[W126 Coupe] BOSCH in a BOX

[Jim Ham]

The real killer is load dump. This is where the alternator is producing a 
high current and the current is interrupted quickly for some reason. 
Perhaps a loose ground wire. It takes the regulator some 10s of 
milliseconds to shut off the alternator, meanwhile we have 60 amps with 
nowhere to go. Voltages can spike to 60V or higher.

Regards,

Jim Ham

At 05:51 PM 7/7/2008, you wrote:

>on 7/7/2008 8:09 PM Mike R. wrote:

>>That 28-amp fan load was allowed to get intermittent, which spiked and 

>>drove the regulator to failure. Once I tightened it and put on a fresh 

>>alternator, all is well.

>

>There is no reason for a transient load to damage a regulator. They are 

>just transistors, after all, and transistors can operate at much higher 

>frequencies than that (think: microwave satellite TV).

>

>--

>

>-.-.-.-.-.-

>You can take great people, highly trained and motivated, put them in a 

>lousy system, and the system will win every time.  -Geary Rummler -.-.-.-.-.-

>

>The MB Coupes Website!

>W126 SEC Mailing List

>Postings remain property of MB Coupes, L.L.C.


Porcine Associates
+1.650.326.2669
www.porcine.com