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Posted by Rob Kleinschmidt on January 2, 2008, 10:39 pm
>
>
> > Just replaced my voltage regulator again after less than a year's
> > service.
>
> > This is an automotive type 3 wire regulator, energizing the alternator
> > rotor through slip rings.
>
> > Is this second failure pure coincidence and bad luck or could there
> > be a problem such as a high resistance or bad diodes taking out
> > the regulators ?
>
> > Any insights or suggested diagnostics appreciated.
>
> Assuming your battery's okay, get your alternator checked out by someone
> good. There are various things a failing alternator can do that will fry a
> voltage regulator. Worse yet, the obvious symptom is a failed regulator, and
> the guilty alternator usually continues to put out some power, so many will
> just replace the regulator and look no further. (Had a sports car years ago
> that was eating regulators. After replacing the third regulator, my mechanic
> figured there had to be more, and found my alternator had a loose wire that
> *sometimes* flopped over where it didn't belong, zapping the regulator.)
Come to think of it, I fried a regulator years ago with a bad
path to ground.
I've already cleaned up the battery terminals which had gotten
crapped up in the humid weather but I should look deeper into
the guts of the charging system.
Thanks
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