Having done this many years ago on my van and several early cars the Gen/Fan light will have a very low glow to it, everything is working perfectly though. When you turn the lights on the glow gets brighter and the wipers make it brighter and the heater fan combined with everything else you can see the glow in daylight. Some people can't handle the glow so they put a resistor across the light as shown in one of the last diagrams.

Personally I just lived with the glow for a 100,000 miles! Just know that the glow is there and if the alt quits working the light will be full bright like when you turn the key on.

Ken Hand
Handy Car Care
248 613 8586

Vairmech@aol.com

Great feedback - Thanks Ken!

I'm still at Electrical DEFCON 3 worried about killing another battery . . .

Getting over it slowly though.

gerg
Monroe, LA

Current cars and other fun stuff -> [gregblakeney.smugmug.com]

I'm not saying you don't have a problem but the battery not having water in it means it was trashed anyway.

Joel
Northlake, TX
5 Ultravans, 138 Corvairs and counting...

It also means the system was charging the battery, as water is not depleted when current is used out of the battery, just in when it is charging. Unless you are in some reaaaaallly hot area...


Also, word to the wise.NEVER start to measure current with an ammeter set to microamps. Always start on the 10 Amp scale and work your way down to where the meter reads. Those fuses in the DMM are expensive, and the old analog meters just bend the pointer-destroy the internal spring and the smoke comes out.

I realize there are some dedicated to the HVAC tech Fluke meters that only have a microamp scale. Do not use them for vehicle work!

Frank DuVal

Fredericksburg, VA

CoCoCo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> That first diagram seems incorrect to me.
> I'm no expert, so if I'm wrong someone can correct my information. But the secondary wire with the resistor should NEVER be on the ACC circuit as far as I know. Otherwise every time the key is in the ACC position while listening to the radio or whatever, the voltage regulator is energized and likely draining the battery very quickly via the alternator.
> I realize it's depicting an externally regulated alt, but that should not matter.
>
> As far as I know both circuit paths should only be energized in the ON position of the key.
>
> The resistor circuit is so that if the bulb burns out there is a secondary path for power from the ignition switch to turn on the alternator.
> Otherwise your charging system would stop working along with a bad bulb in the dash.
> It's a simple bypass using the "path of least resistance" concept.
>
> Unless I'm wrong of course...
>
> Paul

Actually... in typical 10Si conversions, you want to avoid directly connecting to the IGN circuit. A 10Si, unlike an external regulator, can provide enough current to keep the engine running even when you switch the key off.

The typical way to achieve the separation in a 10SI conversion is to excite the alternator with an ACC circuit. This way, when the key is OFF, ACC and IGN are no longer connected to each other so the alternator exciter cannot feed back into the ignition.

Use of a diode in the exciter line will also prevent Exciter>IGN feedback. Fortunately, Corvairs don't seem to suffer from the issue.

Craig N. Coeur d'Alene ID.
66 Black Monza 4dr, 4.2L V8 49k
61 Seamist Jade Rampside 140 PG
65 Canadian Monza 4dr 110/PG 40k
66 Sprint Corsa convt - First car! Re-purchased 43 years later
2+2 gnatsuM 5691

+17 Tons of parts

Frank DuVal Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It also means the system was charging the battery, as water is not depleted when current is used out of the battery, just in when it is charging. Unless you are in some reaaaaallly hot area...
> SNIP>>>>>>>>

I have to say yes and NO with this.

I have seen totally dead batteries that have had no visible water in them. I would just barely cover the plates and start charging with an old fashioned charger, the new electronic chargers are junk trying to charge a dead battery. They see no voltage and think there is no connection and will not charge.
Anyway after just covering the plates and putting the old fashioned charger on I hit it with the start amperage for a little bit to give it a jump start, pun intended! I have brought back batteries from that condition but not after they have sat like that for any length of time.
BTW, I am talking about a lead acid battery that has removable caps for filling and checking water level.

Ken Hand
Handy Car Care
248 613 8586

Vairmech@aol.com