Alternator Putting out 18.2 Volts-

[AlanC2]

I went to start up our 2002 Windsor PST today to pull out of our campsite this morning to head home, and the voltage came up and pegged the analogue voltmeter, and the Silverleaf showed 18.4 volts. Not wanting to fry electronics or cook a fairly new 8D chassis battery, I pulled from the campsite to a parking lot. In my old Dynasty which had a 8.3 Cummins Mechanical, when the alternator went, I was able to link the chassis and house batteries together and run the generator to keep all charged while I drove home. Coach Net has dispatched a mechanic as I have asked to come and disconnect the alternator, and I was planning on doing the same thing using the Blue Sea ACR and the generator/solar to keep things charged. He has not arrived yet, and now I'm wondering if that trick will work with this engine since this one is electronic and not mechanical. We're down in Crisfield, MD and there's not a place close by where I can get the alternator rebuilt here. Any info would be greatly appreciated!!!!

 

AlanC2

2002 Windsor PST Cummins ISC330

[jacwjames]

You should be able to let the Bluesea do it's thing.  If you are running the generator the inverter/battery charger should combine both battery banks. 

 

 

[AlanC2]

Jim, 

Thanks for responding. That's what I'm hoping, but then I started thinking about whether or not alternator output is required for transmission shifting, etc. Like I said, the 92 Dynasty had an 8.3 mechanical and there was no problem. 

 

AlanC2

2002 Windsor PST

[Tom Cherry]

56 minutes ago, AlanC2 said:

I went to start up our 2002 Windsor PST today to pull out of our campsite this morning to head home, and the voltage came up and pegged the analogue voltmeter, and the Silverleaf showed 18.4 volts. Not wanting to fry electronics or cook a fairly new 8D chassis battery, I pulled from the campsite to a parking lot. In my old Dynasty which had a 8.3 Cummins Mechanical, when the alternator went, I was able to link the chassis and house batteries together and run the generator to keep all charged while I drove home. Coach Net has dispatched a mechanic as I have asked to come and disconnect the alternator, and I was planning on doing the same thing using the Blue Sea ACR and the generator/solar to keep things charged. He has not arrived yet, and now I'm wondering if that trick will work with this engine since this one is electronic and not mechanical. We're down in Crisfield, MD and there's not a place close by where I can get the alternator rebuilt here. Any info would be greatly appreciated!!!!

 

AlanC2

2002 Windsor PST Cummins ISC330

Call Blue Seas.  Ask them.  Tell them you have a Leece Neville Duvac alternator.  I would carefully read one of our “alternator” experts post on this.  You  can also search, using the “TOPICS” parameter,  for Alternator and find some good topics…..maybe Duvac or Blue Seas.

Blue Seas is one of the best tech support resources we have.  I didn’t need as complex an answer as you might, but they were very helpful. To fully utilize the Blue Seas and use it for the battery boost, you WILL a have to run more wires up front…..but it is well worth it.

FWIW, while you are converting, I would give serious consideration to having the LN rebuilt.  Assuming the voltage regulator went south, getting a good shop to REPLACE the diodes….with genuine LN diodes or any other component would be a worthwhile investment.

Good Luck

[Gary_Curtis]

I recently drove from Winnipeg to Cincinnati without the alternator on my 2007 Beaver Patriot. The air-conditioner compressor bearings froze up and the belt was destroyed. First sign of trouble was the engine started to die when the voltage dropped below 12 volts.  I started the generator and drove several hundred more miles with the generator charging the Chassis batteries through the Big Bird Relay. I found a belt that was the proper size to eliminate the AC compressor yet turn the generator at a NAPA autoparts and drove the Beaver on home. This is the second time the AC Compressor has failed in 50K miles... definitely the weak link in the CAT 13 Powerplant.

 

[AlanC2]

8 minutes ago, Tom Cherry said:

Call Blue Seas.  Ask them.  Tell them you have a Leece Neville Duvac alternator.  I would carefully read on our our “alternator” experts post on this,  you can also search, using the “TOPICS” parameter for Alternator and find some good topics…..maybe Duvac or Blue Seas.

Blue Seas is one of the best tech support resources we have.  I didn’t need as complex an answer as you might, but they were very helpful. To fully utilize the Blue Seas and use it for the battery boost, you WILL a have to run more wires up front…..but it is well worth it.

