Voltage Regulator is regulating the voltage correctly at 14.5 volts at high idle and it is a brand new ACdelco unit.
Edit: I forgot to mention, I ran the engine at high idle and switched the Fluke115 Multi Meter to “AC” Volts and touched the negative and positive battery posts with the leads and it read 0. The diode test I read said if it reads more then 0.5 “AC’ Volts then you have one or more bad diodes.
Thanks
mjac
Edit: I forgot to mention, I ran the engine at high idle and switched the Fluke115 Multi Meter to “AC” Volts and touched the negative and positive battery posts with the leads and it read 0. The diode test I read said if it reads more then 0.5 “AC’ Volts then you have one or more bad diodes.
Thanks
mjac
Last edited by Mjac167; Feb 7, 2024 at 02:39 PM. Reason: Omission
Thread Starter
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Mountain Pass
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 217
Likes: 12
Well, the new ACdelco Voltage Regulator arrived, so I installed it and…the same thing happened, 5 amp parasitic draw. So it looked like it was not the Voltage Regulator. The best I can figure then is when I disconnect the hot lead from the battery positive post to the Voltage Regulator I am interrupting the circuit back to the Alternator through the Field wire even though the battery lead from the Alternator is still hooked to the battery. With the hot battery lead to the Voltage Regulator hooked up and the 5 amp draw present, if I disconnect the Field Wire from the Voltage Regulator the draw drops almost all the way but not all the way. Does this show a diode problem or other short in the Alternator even though the one Diode Test I know came up negative?
Thanks
mjac
Thanks
mjac
Hotshot
Joined: Jul 2020
Posts: 10,501
Likes: 2,651
From: Near Salt Lake City
Replace the alternator
It has a shorted diode
Delco regulator on a Ford? Say it isn't so
The Motorcraft electronic regulators are a dime a dozen at the junkyard
You fix Chevs using Ford parts not the other way around
It has a shorted diode
Delco regulator on a Ford? Say it isn't so
The Motorcraft electronic regulators are a dime a dozen at the junkyard
You fix Chevs using Ford parts not the other way around
Thread Starter
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Mountain Pass
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 217
Likes: 12
All of this I did not know. I thought all ACdelco parts were superior and I did not want anymore trouble after tracing this down so I got ACdelco to not have to worry about it. I paid a fortune for the thing. I will visit the junkyard and see what they have, it is hard to trust the junkyards around here.
Okay, this is the question, like you said, everything is pointing to the Alternator and bad diode or diodes. Why, when I did the diode test that I know with a top notch multi meter, Fluke 115, setting it at “AC” Volts, running high idle, touching the positive meter lead to positive battery post and negative meter lead to negative battery post there was a 0 reading, where they say if a diode is bad it would have at least a .5V reading? This test could be negative and you still could have a bad diode? This is what I do not know and lead me to wrongly think it was the brand new voltage regulator foolishly.
Thanks
mjac
Okay, this is the question, like you said, everything is pointing to the Alternator and bad diode or diodes. Why, when I did the diode test that I know with a top notch multi meter, Fluke 115, setting it at “AC” Volts, running high idle, touching the positive meter lead to positive battery post and negative meter lead to negative battery post there was a 0 reading, where they say if a diode is bad it would have at least a .5V reading? This test could be negative and you still could have a bad diode? This is what I do not know and lead me to wrongly think it was the brand new voltage regulator foolishly.
