Quick voltage question

[mavicator]

My TC seems to be overcharging a bit. If I rev the engine high, the amp gauge go up to +20. Driving normally it sits around +10. If I keep the engine RPMs down is it safe to drive until I get around to fixing the problem?

[davjak@aol.com]

What is the voltage at the battery when the Ammeter shows +20 A? If you are indeed overcharging the battery, battery life will go from years to months.. Dave [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Ian Linton]

Dear All, At the risk of seeming picky (looking for fly dirt in black pepper springs to mind), there have been several anonymous requests for advice to the Group in the last few days. It does help a little if we readers can see a name and general whereabouts (e.g. Fred Flintstone, USA) as well as the car chassis number, otherwise the request looks uncommonly like spam or a scam and risks being ignored. Am I alone in this reaction? Best regards to all, Ian Linton TA 3120, East Sussex, UK

----- Original Message ----- From: "mavicator" websim@pacbell.net> To: mg-tabc@yahoogroups.com> Sent: 11 May, 2005 16:57 Subject: [mg-tabc] Quick voltage question > My TC seems to be overcharging a bit. If I rev the engine high, the > amp gauge go up to +20. Driving normally it sits around +10. If I > keep the engine RPMs down is it safe to drive until I get around to > fixing the problem? > > > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > >

[mavicator]

Sorry, forgot to sign the message. Is there an auto-signature feature on the Yahoo groups? - Steve S - TC8975, LA, CA

--- In mg-tabc@yahoogroups.com, "Ian Linton" wrote: > Dear All, > > At the risk of seeming picky (looking for fly dirt in black pepper springs > to mind), there have been several anonymous requests for advice to the Group > in the last few days. > > It does help a little if we readers can see a name and general whereabouts > (e.g. Fred Flintstone, USA) as well as the car chassis number, otherwise the > request looks uncommonly like spam or a scam and risks being ignored. > > Am I alone in this reaction? > > Best regards to all, > Ian Linton TA 3120, East Sussex, UK > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "mavicator" > To: mg-tabc@yahoogroups.com> > Sent: 11 May, 2005 16:57 > Subject: [mg-tabc] Quick voltage question > > > > My TC seems to be overcharging a bit. If I rev the engine high, the > > amp gauge go up to +20. Driving normally it sits around +10. If I > > keep the engine RPMs down is it safe to drive until I get around to > > fixing the problem? > > > > > > > > > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

[fnitz]

Also, a sure sign of overcharging is boiling of the electrolyte resulting in acid spilling into the battery box. My ammeter goes to +20 after I start the engine and rev it. It then sticks there until I tap the gauge. I haven't driven it enough to know if it comes back down at some point. I'm getting ready to take a 30 mile trip with it, so I should be able to tell. More to follow. Fred TC1353 -----Original Message----- From: mg-tabc@yahoogroups.com [mailto:mg-tabc@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of davjak@aol.com Sent: Wednesday, May 11, 2005 9:21 AM To: websim@pacbell.net Cc: mg-tabc@yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [mg-tabc] Quick voltage question What is the voltage at the battery when the Ammeter shows +20 A? If you are indeed overcharging the battery, battery life will go from years to months.. Dave [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Yahoo! Groups Links

[mavicator]

At +10 the battery leads read 16-17 volts. I didn't want to run it up to +20. I don't have any repair manuals yet, they are all in the mail! Anything to check for or adjust that anyone can think of? Thanks! - Steve S - TC8975, LA, CA

--- In mg-tabc@yahoogroups.com, davjak@a... wrote: > What is the voltage at the battery when the Ammeter shows +20 A? If you are > indeed overcharging the battery, battery life will go from years to months.. > Dave > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[davjak@aol.com]

I had a similar problem on my '57 MGA and found the contacts were sticking on the voltage regulator creating a full charge at all times scenario. Cleaned and the problem vanished.. Dave TC5228 Long Island, NY [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[D&J Edgar]

Steve, Yes make sure the regulator contact part of the control box is clean and opening when it reaches 15.6-16.2 volts at ambient temperature of 86 degrees. You can go to 15.8-16.4 volts if the temperature out is 68 degrees in your Southern California region. And while you are waiting on your books you can go to your MGA books since you have one of those. The regulator is pretty much the same and if fact I stole the parts out of an MGA 5 post and put them in my 9 post. David Edgar, TC 5108 El Cajon, California (And I saw on your web page you have a Cannondale tandem. My wife and I have an aluminum Santana plus a Vision recumbent tandem)

On 5/11/05 9:54 AM, "davjak@aol.com" davjak@aol.com> wrote: > I had a similar problem on my '57 MGA and found the contacts were sticking > on the voltage regulator creating a full charge at all times scenario. Cleaned > and the problem vanished.. > Dave > TC5228 > Long Island, NY

[D&J Edgar]

Steve, On your regulator, the dynamo will charge at a good clip if the battery is low. Put the battery on a charger and make sure the battery is in good shape. Then start up the TC and it should charge fast for a little bit to make up for the juice it took to start the car and then taper off. If the battery is in doubt steal a good one from one of your other cars to test the charging rate. See if it acts differently. In one of your replies you said you measured 16-17 volts at the battery. If it was in the low 16 volt range that sounds within reason. Amperage, (your +20) is a different animal. Once I thought I had a charging problem as the ampmeter was pegged to the side for some time. I turned on the headlamps and that drew some of the current away from going back through the ampmeter to he battery as I was several hundred miles way from home. As it turned out my battery had become low and the dynamo was just trying to build it back up. After driving with the lights on to cut the charging it slowly charged slower and I then was able to turn the lights off and while it jumped up a bit we were looking normal. And on your radiator shell badge question when you do replace it put some Locktite on the threads or even some silicone over the nut and threads to keep it from loosening or backing off. You don't want to have to remove the shell again if it vibrates loose. Major pain. David Edgar, TC 5108 El Cajon, California

On 5/11/05 11:16 AM, "Steve S." websim@pacbell.net> wrote: > Thanks for the info. I'm an electrical wimp but I'll do my best. > - Steve S > - TC8975, LA, CA