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Sterling Alternator no output

regginald

By regginald
in Boat Equipment

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regginald Engager

regginald

Posted
Posted

Hi

 

I have a Sterling ALT to BATT charger 12V 210A that has been working great with the 70amp alternator fitted to the BMC 1.8. Think the alternator is lucas A127 or something similar.

 

I have just replaced the alternator with the sterling power 200A alternator, ALT12200.

 

There are no Amps showing on the remote control for the charger. I have the field wire connected to the W or M spade connection but there seems to be a D+ terminal and a thin white wire coming out of the back of the alternator. It came with no wiring diagrams and i have been searching the net for about 4 hours and have no idea what to do to get output.

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated,

 

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WotEver Veteran II

WotEverDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, regginald said:

thanks for you reply. i do not have a  tacho or any ignition lights.

If no tacho then simply leave W disconnected. If no ignition light then that’s possibly why no output - no excitation of the alternator. Connect a wire to battery +, start the engine, then touch that wire to D+. Does the alternator spring to life?  If so then you’ll need to wire in an ignition light for that alternator. 

 

Be careful that you don’t touch that wire to any engine part nor the alternator casing. 

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GUMPY Veteran II

GUMPYDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted
6 minutes ago, regginald said:

The alternator from sterling is sold as "standard regulator"i have the sterling alternator to battery charger and assume it should work. Am i correct?

 

One would think so.

Whereabouts are you?

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GUMPY Veteran II

GUMPYDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted (edited)
7 minutes ago, regginald said:

I am at Denver Sluice. I do not want to damage anything by connecting up wrong

 

Alternator has a b+ d+ w and a long thin white wire coming out the back. It says neg field control on case

 

 

Is your name Mike by any chance?

 

As I said above the white wire is for this

https://sterling-power.com/products/universal-advanced-digital-alternator-regulator-pro-reg-d-pdar

 

Remove and Ignore the sterling alternator to battery charger for the time being;

On the alternator

Connect B+ direct to the batteries

Connect your exciter wire to D

Ignore the white wire and the W terminal.

 

Now start the engine does the alternator work?

Check either current out of alternator or rising battery voltage

 

Edited by Loddon
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frangar Veteran II

frangar

Posted
Posted
7 hours ago, Boater Sam said:

Ask Charles Sterling, he will talk to you on a 'phone.

I don't know what you have been told but the horse's mouth is always the best advice.

In the one instance I had to contact him he really doesn’t like it when you point out his gcse project kit has failed....it turned into quite a heated debate....I wouldn’t fit any of his kit now on principle. 

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Tony Brooks Veteran II

Tony BrooksDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted
13 hours ago, regginald said:

Hi

 

I have a Sterling ALT to BATT charger 12V 210A that has been working great with the 70amp alternator fitted to the BMC 1.8. Think the alternator is lucas A127 or something similar.

 

I have just replaced the alternator with the sterling power 200A alternator, ALT12200.

 

There are no Amps showing on the remote control for the charger. I have the field wire connected to the W or M spade connection but there seems to be a D+ terminal and a thin white wire coming out of the back of the alternator. It came with no wiring diagrams and i have been searching the net for about 4 hours and have no idea what to do to get output.

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated,

 

 

The alternator rotor current is controller by the voltage regulator that, once the charging voltage has reached a pre-set level, keeps turning the rotor current off and on and thuis control the alternator's output voltage. The regulator can be in the positive wire to the rotor or the negative wire between rotor and case/negative terminal depending upon make/ design. In your case Sterling have said the regulator is in the negative side. This information is vital when connecting an external alternator controller (does not apply to the A to B though) so you wire the controller correctly.

 

Sterling do not make alternators (or anything else as far as I can see). They only buy in and re-badge so your alternator could be anything Sterling could source at the time. It looks very much as if your alternator that has been modified with a fly-lead that an external controller (Not A to B ) can use to cut the internal regulator out of circuit and thereby hand voltage control to the external regulator (Not A to B).

 

One can not be 100% sure about connections but from what you say you connected it correctly as long as the engine and domestic battery negatives were linked as they are supposed to be OR you ensured the B+ cable ends up on the engine battery, any B- or the case is connected to the engine battery negative and the instruments/ign. switch are fed from the engine battery. If all that is correct it should charge. Photo of the back of the alternator will help.

 

Best of luck running a 200 amp alternator from a single V belt such as the BMC 1.8 uses, buy lots of belts!.

 

Sounds as if it may be a duff alternator unless it shredded or threw the belt off when you fist fired it up.

 

As advised check with Sterling.

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Alan de Enfield Veteran II

Alan de Enfield

Posted
Posted (edited)
18 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

Best of luck running a 200 amp alternator from a single V belt such as the BMC 1.8 uses, buy lots of belts!.

If I remember correctly it is "model 200" but is actually a 140/145 amp alternator.

( The alternator has a twin-belt pulley but it is still too much for a single belt BMC)

 

Edit to add - yes its either 140 amp or 145 amp depending on which line of the technical details you read ( 200a =  a typical bit of misleading numbering)

 

http://vi.vipr.ebaydesc.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemDescV4&item=182186045308&t=1490287696000&tid=310&category=36797&seller=beacon-and-lightbars&excSoj=1&excTrk=1&lsite=3&ittenable=false&domain=ebay.co.uk&descgauge=1&cspheader=1&oneClk=1&secureDesc=0

 

Got it wrong - its not a twin belt pulley but a 'ribbed' pulley. Incompatible with a BMC unless the OP has manged to secure a 'special' pulley to fit his BMC.

 

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Edited by Alan de Enfield
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