Contents: On the way to replacing the generator ⇊ We do the repairs ourselves ⇊ Generator malfunctions ⇊
They say cars are like people. There is a certain amount of justice in this comparison. the "life" of generators, for example, is not very different from that of humans. Some units work and reach a mature age, while others suffer from countless malfunctions. Some serve reliably for several years, and then the onset of "diseases" brings them to a stop. The duration of existence of others does not extend beyond adolescence.
Despite this, most generators can be brought back to life. A generator that has been completely overhauled, restored, upgraded - call it what you will - is a completely normal phenomenon. There are two ways in which he can be "born" again.
The first is when the old unit is cleaned with steam jets or simply washed, then painted on the outside and sold as refurbished, often with a replacement "guarantee", in most cases expressed by the phrase: "If it doesn't work, bring it back." Whether such a generator will fail in a month or later is unknown.
The second way is to buy a truly refurbished unit. They are of good quality, as they have been completely disassembled, cleaned, checked, and faulty and questionable parts have been replaced.
Factory reconditioned generators undergo a largely similar restoration process, with small parts such as brushes, slip rings and bearings being replaced as a matter of course. A unit repaired at the factory is as good as new and, with the same guarantees, has a service life close to the service life of a new unit.
In the latter case, the generators are tested for maximum load and power. You get what you pay for. Repainted generators are usually significantly cheaper than high-quality rebuilt units. You can, of course, purchase a repair kit, but if your generator housing is faulty, then you have no choice.
On the way to replacing the generator
Manufacturers' application and replacement charts are usually accurate, but some companies install different brands and sizes of alternators on their vehicles. Even if the old and new alternators appear to be the same, be sure to check the electrical connections, maximum load current, mounting brackets, pulley mounting, and distance from the mounting plane to the pulley - to ensure that the alternator pulley will be in the same plane as the pulleys on the crankshaft and water pump.
Sometimes, even though the unit looks a little different, it can still be used. Despite the difference in "origin", generators most often have the same maximum load current and are manufactured so that all attachment points and connections are in the same places.
The pulley, key and nut may not be included in the repair kit. Then they are moved from the old node to the new one.
It is also necessary to find out what caused the generator failure. If the cause is external, then the installed spare parts may just as easily fail. Today we will talk about the most common generator faults.
We do the repairs ourselves
In addition to replacing the unit, there are other ways to solve the problems mentioned above. For example, many people replace generators when the brushes make poor contact, although this problem can be fixed by simply cleaning them.
The first way is to clean the brushes yourself and for free. Even if you need spare parts, this option will be the cheapest. It is not as complicated as it seems at first glance. If you fail, you won't end up in a worse situation than before.
The second way is to contact a specialist to check and repair the faulty generator. It is difficult to predict how much the repair will cost. It depends on the nature of the fault, the spare parts required and their cost. In any case, your costs will be approximately half the cost of a factory-reconditioned unit, but less than half the cost of a new generator - the savings will be significant.
However, in each of these situations, one must take into account the age of the generator, as well as the economic feasibility of replacing one or two parts (brushes or slip rings), if others are likely to fail soon. For non-standard or expensive generators, replacing parts is preferable, but for the most common models, it makes sense to replace the entire generator.
Generator malfunctions
Probably the very first sign is abnormal operation of the battery charge indicator lamp. If it does not light up at all, the cause may be a malfunction of the lamp itself or its power supply circuit. To find out, disconnect the generator, turn on the ignition and use the indicator lamp to determine the functionality of the circuit on the small connector. The small connector may be labeled Ind, Ign, D+, or 15. If both the test lamp and indicator lamp are lit, then the lamp power supply circuit is good. If the generator does not produce charging current, then the brushes are probably faulty. However, if during the test neither the control lamp nor the indicator lamp lights up, the lamp itself and its power supply circuit should be checked.
When the indicator light does not go out during normal engine operation, the fault is most likely in the generator itself. However, a short circuit in the section of the circuit between the test lamp and the generator gives the same result.
Also check with an indicator for voltage at the large generator connector. It should always be here - if it is not, then check the connection of the generator to the battery. If the voltage regulator on your car is located separately from the generator, it may also be faulty. In this case, it is better to remove the generator and voltage regulator and contact an auto electrician.
The simplest test of the generator load current is performed as follows: the vehicle's side lights are turned on and the engine is started. If the lights do not start to glow brighter when the engine is running, then this is the best evidence that the generator is not delivering current. If you have a voltmeter, connect it to the battery terminals and start the engine. At high cold speeds, the generator should produce current, and the voltmeter should show about 14 V. Do the readings differ by more than 1 V? Either the generator or the voltage regulator is faulty.
In many cases, the constant flashing of the control lamp indicates a generator malfunction, but the malfunction is also possible elsewhere, and the generator, paradoxically, may be in good working order at this time.
And yet, for most car owners, the control light is the only indicator of the generator's serviceability. The most common causes of abnormal operation of the charge indicator lamp and typical situations are given in the table. For example, the line "The control lamp does not light" implies that the ignition should already be on, and at the same time this does not mean that the engine should be running. Generator faults are listed in order of increasing probability of their occurrence. Faults in italics are not directly related to the generator. Below is a table explaining what some of the above mentioned problems may lead to.
(Full text available on the portal hondabook.ru)