wrongway john
Well Known Member
I think I've read most of the archives relating to this, and it seems there has been quite a few with this problem, with no single problem being the source of it.
I’ve had a continual intermittent problem with my 5 amp field breaker tripping on me. Don’t know if it was related, but some 50 hours or so ago, I was starting to get low amp warnings, and my amps were oscillating from 1-3 amps, and then climbing back up to 9-11 or so. It did this about a handful of occasions, but eventually the problem went away. Some 30 hours or so ago, I had my first 5 amp field trip on me. It did this twice, but hadn’t came back until about the last couple of hours. Now it’s gotten fairly bad. Three start-ups in a row, it tripped on me each time after start-up. Two other times, it waited until about 20 minutes into flight before tripping on me again.
B&C first suggested I try replacing my circuit breaker. I did, and that’s when I went 20 minutes before it tripped again. My alternator is a 1998 I think; it’s the L-40 (40 amp) alternator and at the time I was told they only used one wire going into two prongs. It was suggested I take that wire and run a jumper from it to plug into both prongs. I did that as well. Again, I went another 20 minutes before my 5 amp field tripped on me again.
Bill has been great to work with through all of this, and he’s still confident it isn’t the alternator or voltage regulator and that both will easily go to TBO. My whole set up only has 536 hours. I'm not the builder, but for the first 70 hours or so didn't experience this problem. My volts generally show about 14.2 when I’ve been monitoring it. Amps seem to be doing quite well too, with no more oscillating. I turn on and off electrical devices such as landing light, night lights, electric fuel pump, and nothing causes it to trip. The 5 amp field trip just does so at any time. I’ve tracked down the wires from the alternator to the circuit breaker, and can’t find any breaks are bare wire showing anywhere. The terminals and screws show to be secure.
Do you think a good electrical guy on cars, might be able to pinpoint my problem? I’m basically a parts changer, so anyone that can at least read and understand what the ohmmeter is telling them, is better off than me. And if it isn’t the alternator or voltage regulator, nor the circuit breaker or wire going to it, what else is left that you suggest I try?
I’ve had a continual intermittent problem with my 5 amp field breaker tripping on me. Don’t know if it was related, but some 50 hours or so ago, I was starting to get low amp warnings, and my amps were oscillating from 1-3 amps, and then climbing back up to 9-11 or so. It did this about a handful of occasions, but eventually the problem went away. Some 30 hours or so ago, I had my first 5 amp field trip on me. It did this twice, but hadn’t came back until about the last couple of hours. Now it’s gotten fairly bad. Three start-ups in a row, it tripped on me each time after start-up. Two other times, it waited until about 20 minutes into flight before tripping on me again.
B&C first suggested I try replacing my circuit breaker. I did, and that’s when I went 20 minutes before it tripped again. My alternator is a 1998 I think; it’s the L-40 (40 amp) alternator and at the time I was told they only used one wire going into two prongs. It was suggested I take that wire and run a jumper from it to plug into both prongs. I did that as well. Again, I went another 20 minutes before my 5 amp field tripped on me again.
Bill has been great to work with through all of this, and he’s still confident it isn’t the alternator or voltage regulator and that both will easily go to TBO. My whole set up only has 536 hours. I'm not the builder, but for the first 70 hours or so didn't experience this problem. My volts generally show about 14.2 when I’ve been monitoring it. Amps seem to be doing quite well too, with no more oscillating. I turn on and off electrical devices such as landing light, night lights, electric fuel pump, and nothing causes it to trip. The 5 amp field trip just does so at any time. I’ve tracked down the wires from the alternator to the circuit breaker, and can’t find any breaks are bare wire showing anywhere. The terminals and screws show to be secure.
Do you think a good electrical guy on cars, might be able to pinpoint my problem? I’m basically a parts changer, so anyone that can at least read and understand what the ohmmeter is telling them, is better off than me. And if it isn’t the alternator or voltage regulator, nor the circuit breaker or wire going to it, what else is left that you suggest I try?