How To Test Your Voltage Regulator
We’ve already tested our generator and we know it’s good, but we’re still not charging. In a case like that, either the voltage regulator, or the wires that go to it, are suspect.
The voltage regulator sends power out through the field terminal that goes to the generator and that’s how the generator comes to life. So for test purposes, what you want to do, is with the wires still in place on your voltage regulator, get a jumper lead connected to a power source. Wiggle that on in until making contact with the field terminal. Now we’re sending full field current to the generator. When we do that, we’re doing the voltage regulator’s job. When we do the voltage regulator’s job, if the generator comes to life, the voltage regulator is probably our problem. However, with the wires in place, if we put full current right here with that wire that goes from the field to the generator and she still won’t come to life, chances are strong the problem is in the wiring between here and the generator.