Good Luck

Thanks for responding Tom and for all of the info. The Blue Sea has worked great in the past for linking and charging house and chassis batteries to maintain the charge. I've got a 2.5 hour run to get from this campground where I can pull out the alternator and have it rebuilt. I just want to make sure that with the alternator charging wire removed from the alternator, eliminating any output, that the transmission will still shift at the proper rpms. In other words, I don't want to drive home in first gear. Using the ML ACR to link the batteries and the inverter/charger powered by the generator will be more than enough to keep them charged. 

I don't know where the transmission ECM gets the info for the shift points.

 

Thanks again!

 

AlanC

2002 Windsor PST

[AlanC2]

14 minutes ago, Gary_Curtis said:

I recently drove from Winnipeg to Cincinnati without the alternator on my 2007 Beaver Patriot. The air-conditioner compressor bearings froze up and the belt was destroyed. First sign of trouble was the engine started to die when the voltage dropped below 12 volts.  I started the generator and drove several hundred more miles with the generator charging the Chassis batteries through the Big Bird Relay. I found a belt that was the proper size to eliminate the AC compressor yet turn the generator at a NAPA autoparts and drove the Beaver on home. This is the second time the AC Compressor has failed in 50K miles... definitely the weak link in the CAT 13 Powerplant.

 

Thanks Gary!  I'm hoping that will work in my case also! 

 

AlanC2

2002 Windsor PST

[AlanC2]

1 hour ago, AlanC2 said:

I went to start up our 2002 Windsor PST today to pull out of our campsite this morning to head home, and the voltage came up and pegged the analogue voltmeter, and the Silverleaf showed 18.4 volts. Not wanting to fry electronics or cook a fairly new 8D chassis battery, I pulled from the campsite to a parking lot. In my old Dynasty which had a 8.3 Cummins Mechanical, when the alternator went, I was able to link the chassis and house batteries together and run the generator to keep all charged while I drove home. Coach Net has dispatched a mechanic as I have asked to come and disconnect the alternator, and I was planning on doing the same thing using the Blue Sea ACR and the generator/solar to keep things charged. He has not arrived yet, and now I'm wondering if that trick will work with this engine since this one is electronic and not mechanical. We're down in Crisfield, MD and there's not a place close by where I can get the alternator rebuilt here. Any info would be greatly appreciated!!!!

 

AlanC2

2002 Windsor PST Cummins ISC330

I just got off the phone with the Prestolite people. Good news/bad news. Good news is that I should be good to go with the alternator disconnected, using the ML ACR to link the house/chassis batteries, run the generator and use the charger to keep the batteries up.  That should get me home. Bad news is that the Leece Neville replacement is no longer available, and I have not been able to find a rebuild shop that is still in business.

[jacwjames]

Where are you headed??  Maybe we can help try to find a shop for you.

When mine failed the rig was parked in my driveway so no big deal.  I pulled it off.  I contacted the purchasing department for mining company I use to work for and they provided me with info on a shop that they use, ~15 miles from the house.  When I called them they didn't even ask what make/model alternator, they just said they could repair it.  Dropped it off in the AM, it was done the next day $185 out the door.  The shop didn't look like much but they got the job done.  

So you might contact a truck repair shop and ask who they use.

 

Edited October 12, 2022 by jacwjames

[waterskier_1]

The high voltage indicates that there is no voltage regulation occurring - the alternator is running flat out maximum.  This could be caused by a couple things.  The most common is when someone replaces their alternator and doesn't get the correct DUVAC alternator, or wires it wrong.  If the DUVAC Voltage Sense terminal on the Alternator doesn't see battery voltage (as in an open or not connected to the battery) it interprets this as low battery voltage and increases the alternator output.  This is not likely your case since you didn't do any rewiring that caused this to occur.  It could be because you lost continuity of the sense wire from the chassis battery to the Alternator Sense terminal (a broken wire or bad connection).

The other most likely cause is the Voltage Regulator in the Alternator has failed.  On many of the L/N Alternators, this is a replaceable "unit".  I have replaced several for members.  You'll need the exact L/N part number to determine if this is the case.  If it is only the Voltage Regulator, you might not need to replace or rebuild the whole alternator.

