After a review of the archives it seems I am not the first to turn the ignition key off while the motor is running, I have a Cat 30 with an M-25 diesel. Every indication points to blown diodes in the alternator (Balmar) both the volt meter and the Link 10 meter are not showing the 14.0 to 14.5 volts they did prior to the key being turned off on the next start up. After some internet searching it looks like the Balmar alternators are field serviceable for bushing, bearing, and most importantly to me diodes. Has anyone had an experience in replacing the diodes in a Balmar alternator and is this a difficult task. Any help with this will be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Randy
- Status
Alternator Diodes
Randy I don't have a direct answer to whether or not they're easy to replace. It would seem appropriate to call Balmar and ask them, they'd know best. What you should also do is to install a Zap Stop so that doesn't happen again. The Zap Stop is its own diode that will avoid blowing the alternator's diodes. Costs around $25, great insurance. I also suggest that you trace the wiring on your boat to understand why turning off the engine switch made the interruption of the circuit to the alternator. We have an M25 also. Do you have the newer wiring harness with the voltmeter instead of an ammeter in the cockpit panel? That could explain the interruption. The link is to the harness upgrade story from the C27 website. You can also download the wiring diagrams which may help you trace your system. Good luck, Stu PS good on you for checking the archives!
Randy I don't have a direct answer to whether or not they're easy to replace. It would seem appropriate to call Balmar and ask them, they'd know best. What you should also do is to install a Zap Stop so that doesn't happen again. The Zap Stop is its own diode that will avoid blowing the alternator's diodes. Costs around $25, great insurance. I also suggest that you trace the wiring on your boat to understand why turning off the engine switch made the interruption of the circuit to the alternator. We have an M25 also. Do you have the newer wiring harness with the voltmeter instead of an ammeter in the cockpit panel? That could explain the interruption. The link is to the harness upgrade story from the C27 website. You can also download the wiring diagrams which may help you trace your system. Good luck, Stu PS good on you for checking the archives!
Thanks
Thanks for the info Stu. The previous owner replaced the ampmeter with a voltmeter in the engine control panel. I will have to call him and ask if he upgraded the wiring harness as well. I did see posts in the archives about the “Zap Stopper” and plan to install one when the repaired alternator goes back in.
Thanks for the info Stu. The previous owner replaced the ampmeter with a voltmeter in the engine control panel. I will have to call him and ask if he upgraded the wiring harness as well. I did see posts in the archives about the “Zap Stopper” and plan to install one when the repaired alternator goes back in.
- Status