how do you check an alternator is working properly on a Yamaha 130 hp 2 stroke?
It seems to be charging allright, but I am seeing some erratic voltage readings on the yammy instruments, floating between 14.6 and 15.2 Volts.
I have never noticed erratic voltage like that, and my battery is reading 13 volts which is higher than I have usually seen before.
I changed batteries to see if that was the problem, but all exactly the same on a different battery
cheers
Mick
What does your battery read after the surface charge is gone? This can be a more representative measure of battery state, my 2 stroke yam gives more or less the same voltage outputs as your seeing, the bigger the battery the lower the charge voltage, something i have noticed over the years, dont really know why.
My smart charger will charge at almost 15v for a period with all charging done above 13.5 or there about's.
On the surface all seems typically fine, doesn't mean I am right though.
I thought that the charging voltage used to drop after a period, but I can't be sure on that.
going to get the primary battery tested to see if it has any issues.
Main problem is a random and intermittent engine alarm throwing the engine into limp mode, without any warnings showing (like oil level, temp etc) I'm trying to isolate and find this problem, but its very difficult when it only seems to happen occasionally while under way out on the water with no indications on the instruments as to what the problem might be
cheers
Mick
Mick,
your sounder / GPS may have an overlay option to allow you to put the voltage on the display, to confirm what you see on the yam gauges, dont know that its going to help you tho.
Regards
Honda.
yeah, I looked at the fish finder voltage display while stopped and it said 13v, higher than ever before. Never occurred to look at that while running though.
just got the battery tested and it is tickety boo so not that.
maybe it has a problem with the rectifier diodes and is overcharging?
If there is a problem it would more then likely be in the regulation side of things.
If your motor has gone into limp mode does it record a fault?
What test gear have you got?
I intend on living for-ever....so far so good
I don't think it would record anything, its a 98 yammy 2 stroke. it would be great though if there was something there to tell me what the fault was.
I don't have any electrical test gear at all
cheers
Mick
Being that old could it be temperature or oil supply??. i suppose a short could cause electronic havoc..i dunno the yamaha's but they are pretty much all the same. Your volts seem fine to me, mine does the same and just like all the engines before it 15v doesn't raise much of an eyebrow if read from a genuine gauge, 15+ read by multimeter in real-time and i would get curious, 16 and defiantly worth a look-see.
Have you investigated temperature?, you might be experiencing blocked popets or thermostat or the dreaded exhaust plate/head blockages.
Mick,
The charge voltage as indicated on your guages and sounder will increase in Volts from idle up to an Rpm where the Gennie will produce the design output voltage and amps. Most outboard alternators don't produce the design charge output until you get a fair way into the revs. The newer ones are improved in this department to run all the usual Yankee accesories.
Do you run a VSR between your batteries? I can't remember?
Damn electrics, I hate em!Give me an oil leak to deal with any day haha
Cheers,
Myles
Fellas, fellas...... buy a boat... then buy a multimeter...I know a few of the poster definitely have them.
You can get a half decent one for little more than $20.....and that will be more accurate and easier to use than Half the multimeters I have owned or been issued with in the past.
If you go to jaycar..they have great little book that will tell you how to use it.
Then things get a whole lot easier........
also remember you won't get the same reading on most boat charging systems that you will get on automibiles.
car alternators will give a pretty constant 13.8 volts ( some fancy ones all betts are off).
Car alternators will put out at least 40 amps and may be up to 120 amps
Outboard motor charging systems are pretty crude in comparison.... voltage regulation is nowhere near as good and the output can be as low as 8 amps( small motors even less) and rarely more than 20 amps
Having the manual for that motor is a realy good thing because it will tell you what yu should see.
now....indeed the output of outboard charging circuits is very much dependednt on RPM and the size and condition of the battery... ....(most specify a battery arround a particular size)
The maximum charging voltage may be as high as 15 volts..... but because the output of these circuits is so pissy it may take a while to get there if the battery is low on charge or larger that specified.
as to the current problem.
The first thing I would be doing is checking the quality of all your main battery connections.....problems here are very common.
a reading between 14.6 and 15.2 would not worry me, if it was on a typical analogue dash guage you probaly would not see it as a variation
One real problem is iff the battery connections are poor and the battery is partly disconnecting....... not good this can blow up your chaging circuit.
make sure those connections are good, clean and firm
There will be specified tests in the manual... but the following will give a pretty good idea.
read the voltage on the battery after it has been left to rest for a few hours....It should be arround 12.5 volts ish.
leave the multi meter connected or hold the probes while someone else starts the motor.......you should see the voltage drop during cranking (if the meter is fast enough to follow).
once the motor starts the voltage should recover and steadily increase well past 13 volts.... both my evenrude and the bro'inlaws merc will reach arround 15 volts
this agrees with the manuals.
cheers
Its the details, those little details, that make the difference.
All the electric cables are new, terminals clean, lugs and connections clean and tight. I've had that problem previously a while ago.
what is very weird was the floating voltages while at a steady cruise.
only one battery connected at the moment.
I don't think it is temperature because the temp alarm didn't show on the gauge, and it had no pattern to it. I would have thought if it was temp it would heat up consistently over a set period of time and set of an alarm which it did not do.
this is a totally random engine alarm
I have a 20HP Honday 4 stroke. I am about to connect a deep cycle battery to the boat but apon testing the 12V 6A charging connector from the engine i get no voltage. I checked the fuse, all fine. I checked the cables that come directly from the alternator and i still get no voltage. I then thought that the engine would have to be in gear to get the alternator to generate, and still no volts. Is the alternator rooted? I am thinking it is. Any thoughts?
I have a 20HP Honda 4 stroke. I am about to connect a deep cycle battery to the boat but apon testing the 12V 6A charging connector from the engine i get no voltage. I checked the fuse, all fine. I checked the cables that come directly from the alternator and i still get no voltage. I then thought that the engine would have to be in gear to get the alternator to generate, and still no volts. Is the alternator rooted? I am thinking it is. Any thoughts?
Cant help you mate, but start a new thread on your problem....more chance that people will respond.
Mick
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