Hi, just want to check - is it ok to have a second idiot light connected in parallel? The PO had one on the old dynamo and I have just changed for an alternator and I know the lamp is used to excite the field circuit but didn't want to put too big a load on it. Ta
I wouldn't on the basis that the field regulation is based on the resistance of one lamp ...paralleling up with another one gives you the reciprocal soo the field diodes might not like it. Having said that you might get away with it okay but....
maybe a PO was hiding a fault somewhere , if the alternator needed more excite current of something or there was a high resistance joint somewhere ? Else he was just paranoid about the fan belt breaking and his engine overheating? disconnect the second one and drive the van and see if the light comes on at all, even dimly. You could also as another test disconnect the fan belt and run the engine to verify that the light stays on.
Not sure why you need a second one - doesn't just one work fine? Don't use an LED - current needs to flow both ways through the bulb.
led should be fine as i dont think it needs to flow both ways but i am happy to be corrected. The charge dash warning light is live on one side of the bulb with the key in the on postion.The outher side of the bulb goes to the regulator (internal or external)in the engine bay and to earth so bring on the light.When the engine is running at a suitable speed the regulator switch's over and puts a Pos supply on the wire to the dash.As the bulb now has a pos on one side and a pos on the outher side the bulb goes out.
are you meaning to replace the secondary light with an led? if so just make sure that you have a resistor or one is already built in and its suitable for 12v. The main alternator light will provide sufficient current to get the alternator going.
Hi, the original lamp is working fine but someone had put an extra lamp in an empty hole just under the heater controls. I took the lamp out when I changed from dynamo to alternator as I wasn't sure if the extra lamp would cause a problem. At some point I will take the dash out and strip the wiring but just wondered if it was safe to put it back until then?
