FlyingMonkey Posted October 4, 2022 Report Share Posted October 4, 2022 Hey all... Today after starting my engine, the Alternator light pulsed on and off, coming on about every five seconds. Previously I had some issues where after starting the engine the alternator light would come on and flicker briefly, then go out after a minute or so. This time it's very consistent. on...off...on...off... Is this definitely the VRR, or do I need to dig into it more to troubleshoot? I'm trying to get the parts so my airplane will be ready to go to Page, so I want to order the right parts I'll need. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anticept Posted October 4, 2022 Report Share Posted October 4, 2022 What's the bus voltage? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingMonkey Posted October 4, 2022 Author Report Share Posted October 4, 2022 12 minutes ago, Anticept said: What's the bus voltage? Voltmeter in the airplane showed 14 on the ground with the engine running. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anticept Posted October 5, 2022 Report Share Posted October 5, 2022 Sounds like loose wiring then. Check connections. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingMonkey Posted October 5, 2022 Author Report Share Posted October 5, 2022 21 minutes ago, Anticept said: Sounds like loose wiring then. Check connections. Any idea which wires particularly, wiring to the light, or just every wire I can put a hand to? Thanks BTW Corey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anticept Posted October 5, 2022 Report Share Posted October 5, 2022 Start with the regulator connections. It's common for the plastic shell to wear out over time, lowering the effectiveness of the connection force on the pins. Next, remove those connectors and make sure they have a light clamping force on the spade pins individually. They can't be tight or you won't be able to install the connector without them popping out. Next, see if your capacitor is shot. Disconnect it from the system, put an ohmmeter on it, short it with a screwdriver, then watch the meter. It should slowly increase in resistance. Reverse the leads. It should decrease then increase again. If it checks out, put it back in the system. Do you have a wiring diagram for your airplane? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingMonkey Posted October 5, 2022 Author Report Share Posted October 5, 2022 18 minutes ago, Anticept said: Start with the regulator connections. It's common for the plastic shell to wear out over time, lowering the effectiveness of the connection force on the pins. Next, remove those connectors and make sure they have a light clamping force on the spade pins individually. They can't be tight or you won't be able to install the connector without them popping out. Next, see if your capacitor is shot. Disconnect it from the system, put an ohmmeter on it, short it with a screwdriver, then watch the meter. It should slowly increase in resistance. Reverse the leads. It should decrease then increase again. If it checks out, put it back in the system. Do you have a wiring diagram for your airplane? I don’t think so, but I’ll look in the aircraft docs. Thanks for the suggestions. I looked at the regulator and verified all the wires were attached and the connectors weren’t popped out. I’ll check the individual connectors and check the capacitor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anticept Posted October 5, 2022 Report Share Posted October 5, 2022 The individual connectors need to have good contact. If they are not clamping, vibration can cause resistance to vary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingMonkey Posted October 5, 2022 Author Report Share Posted October 5, 2022 4 hours ago, Anticept said: The individual connectors need to have good contact. If they are not clamping, vibration can cause resistance to vary. Thanks. I'll be out there later today, I'll let you know what I find. I greatly appreciate the assistance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Vance Posted October 5, 2022 Report Share Posted October 5, 2022 Once you’ve established good contacts in the connector, packing it with dielectric grease helps keep it that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingMonkey Posted October 5, 2022 Author Report Share Posted October 5, 2022 36 minutes ago, John Vance said: Once you’ve established good contacts in the connector, packing it with dielectric grease helps keep it that way. Will do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingMonkey Posted October 6, 2022 Author Report Share Posted October 6, 2022 I think I figured it out. I tightened up the spade connectors in the block to the regulator, and hit it with dielectric grease. On starting I got a little flicker of the light, but only at very low RPM. I pulled the connector and tightened the bottom yellow “G” wire a little more, and tried again. This time no light. I don’t know that it’s 100% fixed, but it does seem to be a connection problem at the regulator. If it flickers a tiny bit on a cold start at idle rpm I won’t sweat it, but if it starts acting up more than that I know where to look. I should have time to test fly it a bit before departing for Page to make sure it’s good to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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