Generator question - negative current

Posted by Don B On 2023/11/15 19:25:30

Okay…when I finally got my car running about a week ago, I took it out for a short drive (about 15 minutes). During that time, my lights started “blinking”. They would go off then back on etc..

Then, I stopped to add some gas. I shut the car off and when I went to start it again, it did start, but it cranked VERY slow.

Tonight, I started to do some investigating. First, I just turned on the lights (car NOT running) and my ammeter showed positive current as expected. Then, I started the car (after turning the lights off) and noticed that the ammeter was reading negative current.

So, I set out to re-polarize the generator. I jumped the Battery terminal to the Armature terminal at the voltage regulator and as expected got a spark.

Then, started the car again. Same thing….negative current on the ammeter.

Thoughts?

I checked wiring against how some labeling was done by others on the car….Battery does in fact go to what is labeled as the battery terminal on the regulator and what is labeled as the the Armature terminal on the regulator does in fact go to armature on the generator. Are these maybe labeled backwards?

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