Re: [MBZ] More alternator

2017-10-05 Thread OK Don via Mercedes
Someone here posted a link that then led me to find this - a clamp on meter that measures DC current. It's finicky about wire placement for accuracy, but it does indicate the presence of flowing electrons, which is what I needed most - is that device (aircraft encoding altimeter) drawing current

Re: [MBZ] More alternator

2017-10-05 Thread Mitch Haley via Mercedes
> On October 5, 2017 at 1:05 PM Craig via Mercedes > wrote: > Sounds like Nissan needs to rethink its algorithm; battery life is more > important than a gallon of gasoline saved. And so is being able to start > the car on demand. The one time I was involved, it was just

Re: [MBZ] More alternator

2017-10-05 Thread Craig via Mercedes
On Thu, 5 Oct 2017 07:27:42 -0400 (EDT) Mitch Haley via Mercedes wrote: > Nissan does something similar too, but I don't know if they monitor > current. It's weird to hook up my Scangauge to a friend's 2013 Sentra > and watch the voltage vary from the high 11s to the low

Re: [MBZ] More alternator

2017-10-05 Thread MG via Mercedes
I don't know how the amp meter that I put in the TD works but there is a device between the negative battery post and the body and off that is a very small wire that goes to an electronic amp meter which reads out amps being used as the starter turns but after that it always reads 0. Never

Re: [MBZ] More alternator

2017-10-05 Thread Mitch Haley via Mercedes
> On October 5, 2017 at 2:40 AM Jim Cathey via Mercedes > wrote: > > > For a car ammeter, you either have to wire in a series (or shunt) ammeter, > or use a clamp-on DC ammeter. (Hall effect, not a transformer.) These are > not particularly cheap. Great to have as

Re: [MBZ] More alternator

2017-10-05 Thread Jim Cathey via Mercedes
For a car ammeter, you either have to wire in a series (or shunt) ammeter, or use a clamp-on DC ammeter. (Hall effect, not a transformer.) These are not particularly cheap. Great to have as test equipment, though. -- Jim ___ http://www.okiebenz.com To

Re: [MBZ] More alternator

2017-10-04 Thread fmiser via Mercedes
> > > > Mitch wrote: > > > > > > > > I believe they sell automotive gauge style inductive > > > > ammeters. > > > Craig wrote: > > > > > > Or you could use a switchboard shunt and route a 50 mV > > > signal around. Most ammeters are actually milliameters and a shunt, or precise low resistance

Re: [MBZ] More alternator

2017-10-04 Thread Craig via Mercedes
On Wed, 4 Oct 2017 17:15:59 -0400 Dan Penoff via Mercedes wrote: > Actually, you would use a CT, or current transformer. The meter would > only be say, 0-50 ma, and the CT could be a 100:1 ratio or something > like that. Bttt! A current transformer is for AC only!

Re: [MBZ] More alternator

2017-10-04 Thread Kaleb C. Striplin via Mercedes
I checked the voltage on both the 97 and 95 and both show 14 volts. Guess I'm going to pull the thing off and take back to autozone. Sent from my iPhone > On Oct 4, 2017, at 3:42 PM, Randy Bennell via Mercedes > wrote: > > That was what I said. 14.2 or thereabouts is

Re: [MBZ] More alternator

2017-10-04 Thread Dan Penoff via Mercedes
Actually, you would use a CT, or current transformer. The meter would only be say, 0-50 ma, and the CT could be a 100:1 ratio or something like that. A pretty common approach to reading and displaying high currents without having to put the ammeter in series. In generator instrument panels it

Re: [MBZ] More alternator

2017-10-04 Thread G Mann via Mercedes
The lack of true gages is what earned the term "Idiot gage" for the blinking light type Time was when real men drove cars and needed to know what was happening in their engines... ;)) On Wed, Oct 4, 2017 at 2:08 PM, Randy Bennell via Mercedes < mercedes@okiebenz.com> wrote: > Would that work

Re: [MBZ] More alternator

2017-10-04 Thread Randy Bennell via Mercedes
Would that work or would you then need a special gauge? I am no electronics guru but does the gauge not react to the current draw or charge and would a minimal current produce the same meter readings? RB On 04/10/2017 3:54 PM, Craig via Mercedes wrote: On Wed, 4 Oct 2017 16:12:57 -0400 (EDT)

Re: [MBZ] More alternator

2017-10-04 Thread Craig via Mercedes
On Wed, 4 Oct 2017 16:12:57 -0400 (EDT) Mitch Haley via Mercedes wrote: > I believe they sell automotive gauge style inductive ammeters. Or you could use a switchboard shunt and route a 50 mV signal around. Craig > > On October 4, 2017 at 3:32 PM Randy Bennell via

Re: [MBZ] More alternator

2017-10-04 Thread OK Don via Mercedes
Exactly. I think he said he had the headlights on, the alternator should still be able to supply the needed current/voltage. 14.V. On Wed, Oct 4, 2017 at 3:42 PM, Randy Bennell via Mercedes < mercedes@okiebenz.com> wrote: > That was what I said. 14.2 or thereabouts is usually the normal voltage