  -Rick N.  

[jacwjames]

Have you checked the DUVAC fuse in your rear passenger side electrical bay????  Not really sure what this does or what would happen if it fails but just a thought!!

[Gary 05 AMB DST]

I had a shop in the Cleveland, OH area that just gave me a rebuilt one from their stock, took my alternator and I think $188. It was a few years ago. I could look up the shop if interested.

Gary 04 AMB DST

[MyronTruex]

I hope you made it home safely.

Running the generator is just fine to get you home but you need/needed to be sure your engine batteries were getting charged. Your voltmeter that told you the voltage was high should read your engine batteries/house batteries because they should be combined when running. 

Now this can be a bit complicated IF the combining system is setup to sense when the alternator is running. My system does not allow battery combining when the engine is running with the generator running. That puts two competing charging systems online so they prevent that situation.

Disconnecting the output of the alternator and using a jumper to combine batteries is a way to get you down the road. 

I too believe you should take the time to diagnose the situation and not throw a new alternator at the problem. A blown fuse could be your problem as mentioned or a broken wire for the sense lead. 

If you have made it to your destination and have the luxury of having the folks here walk you through diagnosing it you might save some busted knuckles and greenbacks.

 

[AlanC2]

 

On 10/12/2022 at 12:56 PM, AlanC2 said:

I went to start up our 2002 Windsor PST today to pull out of our campsite this morning to head home, and the voltage came up and pegged the analogue voltmeter, and the Silverleaf showed 18.4 volts. Not wanting to fry electronics or cook a fairly new 8D chassis battery, I pulled from the campsite to a parking lot. In my old Dynasty which had a 8.3 Cummins Mechanical, when the alternator went, I was able to link the chassis and house batteries together and run the generator to keep all charged while I drove home. Coach Net has dispatched a mechanic as I have asked to come and disconnect the alternator, and I was planning on doing the same thing using the Blue Sea ACR and the generator/solar to keep things charged. He has not arrived yet, and now I'm wondering if that trick will work with this engine since this one is electronic and not mechanical. We're down in Crisfield, MD and there's not a place close by where I can get the alternator rebuilt here. Any info would be greatly appreciated!!!!

 

AlanC2

2002 Windsor PST Cummins ISC330

Thanks to all who responded. Coach Net contacted a service company who sent a tech out. The tech showed up about 3 hours past the ETA, but that's par for the Eastern Shore of MD.  I don't go under my coach without jackstands, and I don't travel with them. He did and he disconnected the alternator. I wound up extending the campground stay by one day and drove home today.  I ran the generator and used the inverter/charger, to keep the batteries charged. The Blue Sea ML-ACR worked as advertised, and the Silverleaf system allowed me to accurately monitor the voltage for the 128 mile drive home. Tachometer, Speedometer, Transmission, Gauges, all functioned normally during the drive.

Now to find an alternator rebuild shop in the Baltimore, MD area. It seems that they have shut down. I did contact Tech support at Prestolite, and he told me that the numbers I gave him for the 2002 Windsor from the 2022 parts list did not show up in his computer (maybe typos?).  After I get the coach unloaded, I'll pull the alternator off and get the number off of it.  I did notice when I was feeling around the back side of it while waiting for the tech that it was quite hot in an area. The engine had not been run in two hours, so it seems like there may be something wrong that is more than a failed regulator. 

Thanks again for the help!

 

AlanC2

2002 Windsor PST Cummins ISC330

[jacwjames]

This is the alternator part number   A0012824L

When my alternator failed I contacted Prestolite and they gave me a part# of  2824LC.  If by chance you can't get yours repaired here is a source of a new one https://prestolitesuperstore.com/Category/2824LC/Prestolite-Leece-Neville-New-Alternator-2000-Series-J180-Mount-type-12V-160A/

Here is the text of the email with some contact info if you need to try and chase one down, this was in 2014. 

