Note: See the warnings provided in Section General information and precautions.
1. If the charge indicator lamp on the dashboard of the car does not light when the ignition is turned on, first of all, you should check the reliability of the generator wiring terminals. If the wiring is in order, check whether the filament in the lamp has burned out, as well as the reliability of the fixation of its socket in the dashboard. If after the corrections have been made, the lamp still does not turn on, check the conductivity of its power supply wire going to the socket from the generator. If the wire is in order, then there is an internal malfunction of the generator and the intervention of a specialist is required.
2. If the charge indicator lamp remains on after starting or comes on while the engine is running, turn off the engine and check that the drive belt tension is adjusted correctly. Also make sure that the generator fasteners are not loose. If everything is OK, the generator should be taken to a specialized workshop for inspection and repair.
3. If there is a suspicion of a deviation from the norm of the generator output voltage despite the proper functioning of the control lamp, the condition of the voltage regulator should be checked.
4. Connect the voltmeter to the battery terminals and start the engine.
5. By increasing the engine speed, achieve stabilization of the voltmeter readings.
Note: The reading should be 12÷13 V and not rise above 14 V.
6. Turn on as many electrical consumers as possible (headlights, rear window heating, heater fan, etc.) and make sure that the output voltage remains at the same level (13÷14 V).
7. Voltage drop when consumers are switched on may be due to wear of the generator brushes, broken springs, failure of the voltage regulator, diode malfunction, damage to the phase winding, or wear of the sliding rings. The generator must be replaced or delivered to a specialized workshop for repair.