Voltage reducers...
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Junior User
Joined: Nov 2003
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From: Hendersonville TN
Voltage reducers...
I have a couple on my 54 F-100 for the heater and wipers...I just found out that they are reading 12 volts on both sides!Why?And why haven't the motors fried?thanks!
Senior User
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 488
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From: Bel Air USA
I'm assuming that they are just resistors. I have not actually ever seen one. If they are just resistors, than without the load on full battery voltage will be across the open circuit. Which in this case is the output of the reducer to ground. This is just basic electronics.
Let me know what voltage you get with the motor running.
Let me know what voltage you get with the motor running.
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Joined: Jan 2001
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From: Virginia
Think of the wire as a water pipe.
The battery is a pump putting out 12psi of water pressure.
The resistor is a restriction in the pipe.
When you turn on the valve at water wheel at the end of the pipe(the heater motor or wiper motor), the water starts flowing very fast. The restriction in the pipe reduces the water to 6psi at the water wheel.
When you turn the water valve off, there is no flow of water in the pipe, and the pump(battery) keeps filling the whole system till it reaches 12psi everywhere in the system.
The battery is a pump putting out 12psi of water pressure.
The resistor is a restriction in the pipe.
When you turn on the valve at water wheel at the end of the pipe(the heater motor or wiper motor), the water starts flowing very fast. The restriction in the pipe reduces the water to 6psi at the water wheel.
When you turn the water valve off, there is no flow of water in the pipe, and the pump(battery) keeps filling the whole system till it reaches 12psi everywhere in the system.
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 56,971
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From: Virginia
I have been down this road with the 53 f100 I had. A simple resistor on the wiper motor does not work very good. You will find as the load varies on the wipers, the motor speed will vary. So if you set it up with the windshield dry, when you have to use them in the rain, there is much less physical resistance on the windshield, and the wipers will move very fast, so fast that they will actually coast by the cam switch when you turn them off, and keep running with the switch off.
This is the nature of the resistor, since the more current the motor draws(more water flow through the pipe restriction), the less pressure(voltage) is available. But aftermarket 12 volt conversion motors are expensive. You may be able to find a regulated 12-6volt electronic reducer which will not have this problem.
With the fan motor, I just took a 12 volt motor out of a later model car, and modified the heater box to accept it(a little sheetmetal work).
This is the nature of the resistor, since the more current the motor draws(more water flow through the pipe restriction), the less pressure(voltage) is available. But aftermarket 12 volt conversion motors are expensive. You may be able to find a regulated 12-6volt electronic reducer which will not have this problem.
With the fan motor, I just took a 12 volt motor out of a later model car, and modified the heater box to accept it(a little sheetmetal work).
