To prevent damage to the alternator and regulator, the following precautions
should be taken when working with the electrical system:
- Never reverse the battery connections.
- Booster batteries for starting must be connected properly: positive-to-positive
and negative-to-ground.
- Disconnect the battery cables before using a fast charger; the charger
has a tendency to force current through the diodes in the opposite direction
for which they were designed. This burns out the diodes.
- Never use a fast charger as a booster for starting the vehicle.
- Never disconnect the voltage regulator while the engine is running.
- Avoid long soldering times when replacing diodes or transistors. Prolonged
heat is damaging to AC generators.
- Do not use test lamps of more than 12 volts (V) for checking diode continuity.
- Do not short across or ground any of the terminals on the AC generator.
- The polarity of the battery, generator, and regulator must be matched
and considered before making any electrical connections within the system.
- Never operate the alternator on an open circuit. make sure that all
connections within the circuit are clean and tight.
- Disconnect the battery terminals when performing any service on the
electrical system. This will eliminate the possibility of accidental reversal
of polarity.
- Disconnect the battery ground cable if arc welding is to be done on
any part of the vehicle.
