When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
The past few days my batteries are drained over night. I assume this is a regulator problem in the alternatror. Yes or No, am I on track? It is in a 2000, E350 extended 15 passenger van, and appears to have a single alternator and the parts pages show both a 130amp and a 215 amp alternator. How do I tell which I have? It is not really big--maybe 4 1/2 to 5 inches long, and I am guessing about 5 inches in diameter. Some fast help would be appreciated, as I have a 3 day road trip starting tomorrow morning, and I would like to pick up an alternator on the way.
TO me it sounds like the AC rectifier in the diode bridge in the alternator has gone bad. It's passing my memory now, but i do know that if the AC rectifier has gone bad, it will slowly drain DC current from the batteries and leave them dead overnight. The voltage regulator just regulates the output voltage analogy-istic of a throttle plate on a gasoline engine.
TO me it sounds like the AC rectifier in the diode bridge in the alternator has gone bad. It's passing my memory now, but i do know that if the AC rectifier has gone bad, it will slowly drain DC current from the batteries and leave them dead overnight. The voltage regulator just regulates the output voltage analogy-istic of a throttle plate on a gasoline engine.
Would it be better to take the alternator in for service, rather than replacing it?
PS:
(Replying to my own post brought up the other messages for me)
I apologize for hijacking your post...but I have a similiar problem...battery light flickering.
So, I checked both batteries independently and both are registering 15v+.
Next I pulled the connection on the alternator, checked both lines and found 13v+ on one and a similiar reading on the other when the ignition was on in "run".
Next I checked for voltage at the charge post of the alternator, yep, 15v+ so I can rule out a fusible link problem.
Next, pulled the charge line from the alternator, started the Stroke and turned the AC blower on high and the headlights on high...checked voltage coming out of alternator and it only registered .3v
So, bad alternator...or just bad voltage regulator? Can the voltage regulator be changed in these?