GEN 2 light question

[texasdocholliday]

i already searched the forums to find mostly an endless loop of posts telling people to search the forums.......so sorry if i am beating a dead horse.
I have an m1009 and i am moving cross country in 2 weeks...1000 miles fully loaded. My gen 2 light is fluttering on when i am at idle....sitting at a stop light....turning a corner....or slowing for a stop. is this a problem? i shot a video of it....hope that it posts....here goes.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7_btS_WfDo[/media]

 

[SouthernSteel]

Hey Heres a few things i learned The Gen 2 Circuit is working looks like maybe a bad connection Check the wires on the back of the alt first see if any are touchin anything loose or are burnt through Start with all the connections first usually thats where most of these problems come from if they all check out then u will have to start checkin voltage at varies places it can be time consumeing beleive me i know i have near about been over my cucv witha fine tooth comb i have learned quite a few things the hard way GOOD luck hope i helped out a little

 

[texasdocholliday]

one more thing......maybe related...i dunno......when i start the truck......the gen 2 light stays on until i rev it up.......i have checked the voltage at the alternator and the light tells the truth....no juice till i rev it up then its all cool.

 

[SouthernSteel]

Well by tm and talking to some of the guys i know who use to work on these things the circuit is workin then thats what u are suppose to do

i myself aint sure but im sure one of these guys will chime in for ya to me it sounds like a bad ground or a connection just my

 

[doghead]

Rebuild your Passenger side alternator and replace the belt. It sounds like your voltge regulator is going bad.

 

[SouthernSteel]

That makes sense doghead however i have yet to see my gen 2 light lol i will have to remeber that i got 2 new alts so when i make that far we will be good to go

 

[rnd-motorsports]

Agree with doghead sounds like regulater is going bad!!!!

 

[CycleJay]

Hi all,

For some reason, I had the same problem today.

Sometimes the gen 2 light would come on, and at the same time the needle on the
volts gauge on the dashboard would get close to the red zone on the grey side of the gauge.

I just checked the connections on the back of Gen 2, all looks nice, tight, clean, not burned.

The only problem I see on my Gen 2 is an extremely stretched and floppy alt belt.
Could that be what is causing the same problem on my Gen 2?

Any information would be appreciated, thank you..

CJ

 

[Cucvnut]

change the belt but you should get your alt tested

 

[doghead]

Yes Jay, A loose belt will cause the light to flicker or come on near idle.

 

[Barrman]

I agree that it is probably a belt loose. However, it could also be the 10 amp maroon fuse at the very bottom of the fuse block not making continious contact. It is a good idea to un plug the batteries, pull each fuse one by one, clean the contacts ont he block and the fuse and repeat for all of them. Again, I don't think this is your problem, but it could possibly be this if all else fails.

 

[Warthog]

The fuse Barrman is refering to is the 24v fuse. It controls the GEN2 light, 24v relay and finally the GEN2 excitor wire.

I am with Doghead. It sounds like a loos belt or the regulator. If you are making a the long distance trip, it may be good insurace to have them rebuilt as you will not find them at the parts store if you do have issues.

 

[bumble900]

Yes Jay, A loose belt will cause the light to flicker or come on near idle.

I am going to check out the belt when I get home but what about the Gen 2 light flickering while driving after ten minutes?

 

[Warthog]

I am going to check out the belt when I get home but what about the Gen 2 light flickering while driving after ten minutes?

Usually flickering when driving can be two issues. The belt slipping or the brushes in the alternator are not working correctly.

 

[91W350]

One of mine had a dying diode or triode set and it was not really expensive to replace. I had rebuilt it and only about 500 miles later, the light was flashing. I took it to the local auto-electronic specialist here, R/A Electric and it did not take him long to tell me what was wrong. He replaced that triode and we were in business, fat and happy, until a nurse ran a red light and clobbered my baby.... I still love that old white M1008.... almost like losing a dog, thankfully I never lost a child yet. Glen

 

[Disciple]

I'm having the same issues. GEN 2 light flickers at idle and if I let it idle long enough my Volt meter drops to zero. I replaced both alternators and threw in two different batteries, same thing. Talked to a local Army Mechanic, he said it could be a bad cell in one of my batts, but it's still doing it with the other batteries and new alternators. I will have the batteries load tested tomorrow and check my belt tension, but am curious about this Diode or Triode on the back of GEN 2. Could that be it, and if so, where would I find a new one?

 

[Disciple]

Also, I don't have a way to "correctly" check my belt tension. How much play should I see at idle? Whats the best way to check correct tension? Don't want to over tighten them and break stuff that way, but I do have a slipping belt now. I also replace two of the three belts when I replaced the alternators.

 

[Barrman]

Paragraph E-3 on page E-2 of appendix F behind the -20 TM tells you exactly how much pressure should be used to tighten each and every belt on the engine. You will need a belt tension gauge to set it right.

The idea is to pull the belts tight enough not to slip, but not so tight they wear out the water pump or accessory bearings. For your diagnostic reasons, pull them tight and see if it helps. If it does, then loosen them a tad. The general rule of thumb is that you should be able to push or pull a belt at the middle of its longest run 1/2-3/4 of an inch up or down. If you can move it inches, then it is too loose. If it snaps like a guitar string, then it is too tight and probably the wrong width belt if slippage is still going on.

 

[405timothy]

had this same problem a while back, finally pulled both alternators and had my buddy who has 20 years expeience repairng alts check them, he found both diode trios bad, he said always replace these. they are cheap, less than 6 bucks, and really good insurance

 

[Disciple]

"had this same problem a while back, finally pulled both alternators and had my buddy who has 20 years expeience repairng alts check them, he found both diode trios bad, he said always replace these. they are cheap, less than 6 bucks, and really good insurance"

Anyone know the correct name/part number for this?

Also, I noticed in the wiring diagram Warthog posted that it shows a "supressor" between the Pos and Neg Distribution Rails. A while back I found a broken up, burnt-looking bit of wire and plastic wrapped in electrical tape there and removed it, thinking it was the previous owners hacked-up, failed attempt at something. I'm now thinking it was factory.

Anyone know the purpose of this piece and whether or not it is critical?