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- Mar 15, 2016
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Ari
This is in a Piper Arrow with a single master switch. My alternator quit working this weekend. I took off the cowl and measured voltages. I get full battery voltage with the master on, at two of the three terminals on the alternator (measured to the engine lift point as a ground reference). I also get full battery voltage across the terminals of the (what appears to be) big capacitor that the alternator is wired to.
I found a mouse carcass on the hangar floor near where the front of the plane had been parked but I can’t find any evidence of chewed wires. I had figured that the field wire had been chewed through but that doesn’t seem to be the problem.
What other diagnostics should I do before ordering a new alternator? Ideally without the engine running (I don’t like holding wires near a 180 horsepower, 6-foot diameter, unshielded fan.)
I found a mouse carcass on the hangar floor near where the front of the plane had been parked but I can’t find any evidence of chewed wires. I had figured that the field wire had been chewed through but that doesn’t seem to be the problem.
What other diagnostics should I do before ordering a new alternator? Ideally without the engine running (I don’t like holding wires near a 180 horsepower, 6-foot diameter, unshielded fan.)