The video's 4 weeks old now but I've only just seen it, YT sent me here and reading the comments below you've already installed a new alternator, which was probably the best move. Okay, so you tested the diodes and they were okay. The brushes still had plenty of meat so that's okay. Did you test the armature (the part that spins) windings and their connection to the slip rings ? Did you check the stator windings (the windings around the body) ? Assuming all that's okay, then its the regulator module. For a simple test of the regulator module just hook battery voltage to the input and earth of the regulator module. The output voltage at the brushes should be 10 volts or very very close to it. Now not trying to be a smart arse here but since you said you're not an auto electrician, I'll give you a friendly quicky on how it works. Battery voltage goes into the regulator which drops the voltage to 10 volts and holds it steady at 10 volts regardless of engine speed or load, that's why they call it a regulator. The DC field in the armature creatures an AC voltage and current in the stator windings then the diodes rectify the AC to DC. The process of rectifications multiplies the AC voltage by 1.414. That's why the regulator has to drop the input battery voltage to 10 volts. 10 volts at the brushes x 1.414 = 14.1 volts output to the battery. Now regulators vary slightly in their output voltage to the slip rings, they could be as low as 9.8 volts or as high as 10.3. Either way, multiply the regulator output voltage at the brushes by 1.414. The voltage at the output terminal to the battery should not be higher that 14.8 volts absolute maximum. The output voltage to the battery will always be in direct proportion to the regulator output voltage. So if your regulator voltage is outside of 9.8 - 10.3, it's faulty. Too low of a voltage won't charge, too high of a voltage could fry the battery and or other electrical systems in the car. Anyway, like I said, not trying to be a smart arse, just offering some friendly help either for yourself or anyone else who reads it. Cheers.
@oddythechevette you end up replacing everything so you have a brand new car. Depends which way you look at it. Isint it easy to work on comparison to a modern car, I have a 2003 s40 which is old now and I had to do the alternator on that bloody long bolts one snapped on me, had to saw a slot in one end and use a screwdriver to get it out. I would actually dread doing it on my 14 plate mondeo
@@chucky2316 to be honest I had many 70/80's cars back in the 80's and you would spend your weekend fixing and replacing parts, anything from points to wheel bearings all the time. The difference now is some parts are very hard to find but thanks to social media there is always a bloke in a shed with the part you need and yes on older cars bolts snapping is a nightmare...😒
Hi.......if you fit a new battery then the alternator doesnt have to do any work !!! . If it,s a Bosch alternator .......... they had external voltage regulators on them .....(just a box on 2 screws at the rear of the alternator) . The brushes used to wear down 😞 . Yeh ......... just take the reg out,,,,,,, run some 1,200 wet and dry over the 2 copper ummm channels as you rotate the alternator by hand . Just fit a new voltage regulator ... if the spring loaded brushes are worn (they were like carbon squares) and your off to go 🙂 . If it is a Bosches.... the only time they ever failed was if the two copper tracks "merged" and the carbon brushes jumped across . But ???????................ i know the Chevette is a Vauxhall Viva ........ so may have a Lucas alternator ????? . In 1984 ...... GM had "broken" the market with their Nova to Cavalier cars that were world beating with the "J-type" engine ............... (the mechanics could do a head gasket at twice the time of making a Subway sandwich) . The little Chevette stayed in the showroom for around £4,500 🙂...... where it stayed a 60's car 🙂 . I remember on just pulling off ...... the body's used to rock by raising on the drivers side . (i was young then ...... now i,m old and miserable) lol . Good luck my friend . (those Astra 1.8 GTE's .......Mk1....... 130mph jobs......... head gasket..... clutch.....full service.....30 mins) (best engineered cars in Europe) . GOOD LUCK ........ hope ive helped ......... yeh the new battery will override the alternator i think as it should jump to 13.8 volts from about 11.8 volts)
Thanks for your comment😅, it is a Delco Remy alternator and yes I have put new battery with new lucas type alternator on now as need car for my daily but intend to do a refurb on the original just to keep with the car for the future. Yes agree 60's car but I had one as a young 17 year old back in 1989 and loved them then so when I saw this one I took the gamble and well here we are, love the car...
@@pinosgarage Thats brilliant ..... i,m so pleased as new cars are "yuck" . I worked at a massive Vauxhall dealership way back then just to keep me in employment 🙂 . It was a bit rough ... but they were all OK 🙂 . The general manager ?????? . WOW !!!!!!..... he was charismatic .... just mind-blowing . He had a black Opel Senator tuned into Radio 4 ..LW....... with the cassette of ELEMINATOR - ZZ TOP . The man was under so much pressure ..... he'd be walking round having lost all body mass .......... Yeh ... he went to the top ..... holding a tiny secret 🙂 . like we all do ... but i will never say ... Glad your back on the road 🙂
The video's 4 weeks old now but I've only just seen it, YT sent me here and reading the comments below you've already installed a new alternator, which was probably the best move.
