I'm having charging problems on my van. Anybody know how to bypass the voltage reulator and full field the alternator?

that would be correct
an alternator requires a battery voltage to energize the fields to generate a current a dead flat battery or no battery and the alternator will not charge
it probably would keep running if the rpms were high enough for the voltage regulator to supply the voltage
be aware that it is a very good way to ruin an alternator and regulator to take off a battery lead while it is running

how did you know you do not have an output?

it is not charging?

the voltage of the battery is still below 13 volts?

have you rev it up a little bit?

some alternators , specially the big ones would like to work at a little bit high rpm specially if it's charging a big battery.

let me know what happen.

tnx 4 using fixya,

drcool

If the charging system is not putting out the required voltage, is it the alternator or the regulator? Full fielding the alternator to bypass the regulator should tell you if it is working correctly. Or, take the alternator to a parts store and have it bench tested. If the charging voltage goes up when the regulator is bypassed, the problem is the regulator (or the engine computer in the case of computer-regulated systems). If there is no change in output voltage, the alternator is the culprit.

When the engine cranks normally but won't start, you need to check ignition, fuel and compression. Ignition is easy enough to check with a spark tester or by positioning a plug wire near a good ground. No spark? The most likely causes would be a failed ignition module, distributor pickup or crankshaft position (CKP) sensor.

A tool such as an Ignition System Simulator can speed the diagnosis by quickly telling you if the ignition module and coil are capable of producing a spark with a simulated timing input signal. If the simulated signal generates a spark, the problem is a bad distributor pickup or crankshaft position sensor. No spark would point to a bad module or coil. Measuring ignition coil primary and secondary resistance can rule out that component as the culprit.

Tell us news.

You need to bypass voltage regulator to be certain alternator is charging properly. When you full field alternator it eliminates voltage regulator. If it indeed is good it will overcharge. If it overcharges as it should when you bypass/full field alternator then the regulator, or its connection or the place it attaches to is rusty & wont conduct a ground.

The voltage is regulated by the pcm (power control module ) on the truck. You cannot make any adjustments, removed or tampered with in any way to the pcm. Only a dodge dealer can check it out to see what the problem is with the pcm. Hope this will help you.

Jump terminals A to F and the alternator should full field and charge. If it charges then replace the regulator. if it doesn't charge replace the alternator. I remember the terminals by thinking of the word AIR FORCE .

STARTING YOUR DIAGNOSIS
What happens when you attempt to start the engine? If nothing happens when you turn the key,"http://www.aa1car.com/library/2003/us20310.htm"to determine its state of charge. Many starters won't do a thing unless there is at least 10 volts available from the battery. A low battery does not necessarily mean the battery is the problem, though. The battery may have been run down by prolonged cranking while trying to start the engine. Or, the battery's low state of charge may be the result of a charging system problem. Either way, the battery needs to be recharged and tested.
If the battery is low, the next logical step might be to try starting the engine with another battery or a charger. If the engine cranks normally and roars to life, you can assume the problem was a dead battery, or a charging problem that allowed the battery to run down. If the battery accepts a charge and tests okay, checking the output of the charging system should help you identify any problems there.
A "http://www.aa1car.com/library/2002/cm10220.htm" that is working properly should produce a charging voltage of somewhere around 14 volts at idle with the lights and accessories off. When the engine is first started, the charging voltage should rise quickly to about two volts above base battery voltage, then taper off, leveling out at the specified voltage. The exact charging voltage will vary according to the battery's state of charge, the load on the electrical system, and temperature. The lower the temperature, the higher the charging voltage. The higher the temperature, the lower the charging voltage. The charging range for a typical alternator might be 13.9 to 14.4 volts at 80 degrees F, but increase to 14.9 to 15.8 volts at subzero temperatures.
If the charging system is not putting out the required voltage, is it the alternator or the regulator? Full fielding the alternator to bypass the regulator should tell you if it is working correctly. Or, take the alternator to a parts store and have it bench tested. If the charging voltage goes up when the regulator is bypassed, the problem is the regulator (or the engine computer in the case of computer-regulated systems). If there is no change in output voltage, the alternator is the culprit.
Many times one or more diodes in the alternator rectifier assembly will have failed, causing a drop in the unit's output. The alternator will still produce current, but not enough to keep the battery fully charged. This type of failure will show up on an oscilloscope as one or more missing humps in the alternator waveform. Most charging system analyzers can detect this type of problem.
thanks,please rate the solution positively.

sounds to me like you have a bad voltage regulator. The voltage regulator will shut off the flow of juice to the battery if it exceeds a level, usually 14.5 volts. So if the alternator is over charging then the voltage regulator will shut off the flow to keep your battery form dying completely and having to be replaced. Now a days the regulator is located in the alternator.

that was your education for the day. :)

If they only tested the charge the alternator puts out and it passed they most likely bypassed the voltage regulator. If the voltage regulator is bad then you will still need a new alternator.
follow the link below and read the full field testing portion for a better explanation if you dont understand my explanation.

anything else? just post it :)

http://books.google.com/books?id=3q85p56_PxIC&pg=PA84&lpg=PA84&dq=test+voltage+regulator+inside+alternator&source=bl&ots=neLFU7USZK&sig=fmzJ2GjbxqULa9pU2UHylJahYS0&hl=en&ei=r9bySvXhNo2Xtge89omuAw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CBIQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=test%20voltage%20regulator%20inside%20alternator&f=false

Give this a shot

I don't know if your car has an integrated regulator or not; some house the regulator in a section of the alternator case, others mount it remote from it. The regulator monitors the load and battery voltag,e primitively but effectively, and controls the current flowing through the field winding of the alternator to ground, changing the magnetic field intensity and consequently the voltage output of the alternator. The 'hot' end of the field is internally connected to the + output, the 'cold' end is controlled by a transistor inside the regulator which, in turn, is controlled by circuitry monitoring the system voltage.     Some alternators can be tested by sticking a wire through a specified opening, actually shorting the controlled end of the field to ground briefly, while monitoring the voltage across the battery, doing this though for seconds only. This essentially bypasses a suspected defective regulator; this causes the output voltage to rise instantly to its maximum of ~17 volts if the alternator is OK.
I don't recommend poking a wire at random into an available opening so having a service manual (Haynes-Chilton) would be nearly mandatory.