Re: [MBZ] More alternator

2017-10-04 Thread Randy Bennell via Mercedes
That was what I said. 14.2 or thereabouts is usually the normal voltage when the engine is running. Less than that is a bad sign. RB On 04/10/2017 3:27 PM, Curt Raymond via Mercedes wrote: Seems low to me. Running voltage should be more like 14v with more like 14.5 at speed... Curt Sent

Re: [MBZ] More alternator

2017-10-04 Thread Curt Raymond via Mercedes
Seems low to me. Running voltage should be more like 14v with more like 14.5 at speed... Curt Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android On Wed, Oct 4, 2017 at 2:08 PM, Kaleb C. Striplin via Mercedes wrote: I just went to town and back and it's running 13.6 at idle and with

Re: [MBZ] More alternator

2017-10-04 Thread Mitch Haley via Mercedes
I believe they sell automotive gauge style inductive ammeters. Mitch. > On October 4, 2017 at 3:32 PM Randy Bennell via Mercedes > wrote: > > > On 04/10/2017 2:15 PM, OK Don via Mercedes wrote: > > Yet another reason that you need a voltmeter and ammeter in every car .

Re: [MBZ] More alternator

2017-10-04 Thread Randy Bennell via Mercedes
On 04/10/2017 2:15 PM, OK Don via Mercedes wrote: Yet another reason that you need a voltmeter and ammeter in every car . . . The truck is getting old enough that I ought to follow my own advise and install them. Voltmeter should be sufficient. Ammeters scare me a bit because they have to have

Re: [MBZ] More alternator

2017-10-04 Thread OK Don via Mercedes
Yet another reason that you need a voltmeter and ammeter in every car . . . The truck is getting old enough that I ought to follow my own advise and install them. On Wed, Oct 4, 2017 at 1:47 PM, Kaleb C. Striplin via Mercedes < mercedes@okiebenz.com> wrote: > Yep that's what I do. Except with a

Re: [MBZ] More alternator

2017-10-04 Thread Kaleb C. Striplin via Mercedes
Yep that's what I do. Except with a charge warning hitting r clears it but it never really goes away until the next start, so you are really not sure if it's charging now or not. At least the newer cars have a menu you can get into that will show battery voltage. Sent from my iPhone > On Oct

Re: [MBZ] More alternator

2017-10-04 Thread Dan Penoff via Mercedes
It’s just the older diagnostic software. You can clear it with the DAS/HHT if you like, or just let it go until your next start and it goes away. I’ve got front running light lamps that are out while I’m waiting for replacements, so I’m getting a defective lamp warning every time I start up.

Re: [MBZ] More alternator

2017-10-04 Thread Kaleb C. Striplin via Mercedes
No not really just something that is annoying that you normally would not have to deal with anyway. On the older cars that just had the battery light, it would come on if volts dropped but would turn off if they raised. Sent from my iPhone > On Oct 4, 2017, at 1:29 PM, Craig via Mercedes

Re: [MBZ] More alternator

2017-10-04 Thread Craig via Mercedes
On Wed, 4 Oct 2017 13:08:21 -0500 "Kaleb C. Striplin via Mercedes" wrote: > The problem with the w210 is that you may get the charge warning > message but it never clears until you restart the car. You can hit the > button to clear it off the screen but it will still show

Re: [MBZ] More alternator

2017-10-04 Thread Kaleb C. Striplin via Mercedes
I just went to town and back and it's running 13.6 at idle and with headlights on. I think that's about right. When I started the car to go to town I did not get the warning. When I left town I got it again but it was running 13.6. The problem with the w210 is that you may get the charge

Re: [MBZ] More alternator

2017-10-04 Thread Randy Bennell via Mercedes
On 04/10/2017 11:46 AM, Kaleb C. Striplin via Mercedes wrote: So I am fixing to start driving the 98 e300 after the diff swap. When you first start it up charge warning comes on. On the multimeter at idle it's running about 12.5 to 12.6 or so volts. Rev it up a little and it jumps up to 13.xx.

Re: [MBZ] More alternator

2017-10-04 Thread Rich Thomas via Mercedes
Put a meter on the glow plug wars see how long they glow, or listen/look at the relay to see how long it is closed (if when you take off the cover you can see the relay). --R On 10/4/17 12:46 PM, Kaleb C. Striplin via Mercedes wrote: So I am fixing to start driving the 98 e300 after the

[MBZ] More alternator

2017-10-04 Thread Kaleb C. Striplin via Mercedes
So I am fixing to start driving the 98 e300 after the diff swap. When you first start it up charge warning comes on. On the multimeter at idle it's running about 12.5 to 12.6 or so volts. Rev it up a little and it jumps up to 13.xx. After about 2 minutes or so of running it will show the 13.xx