TECH TIP FOR MAY, 1996

FIRST AND FOREMOST BECAUSE OF THE RESPONSE, I HAVE ADDED A SECOND BUS TO THE TRAINING SEMINAR ON MAY, 1996 AND THERE ARE A FEW SEATS LEFT. AS I POINTED OUT IN THE FIRST NOTICE, THIS WILL BE GOOD! AND IF YOU'RE GOING TO SERVICE THE ELECTRICAL PART OF  LATE MODEL CARS, YOU NEED TO BE THERE. CALL AND RESERVE A SEAT RIGHT NOW, WHILE YOU ARE THINKING OF IT. $6.00 CASH, BE HERE BY 6;30pm, BUT CALL FOR A SEAT!

NOW FOR THE CALENDER. AT THIS MOMENT THE ONLY SATURDAY IN MAY THAT WE WILL BE CLOSED WILL BE MAY 18.  HOWEVER. I WILL BE OUT OF TOWN ON MAY 31, WHICH WILL LEAVE DAN BY HIMSELF. DON'T YELL AT HIM!HE CAN REACH ME BY CELLULAR IF IT'S REALLY URGENT, BUT WHAT I'M GONG TO DO FROM TORONTO.....? THE SHOP WILL BE COMPLETELY CLOSED ON JUNE FIRST, SO THAT WE CAN ATTEND THE SEMINAR THAT I'M SETTING UP IN TORONTO, FOR THE CANADIAN REBUILDERS. ( THE GUY WHO'S DOING THE REBUILDER'S SEMINAR ON SATURDAY, IS THE GUY WHO'S DOING OUR SEMINAR ON THURSDAY.)

A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO I ATTENDED A SEMINAR IN THE USA, WHICH WAS REALLY INTERESTING AND SOMEWHAT FRIGHTENING. SOON YOU WILL PHONE ME FOR AN ALTERNATOR FOR A HONDA AND I WILL SAY "OH YES, THAT'S A DELCO UNIT". AND I WON'T BE WRONG; I CAN DO IT ON TOYOTA NOW!  THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS PURELY DOMESTIC OR IMPORT ANY MORE. IN AN EFFORT TO KEEP COSTS DOWN, THE MANUFACTURERS WILL USE PRODUCT SUPPLIED BY WHO HAS IT, AT THIS MOMENT, FOR THE BEST PRICE, AND CAN DELIVER IT WHEN THE MANUFACTURER WANTS IT.

ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THIS IS TREND, CAN BE FOUND WITHIN A SINGLE BRAND. WE ALL KNOW OF ROBERT BOSCH FROM GERMANY, BUT HOW ABOUT ROBERT BOSCH FROM BRAZIL, MEXICO, AUSTRALIA, SPAIN AND ENGLAND. AT THE MOMENT IF AN ALTERNATOR OR STARTER PART NUMBER BEGINS WITH "0" IT WAS MADE IN GERMANY. IF IT STARTS WITH A "9" IT WAS MADE SOME PLACE ELSE!

ON LATE MODEL FORD PRODUCTS USING THE "3G" ALTERNATOR (REGULATOR PLUG & MAIN BATTERY POST W/NO EXTERNAL FAN), YOU WILL SOON SEE SOME WHERE THE REGULATOR PLUG IS HELD IN PLACE BY A PLASTIC CLIP OR "BALE". THE TEMPTATION WHEN REMOVING THE PLUG IS TO PRY UP ON THE BALE AND PULL ON THE WIRES. THIS WILL GET YOU BUYING A NEW PLUG AND REGULATOR RIGHT AFTER YOU REPAIR THE DAMAGED WIRING. THE PROPER PROCEDURE IS TO PUSH DOWN ON THE MIDDLE OF THE BALE WITH YOUR FINGER TIP AND THE PLUG WILL SLIDE OUT EASILY. THE SPEAKER MENTIONED THAT THE TAIL LIGHT CONNECTORS ARE THE SAME STYLE, SO BEWARE OF WHO YOU SEND TO CHANGE THAT BURNED OUT BULB.

ALMOST ALL MANUFACTURERS ARE NOW USING "LCR"'S IN THEIR REGULATORS. "LCR" STANDS FOR "LOAD RESPONSE CONTROL" AND MEANS THAT THE REGULATOR DOES NOT RESPOND INSTANTLY TO A LOAD CHANGE, BUT RATHER IS SORT OF PHASED IN TO AVOID ENGINE UPSET. THE BEST TIME TO SEE THIS IS RIGHT AFTER THE START SEQUENCE. IF YOU HAVE A DIGITAL VOLT METER HOOKED UP TO THE BACK OF THE ALTERNATOR, AND WATCH CAREFULLY; AFTER THE START, FOR A FEW SECONDS, YOU WILL ONLY SEE BATTERY VOLTAGE SLOWLY CLIMBING TO THE RATE THAT YOU THINK IT SHOULD BE.

SINSE ALMOST ALL REGULATORS ARE TO INTERACT WITH THE COMPUTERS, THE REGULATOR USES A " SOFT WALK IN" WHERE THE REGULATOR STARTS TO CHARGE AT A BIT ABOVE THE THEN BATTERY VOLTAGE AND THEN WAITS WHILE THE COMPUTER ADJUSTS THINGS TO AVOID A CHANGE IN RPM, AND IT DOES IT AGAIN, AND AGAIN AND AGAIN, UNTIL IT REACHES FULL OUTPUT. ON SOME VEHICLES THIS LITTLE PROCEDURE CAN TAKE UPWARDS OF 15 SECONDS. THE CUSTOMER, EVEN WITH A VOLT GAUGE WILL NEVER SEE IT, BUT, A SHARP MECHANIC MIGHT FIND A LOW CHARGE RATE AFTER EACH START AND BELIEVE THERE IS A PROBLEM REQUIRING THE ALTERNATOR TO BE REMOVED FOR A CHECK.

THIS MONTH STARTS THE CHRYSLER COMPUTER CONTROLLED CHARGING SYSTEM OUTLINE, AND WHILE IT WILL BE WELL COVERED AT THE SEMINAR, I WILL PRESENT IT AS WELL FOR THOSE WHO CAN'T MAKE THE SEMINAR. THIS WILL BE PART OF SEVERAL MONTH'S TECH TIPS SO TRY TO KEEP THEM TOGETHER OR YOU'LL GET LOST.