<VV> LED Alternator Light

Fri Jan 26 06:26:56 EST 2018

 You'll need to put a resistor in parallel with the LED, to load the circuit sufficiently. Especially with 10SI alternators. 

John Roberts

-----Original Message-----
From: john beck via VirtualVairs <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
To: hugo <hugo at aruncoaches.co.uk>; virtualvairs <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
Sent: Thu, Jan 25, 2018 9:07 pm
Subject: Re: <VV> LED Alternator Light

The LED would be lit by the voltage drop across the resistor. Orient the 
LED properly and it should work just fine.  It would likely not work 
with an off the shelf "lamp replacement" LED.  You'd have to dig through 
your jar of loose LEDs and your drawers full of resistors.  With a well 
chosen LED and current limiting resistor, the brightness of the LED 
would mimic what the incandescent lamp does.  --J.B.

hugo at aruncoaches.co.uk wrote:
> That's an interesting point. You would only need the resistor when the
> system is charging, in order to stop the bulb lighting up in that
> condition. Except that it won't light up anyway, as the current would
> be flowing the 'wrong' way for an LED to light up.
>
>
> On 2018-01-25 08:43, john beck wrote:
>> I've never tried it but I don't see why a LED wouldn't work in that
>> position if you added a load resistor (100 ohm or so) in place of the
>> lamp filament in the circuit and used an appropriate current dropping
>> resistor with whatever LED you chose.  The load resistor would
>> simulated the light bulb to keep the original circuit happy and the
>> voltage drop across the resistor (when present) would light the LED.
>> --J.B.
>>
>> Hugo Miller via VirtualVairs wrote:
>>> On British cars - and I'm sure all generator charging circuits work
>>> on the same principle - the charging lamp bulb is wired in parallel
>>> with the cut-out points in the regulator. When the engine is
>>> stationary (or turning very slowly) the cut-out points will be open,
>>> so current flows through the warning lamp to the generator. When the
>>> generator voltage exceeds that of the battery, the cut-out points
>>> will close, and so the current will flow in the opposite direction,
>>> through the cut-out points rather than through the warning lamp bulb
>>> (which has a higher resistance). If you have dirty cut-out points,
>>> you can get a condition where the current flows from the generator
>>> to the battery via the warning lamp bulb as well as, or instead of,
>>> via the cut-out points. It is possible, therefore, for the light to
>>> come on even when the system is charging (or just about charging,
>>> anyway). If you fit an LED bulb to the generator warning lamp, it
>>> will not work in this latter condition, since the current is flowing
>>> in the reverse direction to normal. This is fairly academic,
>>> however, since this hardly ever happens, and even if it does, you're
>>> not really missing anything if the lamp doesn't light up.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On 2018-01-24 11:03, Joe Popinski Ph.D. via VirtualVairs wrote:
>>>> FAN/GEN bulb type.
>>>>
>>>> I looked a the wiring diagram again and confirmed that the FAN/GEN
>>>> bulb must be a resistance type bulb (one with filament, aka an older
>>>> style) because it is part of the charging circuit.  The way it was
>>>> designed is to use the current flow to illuminate the filament as an
>>>> indicator of the status of the charging circuit - charging (off) or
>>>> not (fully on), or partial (dim). So replace it with new filament
>>>> bulb as specified in the shop manual.  If the regulator and gen/alt is
>>>> working correctly the FAN/GEN light should show the status correctly.
>>>>  When my 66 CORSA was running, at very low RPM it was dimly lit
>>>> telling me that the output from the alternator was not quite enough
>>>> for the electrical systems load.  As RPM went up the alternator put
>>>> out more current (bulb went out) and satisfied the load and the excess
>>>> was used to charge the battery.  If there was a fault in the
>>>> chargingcircuit (short, broken fan belt, etc.) the light would come on
>>>> bright telling me that there was a problem.  This is the same as when
>>>> you turn on the ignition switch without the engine running.
>>>>
>>>> Hope this helps.
>>>>
>>>> Joe Popinski
>>>> 66 CORSA Conv 140/4
>>>>
>>>> In a message dated 1/24/2018 11:00:21 AM Central Standard Time,
>>>> virtualvairs-request at corvair.org writes:
>>>>
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>>>> Today's Topics:
>>>>
>>>>  1. LED vs regular bulbs (Smitty)
>>>>  2. 66 Corsa Convertible 4 sale (tompadavan)
>>>>  3. CU Robsen Idlers problem? CONTACT LON!!!!! (Matt Nall)
>>>>  4. Re: CU Robsen Idlers problem? CONTACT LON!!!!! (Byron LaMotte)