Okay, so you tested the diodes and they were okay.
The brushes still had plenty of meat so that's okay.
Did you test the armature (the part that spins) windings and their connection to the slip rings ?
Did you check the stator windings (the windings around the body) ?
Assuming all that's okay, then its the regulator module. For a simple test of the regulator module just hook battery voltage to the input and earth of the regulator module. The output voltage at the brushes should be 10 volts or very very close to it.
Now not trying to be a smart arse here but since you said you're not an auto electrician, I'll give you a friendly quicky on how it works.
Battery voltage goes into the regulator which drops the voltage to 10 volts and holds it steady at 10 volts regardless of engine speed or load, that's why they call it a regulator.
The DC field in the armature creatures an AC voltage and current in the stator windings then the diodes rectify the AC to DC.
The process of rectifications multiplies the AC voltage by 1.414.
That's why the regulator has to drop the input battery voltage to 10 volts.
10 volts at the brushes x 1.414 = 14.1 volts output to the battery.
Now regulators vary slightly in their output voltage to the slip rings, they could be as low as 9.8 volts or as high as 10.3.
Either way, multiply the regulator output voltage at the brushes by 1.414.
The voltage at the output terminal to the battery should not be higher that 14.8 volts absolute maximum.
The output voltage to the battery will always be in direct proportion to the regulator output voltage.
So if your regulator voltage is outside of 9.8 - 10.3, it's faulty. Too low of a voltage won't charge, too high of a voltage could fry the battery and or other electrical systems in the car.
Anyway, like I said, not trying to be a smart arse, just offering some friendly help either for yourself or anyone else who reads it.
Cheers.
Always something with old cars
Yep...but that is the charm I believe, it's like "i want to live" but its going to be painfull for the owner 😅
@oddythechevette you end up replacing everything so you have a brand new car. Depends which way you look at it. Isint it easy to work on comparison to a modern car, I have a 2003 s40 which is old now and I had to do the alternator on that bloody long bolts one snapped on me, had to saw a slot in one end and use a screwdriver to get it out. I would actually dread doing it on my 14 plate mondeo
@@chucky2316 to be honest I had many 70/80's cars back in the 80's and you would spend your weekend fixing and replacing parts, anything from points to wheel bearings all the time. The difference now is some parts are very hard to find but thanks to social media there is always a bloke in a shed with the part you need and yes on older cars bolts snapping is a nightmare...😒
Hi.......if you fit a new battery then the alternator doesnt have to do any work !!!
.
If it,s a Bosch alternator .......... they had external voltage regulators on them .....(just a box on 2 screws at the rear of the alternator)
.
The brushes used to wear down 😞
.
Yeh ......... just take the reg out,,,,,,, run some 1,200 wet and dry over the 2 copper ummm channels as you rotate the alternator by hand
.
Just fit a new voltage regulator ... if the spring loaded brushes are worn (they were like carbon squares) and your off to go 🙂
.
If it is a Bosches.... the only time they ever failed was if the two copper tracks "merged" and the carbon brushes jumped across
.
But ???????................ i know the Chevette is a Vauxhall Viva ........ so may have a Lucas alternator ?????
.
In 1984 ...... GM had "broken" the market with their Nova to Cavalier cars that were world beating with the "J-type" engine ............... (the mechanics could do a head gasket at twice the time of making a Subway sandwich)
.
The little Chevette stayed in the showroom for around £4,500 🙂...... where it stayed a 60's car 🙂
.
I remember on just pulling off ...... the body's used to rock by raising on the drivers side
.
(i was young then ...... now i,m old and miserable) lol
.
Good luck my friend
.
(those Astra 1.8 GTE's .......Mk1....... 130mph jobs......... head gasket..... clutch.....full service.....30 mins)
(best engineered cars in Europe)
.
GOOD LUCK ........ hope ive helped ......... yeh the new battery will override the alternator i think as it should jump to 13.8 volts from about 11.8 volts)
Thanks for your comment😅, it is a Delco Remy alternator and yes I have put new battery with new lucas type alternator on now as need car for my daily but intend to do a refurb on the original just to keep with the car for the future. Yes agree 60's car but I had one as a young 17 year old back in 1989 and loved them then so when I saw this one I took the gamble and well here we are, love the car...
@@pinosgarage Thats brilliant ..... i,m so pleased as new cars are "yuck"
.
I worked at a massive Vauxhall dealership way back then just to keep me in employment 🙂
.
It was a bit rough ... but they were all OK 🙂
.
The general manager ??????
.
WOW !!!!!!..... he was charismatic .... just mind-blowing
.
He had a black Opel Senator tuned into Radio 4 ..LW....... with the cassette of ELEMINATOR - ZZ TOP
.
The man was under so much pressure ..... he'd be walking round having lost all body mass .......... Yeh ... he went to the top ..... holding a tiny secret 🙂
.
like we all do ... but i will never say
...
Glad your back on the road 🙂