Balmar Regulator Trouble?

[tadslc]

Before I call Balmar in the morning, I wanted to run this by the experts on the board.

I’m installing the Leece-Neville 89 amp alternator and a Balmar ARS-5 regulator. At the same time, I am separating the house and start circuits and installed a Blue Seas ACR.

I go to turn the ignition on and get nothing from the Balmar regulator, ie, no display. I have double checked all my wiring and am 99% sure its all correct.

I trouble shot the wiring per Balmar with the Red, Brown and Blue wire voltages looking OK. I’m not sure if I have a regulator or alternator problem.

I’m am not an electrical guru but am pretty handy with a volt meter.

Any ideas where I should start?


Thanks,
Tad

 

[Rocinante33]

My Leece Neville Alt has an internal regulator. I think there is a way to bypass it with some sort of an add-on plate, which would allow the use of an external regulator like the Balmar. Is that what you have done or did you get an alt which does not have the internal reg?

 

[tadslc]

I did install the kit, #114-307.

 

[rwthomas1]

If you are seeing the correct voltages at the correct locations then it is entirely possible that the Balmar is DOA. The only other thing I can think of is did you start the engine? I cannot remember but it is possible that the Balmar doesn't power up until the engine is running? Can't remember exactly what happened when I programed mine, and the instructions are on the boat..... Call Balmar, they will sort it out.

RT

 

[tadslc]

I did see the correct pre-start voltages per the Balmar instructions and no, I didn't see anything in the display when I started the motor.

 

[Joliba]

I have a different Balmar regulator (mc612) and rewired the power to it by connecting the positive lead to the same circuit as the electric fuel pump which activates when the key is turned. This way, the regulator is "powered up" whenever the key is "on" and the electric fuel lift pump is ticking.The LEDs on our regulator light up when the key is turned. If this doesn't give you power the the regulator, the wire is bad or the regulator is bad.
Also, Balmar techs have told me, relative to previous problems I have had, that this type of problem is usually the fault of the inline fuse, which should be checked and replaced before blaming the regulator itself.
Mike Jacker

 

[tadslc]

Well, I found the solution to my problem. Without going into detail, I had failed to run a ground wire from the alternator to the engine block. After I did that, it worked like a charm.

Tad

 

[rwthomas1]

Don't you just love when its an easy to solve problem? Congrats on figuring it out! RT

 

[tadslc]

Don't you just love when its an easy to solve problem? Congrats on figuring it out! RT

It was nice to get it solved. The old, original alternator did not have a separate ground wire, that's what threw me. All of my pictures and documentation never addressed the separate ground wire and I didn't know enough to tell the difference.
I did figure out it will take me about 10-15 minutes to convert the alternator back to internal regulation if I the ARS-5 ever fails.

Tad