alternator w/ external regulator = can't do big 3???

[nba1341 10+ year member]

Ok so my alternator has an external voltage regulator and am soon upgrading to an 100 amp one with an external regulator also

If I have a wire running directly from my alternator to my battery won't it fry my battery if the alternator is a 100amp externally regulated one???

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[mazzasec 5,000+ posts]

How many volts are you gonna be charging at? Normal 12v batteries will cook if there charged above 15v.

 

[nba1341 10+ year member]

right now my old 60amp puts out like 14v at idle

how would i know how many volts it is going to charge at i believe my voltage regulator is 15v but since i have a cable going straight from my alternator to the battery doesn't that kinda defeat the voltage regulator for at least the battery not the electrical components

im not sure if i should take off the cable now that is running from amp to batt

 

[loudaccent 10+ year member]

wut kinda car, sound like and old *** on from the 80, a lot of them, had external reg from factory

 

[nba1341 10+ year member]

yea its a 65 mustang factory externally regulated 60 amp alt

i upgraded to a 100 amp external regulated to keep it stock and so i didnt have to modify the bracket to install the new alternator and so it would just bolt right up

so should i not be running a cable from my alt direct to bat since i have an external voltage regulator?

 

[loudaccent 10+ year member]

you can run a 0/1 guage wire from the big pos post of your alt to the batt becuse the regulator, has it own power ground field and sator, which pwm your field to the set voltage, so your fine,,

 

[audioarsonal 10+ year member]

The amp only puts out the current that is called for.So its not always going to be putting out 100A.The voltage is what you need to worry about.As long as the voltage isn't higher then about 15v then you should be fine.

 

[ShiningBuick 10+ year member]

The only difference between external and internal regular is where it is located...

LOTS of cars have the regulator in the PCM (esp chryslers), which is external, too, but no one's ever wondered about those.

All the regulator does is sense the system voltage. If it's low, it'll increase current in the field winding, upping the generating power. If it senses system voltage is OK, it'll lower the field current.

Unless the alternator has a problem (blown diode, etc) the voltage sohuld always be regulated to 14.75V or less no matter what.

Doesn't matter where it is, or what size wire you have hooked up, it'll regulate as it's supposed to.

Once we had the PCM regulator go out on an Intrepid.. so we put on a ghetto 80's external regulator.. worked like a charm.

 

[nba1341 10+ year member]

thanks guys that makes perfect sense

 

[Torgus 10+ year member]

The only difference between external and internal regular is where it is located...
LOTS of cars have the regulator in the PCM (esp chryslers), which is external, too, but no one's ever wondered about those.

All the regulator does is sense the system voltage. If it's low, it'll increase current in the field winding, upping the generating power. If it senses system voltage is OK, it'll lower the field current.

Unless the alternator has a problem (blown diode, etc) the voltage sohuld always be regulated to 14.75V or less no matter what.

Doesn't matter where it is, or what size wire you have hooked up, it'll regulate as it's supposed to.

Once we had the PCM regulator go out on an Intrepid.. so we put on a ghetto 80's external regulator.. worked like a charm.

what he said. who cares where the regulator is?