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>
>>>> Message: 1
>>>> Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2018 12:20:26 -0500
>>>> From: "Smitty" <vairologist at cox.net>
>>>> To: <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
>>>> Subject: <VV> LED vs regular bulbs
>>>> Message-ID: <77497E6D3A184C81B4839A14B46F7189 at smittyPC>
>>>> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
>>>>  reply-type=original
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> While pulling my dashboard on my 66 Monza I replaced the bulbs with
>>>> LED
>>>> bulbs.? That was ok for dash lights and turn signals, but for the
>>>> GEN and
>>>> FAN bulbs, they didn't work. The I discovered that the hot wire to
>>>> those two
>>>> bulb sockets was on the side and the ground was at the tip on the
>>>> bottom
>>>> (reverse).? An LED bulb won't work with reverse wires, a regular
>>>> bulb will.?
>>>> Am I correct?
>>>>
>>>> Smitty Says; the answer is in the name, LED. Light Emitting Diode.
>>>> Diodes
>>>> only pass current in one direction.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> ------------------------------
>>>>
>>>> Message: 2
>>>> Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2018 11:02:35 -0500 (EST)
>>>> From: tompadavan <padcon1 at comcast.net>
>>>> To: virtualvairs at corvair.org
>>>> Subject: <VV> 66 Corsa Convertible 4 sale
>>>> Message-ID: <1569499428.934079.1516723355861 at connect.xfinity.com>
>>>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
>>>>
>>>> car is in Dallas,Pa runs great call Tom for more info and pics, or
>>>> email 570 852-9374,padcon1 at comcast.net
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>>>>
>>>>
>>>> ------------------------------
>>>>
>>>> Message: 3
>>>> Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2018 14:28:39 -0500
>>>> From: Matt Nall <patiomatt at aol.com>
>>>> To: virtualvairs at corvair.org
>>>> Subject: <VV> CU Robsen Idlers problem? CONTACT LON!!!!!
>>>> Message-ID: <161247e6712-1724-378d8 at webjas-vae041.srv.aolmail.net>
>>>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> And now from the "will the pain ever cease" file.....
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> FINALLY got delivery of the aluminum pulleys (nearly 2 months late)
>>>> opened the box, unwrapped the first one and - BOINGO! They have been
>>>> incorrectly anodized.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> The pulleys themselves are BEAUTIFUL but instead of anodized bright
>>>> aluminum they are a medium gray.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> What do you guys think? let me know as I have to make a decision as
>>>> to what to do.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Lon Wall
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Our contact info remains the same - 503-434-168
>>>> sales at corvairunderground.com
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> ------------------------------
>>>>
>>>> Message: 4
>>>> Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2018 15:04:13 -0500
>>>> From: Byron LaMotte <bhlamotte at gmail.com>
>>>> To: Matt Nall <patiomatt at aol.com>
>>>> Cc: VirtualVair <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
>>>> Subject: Re: <VV> CU Robsen Idlers problem? CONTACT LON!!!!!
>>>> Message-ID:
>>>>
>>>> <CAN9cQMCd3Wvh0R1B-+mWnsOWWkRWE-kV3B8x-6eiTHuL5YV5Cg at mail.gmail.com>
>>>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
>>>>
>>>> My preference would be bright aluminum but couldn't see a pic.
>>>> Where are
>>>> these available?
>>>>
>>>> On Tue, Jan 23, 2018 at 2:28 PM, Matt Nall via VirtualVairs <
>>>> virtualvairs at corvair.org> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> And now from the "will the pain ever cease" file.....
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> FINALLY got delivery of the aluminum pulleys (nearly 2 months
>>>>> late) opened
>>>>> the box, unwrapped the first one and - BOINGO! They have been
>>>>> incorrectly
>>>>> anodized.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> The pulleys themselves are BEAUTIFUL but instead of anodized bright
>>>>> aluminum they are a medium gray.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> What do you guys think? let me know as I have to make a decision
>>>>> as to
>>>>> what to do.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Lon Wall
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Our contact info remains the same - 503-434-168
>>>>> sales at corvairunderground.com
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> -- Byron (Brud) LaMotte
>>>> 4501 World Farm Rd.
>>>> Oxford, Md. 21654
>>>> 410-924-1311 cell
>>>>
>>>>
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>>>>
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