Thanks
mjac
Hotshot
Joined: Jul 2020
Posts: 10,501
Likes: 2,651
From: Near Salt Lake City
All you are looking for is if the field stays energized with the key off
The field, when energized turns the case and windings into a big magnet
We would just take a screwdriver and see if it sticks to the middle of the alternator case
If it does, replace the alternator
A/C volts is a no, testing at idle or high idle (might be bad on that expensive fluke)
You need an oscilloscope to really test and see a bad diode in an alternator IIRR
I don't know everything, get a second and third opinion
Maybe have the alternator tested at the parts house (AutoZone) does it free
Yours might test okay unless they actually test the amps output
Sometimes with a bad diode the alternator will charge at one third of its rated capacity
The field, when energized turns the case and windings into a big magnet
We would just take a screwdriver and see if it sticks to the middle of the alternator case
If it does, replace the alternator
A/C volts is a no, testing at idle or high idle (might be bad on that expensive fluke)
You need an oscilloscope to really test and see a bad diode in an alternator IIRR
I don't know everything, get a second and third opinion
Maybe have the alternator tested at the parts house (AutoZone) does it free
Yours might test okay unless they actually test the amps output
Sometimes with a bad diode the alternator will charge at one third of its rated capacity
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Hotshot
Joined: Jul 2020
Posts: 10,501
Likes: 2,651
From: Near Salt Lake City
Just joking about the AC Delco parts
I agree, they are high quality parts (supposed to be anyway)
I agree, they are high quality parts (supposed to be anyway)
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Thread Starter
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Mountain Pass
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 217
Likes: 12
I would have to learn a whole lot more about it, but as the first poster said, search you tube to see how to test for a bad diode and you stating it is a bad diode, the test I read about in 2 or 3 places was to check for “AC” current at the battery with the engine running and if it is 0.5 or above you have a bad diode. I don’t know, I was just going by what I was able to read. It may not be a conclusive test, I don’t know. I could try the magnetized test just out of curiosity. Things are pointing to the Alternator, it is old and under warranty, got one ordered, going to replace it and see if the problems go away then we will know. But the test came up negative and it was charging properly
So you know about them Flukes being expensive.
Thanks
mjac
So you know about them Flukes being expensive.
Thanks
mjac
Thread Starter
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Mountain Pass
Joined: May 2018
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Too late, you got me going to the Junkyard…No, that thing was way overpriced. Like you said, Standard makes the OEM parts for Ford and their’s is 1/2 the price of ACdelco on sale and 1/3 the regular price. That ACdelco engine sealant is good though.
Lead Driver
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 6,259
Likes: 438
From: IL
If you want to check the alternator for bad diodes without engine running. Remove negative battery cable and isolate it. Put your meter to read continuity. Place meter ground lead (BLACK) to positive battery terminal. Place Positive meter lead (RED) directly to the alternator casing if it doesn't read, try scratching the case to make a good contact. it should read between 400 - 800 Ma, if below or above, you have at least one open diode and need to replace the alternator.
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Mountain Pass
Joined: May 2018
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Likes: 12
That I did not know. The test I did was to put the Fluke 115 Multi Meter to “AC” Volts and with the engine running at high idle put read lead on positive terminal and black lead on negative terminal. It said if it reads more the .5 “AC” Volts, a diode is bad. Mine read 0. Is your test more accurate for testing for a bad diode?
The long and short of it is,I replaced the Voltage Regulator 3 times, changed the Alternator and those were not causing the parasitic draw, it turned out to be a switch I had installed to turn on the ignition. I could not figure it out,I thought the Voltage Regulator and Alternator were the only two things in the circuit, then I remembered the switch is in the circuit… I won’t go into what I did wrong.
Thanks
mjac
The long and short of it is,I replaced the Voltage Regulator 3 times, changed the Alternator and those were not causing the parasitic draw, it turned out to be a switch I had installed to turn on the ignition. I could not figure it out,I thought the Voltage Regulator and Alternator were the only two things in the circuit, then I remembered the switch is in the circuit… I won’t go into what I did wrong.
Thanks
mjac
Lead Driver
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 6,259
Likes: 438
From: IL
It isn't the fact of either test being more accurate than the other. Mine is simply easier to do IMO, just because the engine isn't running so there's less of a chance to get caught in moving parts of the engine or if you happen to drop your lead, it won't get chewed up and possibly sent through the radiator and condenser., but either test is fine, whichever you prefer.