Alternator / Regulator evaluation

[MSter]

Main Sail,
Much thanks for all your posts and informative articles.
We're cruising on our 1988 38' Sabre purchased last june and have just had either our alternator or regulator fail and need to know how to determine which of the 2 is the culprit.
Our engine is a Westerbeke 33A, the Alt is vintage 1996 Balmar 70 amp with a Balmar ARS II regulator.
Two group 31 AGM batt's approx 3 years old.
Yest when we started the engine the tach did not show engine speed and the batt monitor did not register 13.8 to 14 volts as usual. Tach shows 0, and regulator " lights" not flashing.
Previously the existing system had worked well.
We're still 2 weeks from our destination in the lower Chesapeake but I can have either a new alt or regulator shipped to our current location.
How to tell which is the culprit ?
I have digital multimeter on board.
Thanks to any and all who help.

 

[Maine Sail]

Main Sail,
Much thanks for all your posts and informative articles.
We're cruising on our 1988 38' Sabre purchased last june and have just had either our alternator or regulator fail and need to know how to determine which of the 2 is the culprit.
Our engine is a Westerbeke 33A, the Alt is vintage 1996 Balmar 70 amp with a Balmar ARS II regulator.
Two group 31 AGM batt's approx 3 years old.
Yest when we started the engine the tach did not show engine speed and the batt monitor did not register 13.8 to 14 volts as usual. Tach shows 0, and regulator " lights" not flashing.
Previously the existing system had worked well.
We're still 2 weeks from our destination in the lower Chesapeake but I can have either a new alt or regulator shipped to our current location.
How to tell which is the culprit ?
I have digital multimeter on board.
Thanks to any and all who help.

You need to first check fuses and all connections. Then you need to go through all the regulator trouble shooting steps in the ARS-2 manual. If the unit is in the engine room heat likely killed it and Balmar was not very clear about this in the old manuals. Check the reg first and all the steps are in there...

ARS-2 Owners Manual

 

[MSter]

Thanks, I suspected the regulator originally.
I'll go through the steps and let you know what I find.
Regards
Mike

 

[MSter]

Main Sail,
After cleaning terminals and double checking connections and then going through the trouble shooting guide as you recommended, it looks like the regulator. There is batt voltage at the red coming into the regulator however no power coming out on the blue ( the excite wire I think ) I assume without the regulator functional then the alternator test for magnetic field is meaningless.
I'm going to replace with a new Balmar ARS-5-H.
I'm sure the alt would benefit from a rebuild at some time as well.
Thanks
Mike

 

[Marc14857]

Mike

Had the exact same problem two years ago sailing at Martha's Vinyard. Balmar on the phone walked me through the troubleshooting and first determined it was the ARS 4 regulator. They shipped me an ARS 5 overnight and after installing it still had no alternator output. Symptoms were same as yours.
I would not do the following without someone else verifying it is OK but as I recall the Balmar rep again on the phone next me jumper the battery voltage red on the plug to the regulator to the blue wire on the plug effectively asking the alternator for full output. I then did the screwdriver test and did not have the magnetic pull. Had a new alternator shipped out the second day. As I recall the rep did not want o leave the jumper in place too long as he did not want the alternator at max output. Just a thought.

Marc

 

[MSter]

Marc,
Thanks for the suggestion. I've known that I'd need to upgrade the regulator at some point anyway. Now's as good a time as any.
Hopefully it'll solve the problem.
Mike

 

[Bill Roosa]

I can ditto Marc's troubleshooting. You don't want to leave the red and blue connected for very long as you are applying more voltage that is designed to handle. I'd recommend a helper with a screwdriver be ready to test the alternator then you connect the two wires.
If it turns out to be the alternator it could be as simple as the slip rings need cleaned up or it needs new brushes ($1.50) These units are very easy to maintenance with only a trick or two to getting it back together.
Have you been motoring a lot and draining the batts heavily at night?
That will make the alternator run at a high output (lots of rotor amps)(does not matter how many amps out of the alternator though) and the slip rings or brushes wear a lot.