Jim,
The model alternator you need is a 2824LC and can be purchased from Elreg dist. In Burlington.
There phone no. is 905-336-8830
Best Regards,
Kevin Taylor
Technical Services / Applications Engineering
Leece-Neville Heavy Duty Products
9108 West Main st.
Rushford, NY 14777
Office: 585-437-5210
Cell: 716-474-9407
Technical Call Center: 866-288-9853

[AlanC2]

3 hours ago, jacwjames said:

This is the alternator part number   A0012824L

When my alternator failed I contacted Prestolite and they gave me a part# of  2824LC.  If by chance you can't get yours repaired here is a source of a new one https://prestolitesuperstore.com/Category/2824LC/Prestolite-Leece-Neville-New-Alternator-2000-Series-J180-Mount-type-12V-160A/

Here is the text of the email with some contact info if you need to try and chase one down, this was in 2014. 

Jim,
The model alternator you need is a 2824LC and can be purchased from Elreg dist. In Burlington.
There phone no. is 905-336-8830
Best Regards,
Kevin Taylor
Technical Services / Applications Engineering
Leece-Neville Heavy Duty Products
9108 West Main st.
Rushford, NY 14777
Office: 585-437-5210
Cell: 716-474-9407
Technical Call Center: 866-288-9853

Jim,

Thanks for this info. Weather permitting, I'm going to crawl under tomorrow and look for a tag to verify the number on mine. It seems that all of the starter/alternator rebuild shops in the Baltimore area have gone with the wind. I'll probably have to replace.

 

Alan

 

AlanC2

2002 WIndsor PST ISC330

[veraken]

I replaced my 160 amp Leece Neville 2824LC with a 200 amp Delco Remy 28SI. The install was fairly simple, ( I have a side radiator) except on the DR you don't connect the excite wire since it is self exciting. I purchased mine with a extra pulley wheel at:

https://www.qualitypowerauto.com/

[astgerma]

Check both battery disconnect switches and the relay that connects both house and chassis batteries together.

 

[MyronTruex]

Alternator and starter files

There is quite a bit of information in these files. The videos may help as well.

[AlanC2]

On 10/13/2022 at 3:59 PM, jacwjames said:

This is the alternator part number   A0012824L

When my alternator failed I contacted Prestolite and they gave me a part# of  2824LC.  If by chance you can't get yours repaired here is a source of a new one https://prestolitesuperstore.com/Category/2824LC/Prestolite-Leece-Neville-New-Alternator-2000-Series-J180-Mount-type-12V-160A/

Here is the text of the email with some contact info if you need to try and chase one down, this was in 2014. 

Jim,
The model alternator you need is a 2824LC and can be purchased from Elreg dist. In Burlington.
There phone no. is 905-336-8830
Best Regards,
Kevin Taylor
Technical Services / Applications Engineering
Leece-Neville Heavy Duty Products
9108 West Main st.
Rushford, NY 14777
Office: 585-437-5210
Cell: 716-474-9407
Technical Call Center: 866-288-9853

Jim,

I was finally able to find an alternator rebuild shop in Baltimore, but apparently there is a parts shortage, so they could not tell me how long it would take. I decided to replace. I called Elreg in Burlington, ON, and he told me that there were none available in Canada. Apparently, Prestolite isn't turning out a whole lot of them. Prestolite Tech Support gave me the number of Fleetpride. They located one in their Pompano Beach location that had been ordered some time ago and not picked up. It's on it's way to me now, and I will get the other one rebuilt to have as a spare.  Thanks again!

AlanC2

2002 Windsor PST

[Tazmanian Martje]

On 10/12/2022 at 3:01 PM, AlanC2 said:

I just got off the phone with the Prestolite people. Good news/bad news. Good news is that I should be good to go with the alternator disconnected, using the ML ACR to link the house/chassis batteries, run the generator and use the charger to keep the batteries up.  That should get me home. Bad news is that the Leece Neville replacement is no longer available, and I have not been able to find a rebuild shop that is still in business.

the Leece_Neville alternator can be obtined through AJ Electric on Amazon.  This is the company who makes them in Franklin, NC.  828-369-0118.  We had to once again replace our leece Neville on October 12th, 2022 up in Wisconsin while boondocking.  as we had just put a new one in, in February this year I asked for warranty and the engineer actually called the mechanic at Kyle repair in park falls wi, and directed him on the tests he wanted run on the alternator before he sent a new one.  SO YES Leece-Neville DUVAC alternators are alive and well for purchase.