charging or not

[bloodysalmon]

What's the best or easiest way of testing/checking that your regulator (RF95 typically)?

Scenario is that I don't see the ignition light go off when accelerated or rev'd. I swapped the dynamo and used another (both have been serviced) and saw a glimmer dip at 3k revs

I've used the car for 2 months before the battery then needed recharging again.

[Norman Tuck]

Turn on the lights, rev. the engine, do the lights get brighter?

[bloodysalmon]

Thanks for that Norman, i will try that. I can see from the ammeter that the petrol pump click discharges a few amps, but I see no charge going in when revved, so I suspect the test suggested wont show any difference .... being LED bulbs still work for the test?

[Norman Tuck]

I don't know if this will work with LED lamps.

[SteveW]

Hi Chris,

If you want to run a test with my dynamo you would be welcome to borrow it. When I bought the car it had been taken off but it had 'ok' written on the side of it which, at this stage, I'm taking to mean that it had been tested and was working.

Regards
Steve

[i.thomson]

Chris. This sounds like the control box to me. Stick a voltmeter from the D terminal to earth and run the engine there should be around 16 volts if the throttle is blipped. If not check the field connection wiring from the box and dynamo - the regulator contacts are the likely culprits here. They are the ones on the LHS as you look at it. If you have a good voltage check it is getting to the battery and the rest of the car by putting the meter on the A or/and A1 terminal. The same voltage should be there (and on the battery terminal). If not it is , once again, likely to be the contacts, the cutout ones this time (they close at around 13 volts)- these are the ones on the RHS. I find that cleaning the contacts fixes most problems, the rest is adjustment. I can find some Lucas instructions if you need them.

Ian Thomson

[bloodysalmon]

Hi Ian, what you say even seems understandable to me, which is going some!
I have printed it off and will re-read again tomorrow when in the garage with the TC ... thank you

[Steve Simmons]

Check out the bottom of this page, in the electrical section. There are Lucas test procedures as well as other documents to help diagnose.

http://www.mg-tabc.org/resources/tech/