Why an alternator light? - Saab 9-5 Bulletin Board - Saabnet.com
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Why an alternator light?
Posted by Stephen Goldberger [Email] (more from Stephen Goldberger) on Mon, 2 Feb 2015 19:13:47
In Reply to: Re: Something does not add up., SWEDECAR [Profile/Gallery]
, Sun, 1 Feb 2015 19:38:39
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At least originally the alternator light served to energize the field coil so that the thing would begin to generate electricity. Unlike the old DC generators, there is little or no residual magnetism in the field pole pieces. Once generation starts, the system "bootstraps" itself to full power. That balances the voltage across the light bulb and it goes out. Voila, both a required function and a dashboard indicator. But like you say, it doesn't do a very good job of indicating a properly working alternator; more of an indicator that the alternator belt is broken, in case you don't notice the lack of power steering and the overheating.
There still needs to be a circuit to supply current to the field during startup. It can also be done with a resistor and the "warning light" triggered by the dash computer. Or they could just keep using a light bulb in the field energizing circuit.
posted by 70.126.6...
Posts in this Thread:
- Alternator gone?, N0.9, Sun, 1 Feb 2015 11:03:12
- Re: Alternator gone?, N0.9, Mon, 2 Feb 2015 11:37:46
- Something does not add up., dmz789qqq, Sun, 1 Feb 2015 17:45:02
- Battery light off and on, blip the throttle, Boris Bubbanov, Mon, 2 Feb 2015 17:15:16
- Re: Something does not add up., Snowmobile , Mon, 2 Feb 2015 07:08:06
- Re: Something does not add up., SWEDECAR , Sun, 1 Feb 2015 19:38:39
- Afraid so, Boris Bubbanov, Sun, 1 Feb 2015 15:17:31
- Test the battery first, Paul from Palmyra, PA, Sun, 1 Feb 2015 12:43:41
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