READ! 60 amp Alternator Wiring Change (from Van's)

PLEASE FWD THIS TO ANY RV BUILDER THAT YOU THINK SHOULD SEE IT

This now on Van's Aircraft, Inc. site:
http://www.vansaircraft.com/pdf/60amp_alternator_wiring_change.pdf



VAN?S AIRCRAFT, INC.
14401 NE Keil Road, Aurora, Oregon, USA 97002
PHONE 503-678-6545 ? FAX 503-678-6560 ? www.vansaircraft.com ? [email protected]

IMPORTANT INFORMATION!
60 amp Alternator Wiring Change!


If you have purchased a 60amp alternator or a Firewall Forward Kit containing this
alternator from Van?s Aircraft since Jan 1st, 2006, please note/accomplish the following
wiring change. Our supplier began shipping new (rather than rebuilt) units as of the
first of the year. These new units utilize a slightly different regulator that requires a
different wiring configuration than what is called out in the paperwork supplied with
the alternators and the Firewall Forward drawings. The change is simple but important!

with the two parallel terminals down, only the lower left terminal should be used. This
will normally correlate to the green wire on the plug. The other two terminals (red and
blue wires) are not to be used. Please see the attached diagram.

If you alternator is currently wired to the old configuration, all you need to do is remove
the connection for the red wire. Older alternators will also function correctly with only the
green wire connected.

for assistance.

Van?s Aircraft, Inc.

more diagrams at: http://www.vansaircraft.com/pdf/60amp_alternator_wiring_change.pdf

Hmm - does this part sound right to ya'll? By not using the middle pin - it is saying that old alternators will cope with the 'sense' line disconnected. It was my understanding that with sense disconnected the Nipondeso datasheet says it will fail over to only outputting a lowish voltage (13.6V?). That doesn't sound ideal to me.

Also, the red wire was the fail light wire correct? If so, then I understand why it should not be connected to 12V (ouch! - exactly what killed my alt when I followed the old Van's directions).

DeltaRomeo said:

If you alternator is currently wired to the old configuration, all you need to do is remove the connection for the red wire. Older alternators will also function correctly with only the green wire connected.

Click to expand...

There has been no change in the alternator.

This alternator NEVER had a "S" terminal ( the one horz in the middle). It always has been a "D" or dummy terminal. This has never changed. Many ND alternators do have a "S" wire but not this model.

The other two are the IGN and "L" charge Light connection. They have not changed either.

Van never suggested using the "L" connection, even though it was there and still is there. Not connecting the "L" lead will not hurt anything but its still there.

The fact that they are NEW is no big deal. It is still made to the same specs and must be a direct replacement to original factory or rebuilds. May be Van made a mistake in the past wire diagram but this alternator should not be differnt than the rebuilt units they sold before if they have the same part number, which I think they do?

I do not know of any ND regulator without the "L" connection, except the "self exciting" SE regulator for the "specialty race car" alternators. They are all "D" or dummy connections. The only connection on the SE or RACE alternator is just the single large b-lead wire. These single wire "self exciting" alternators are not really suited for aircraft use.

I called Van's a few months ago (Tom Green) and told them of how to get NEW alternators for less than the price of the rebuilds they where buying. I guess they did it or the distributor just switched. Its actually cheaper to buy a new aftermarket alternator than take a dirty worn out alternator, take it apart, clean, inspect and replace, assemble all the parts and test. The rebuild industry is going to new aftermarket since the cores are getting older and hard to get.

NEW does not mean NEW Nippon Denso BTW. Its new alternators made 100% from aftermarket parts, not OEM parts. This is no big deal since most old rebuilds have been made up of aftermarket parts anyway, where the only original parts might be the case or rear cover.


Bottom line is I think you should use the "L" lead which is still there IMHO. You can leave it un-connected as Van says, but I think you should avail yourself to it.

I have a catalog of every ND aftermarket regulator made and they all have a IGN and L lead at min (except for the SE ones I mention). Unless they have a special regulator just for them or they switched away from the 86-95 Suzuki Samurai alternator (lester# 14684) they always sold, the new version has to be compatible with previous rebuilds. These alternators are not made just for us. These are car alternators made for cars, which use an ALT "L" light in all cases. Not all have a remote volt sense or "S" connection, but many do.

The "L" light gives you the status of the alternator like charging and internal soft faults. To wire it see the thumb nail below. The IGN lead only drains a few milliamps and needs only a small CB. The "L" light should also use little current, especially if you use a LED. If you use a LED for the ALT light, you need to add a resistor across the LED to drain some current other wise the LED may dimly glow all the time. There is a drive transistor for the warning light and the leak thru the transistor can make a LED glow dimly.




George

I advocated using only the Green wire many moons ago. All that is needed for the 60A alt is the battery connection and the green field excitation wire. I've run two airplanes that way and no failures in 5 years, two on my 7A. Why complicate a simple, reliable system.

Roberta

Actually I think you hit the nail on the head with the first paragraph. The old Van's instructions called for hooking the <i>red</i> wire to 12V, the red wire is the L pin on the wiring harness Van's provides. It sounds like this is the only error - don't hook 12V to the L pin. ;-)

gmcjetpilot said:

The other two are the IGN and "L" charge Light connection. They have not changed. Van never suggested using the "L" connection, even though it was there and still is there.

The fact that they are NEW is no big deal. It is still made to the same specs and must be a direct replacement to original factory or rebuilds. Not connecting the "L" lead will not hurt anything but its still there. May be Van made a mistake in the past wire diagram but this alternator should not be differnt than the rebuilt units they sold before if they has the same part number, which I think they do?

Click to expand...

Wires and alternators

robertahegy said:

I advocated using only the Green wire many moons ago. All that is needed for the 60A alt is the battery connection and the green field excitation wire. I've run two airplanes that way and no failures in 5 years, two on my 7A. Why complicate a simple, reliable system.

Roberta

Click to expand...

That is cool but the "green field excitation wire" is not really a field wire but I know what you meant. It actually has little to do with the actual field wire. Its the come alive go to sleep signal for the regulator. It draws very little current BTW. It is a "signal" and does not need to draw big current and use a big old 5-7 amp fuse or CB as some might think, since it does not actually supply field current.

I can't agree that the "L" should not to be used, as long as you wire it correctly. It is a little more than just a charge light and is a great indicator that is almost free, since its already incorporated in the voltage regulator. A 12v light bulb, length of wire, fuse, plus a few connections and that is it. It is all there for a low cost voltage charge fault light.

I stole this from a Toyota manual and deleted the "S" wire refrence, which the Suzuki alternator does not utilize. If you did have a "S" wire it goes direct to the battery as it should. You will do no harm to the "L" lead if you wire it with a load (the light bulb) and a fuse as shown below. This is reflected in what I had drawn above. The alternator will "pull down" a drive transistor to ground to enunciate the warning light.

I looked at my 60a alternator last night. I got it from Vans back in October, so it must be a refurbished unit. It looks identical to the picture above, although it appears that the case has been painted. I couldn't tell that it's refurbished. It looks new to me.