Date: Tue, 18 May 2004 10:31:47 -0700
Reply-To: Rob Campbell <rob@PHEMP.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Rob Campbell <rob@PHEMP.COM>
Subject: Using Isolator with Adjustable Voltage Regulator?
In-Reply-To: <IAEGJDDNGCHLDAELNAOBIEMLGGAA.hahn@alkifoundry.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
The suggestions for an adjustable voltage regulator on the isolator is a
good one; however it seems -some- people are running an isolator with
stock regulator and optima batteries with no problems. Flukes? I'm the
fluke? Their non-adjustable regulators happen to be slightly generous,
where mine is not?
As I understood it, the isolator install interrupts the voltage
regulator signal anyway (the tabs where its connects to alternator are
bent, and a wire is added to intercept the signal), so would the
adjustable regulator make any difference?
Mostly, at this point, I'm trying to find qualified help with this, and
am not having luck so far. I'm close to exhausting the VW specialists
in Seattle (speak up if you want some work!), so I'm wondering about
trying RV places and general automotive electricians. I'm not sure who
would be best at this kind of thing.
Thanks
Hahn Rossman wrote:
>The bosch regulator is a known problem. Searcing the archives, or for that
>matter google willl turn up a host of sites involving various european cars
>and some other solution for the voltage regulator. Just recently Jeff
>Kennedy posted a glowing report on this:
>http://www.linkline.com/personal/dbarton/AdjustableVoltage.html
>I think your problem is that the regulator is unwilling to produce more than
>13.8 volts, which is the minimum you should be charging a battery with, and
>with the additional voltage drop in the isolator...well you get the picture.
>Good luck.
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com]On Behalf
>Of Rob Campbell
>Sent: Monday, May 17, 2004 9:19 PM
>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>Subject: Battery isolator trouble
>
>
>Hello-
>
>A while back I installed an auxillary battery and a surepower isolator.
>I thought all was well for a while, but its not. The batteries arent
>charging.
>
>Alternator is putting out 13.8... which sounds normal. With engine on,
>the batteries are reading about 11.9-13.2, depending. Same reading on
>the respective isolator terminals. The "Alternator" terminal on
>isolator reads as high as 13.95, and the "regulator" terminal reads as
>high as 14.07, but the surepower manual says it should be 14.8 to 15.5
>to account for the voltage drop across the isolator diodes.
>
>
>
>
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