- a) check the belt tension and its condition (see Chapter 1) replace the belt if necessary;
- b) check the tightening of the generator adjusting and mounting bolts;
- c) check the condition of the wire connections from the generator to the regulator. The connections must be clean and tight;
- d) check the condition of the fuse wire (if it is installed) between the starter solenoid and the alternator. If it is burnt out, determine the cause, fix it and install a new wire. Sometimes the fuse wire looks good but does not function. Check it;
- d) start the engine and listen to the operation of the generator bearings (a squealing sound indicates a bearing failure);
- e) check the density of the electrolyte in the battery. If it is low, charge the battery;
- g) remember that even one faulty battery bank will overload the generator;
- h) Disconnect the cables from the battery. First the negative, then the positive. Check for corrosion on the contacts and cores of the cables. Clean the connection points;
- i) turn the ignition key to the second position, connect the signal lamp between the negative terminal of the battery and the disconnected negative cable:
1) If the lamp does not light, connect the cable to the battery and proceed to the next step;
2) If the lamp is on, there is a short circuit in the wiring. Fix the wiring defect;
3) disconnect the wires from the generator:
- a) if the lamp goes out - the generator is bad;
- b) if the lamp is on, remove the fuses one by one until the lamp goes out - this will help you identify the short circuit.
2. With the engine off, measure the voltage on the battery. It should be about 12 volts.
3. Start the engine and measure the voltage again, it should be about 14-15 volts.
4. Turn on the headlights. The voltage should drop and then recover. In this case, the charging system is working normally.
5. If the voltage exceeds 15 volts, the regulator must be replaced (see Section 18). If the voltage is less than 12 volts, there may be problems with the regulator, diode bridge, or generator stator.
(The original is located on the website: hondabook)