Jump to content

ZM4 alternator regulator


Recommended Posts

Anyone else using one of these? Had the thing for a year now, good for charging batteries but lately it has been trying to melt our 120amp bosch alternator. Found the battery sensing wire fuse had blow, 250ma and replaced with another but its done this before and fuse was fine. Is it possible to simply draw to many amps? Our 1000w anchor winch and charging of 280ah of battery all at once from a float voltage of 12.7 is too much for it? The alternator 'sticks' on full output even after the winch has stopped. Doesn't happen all the time and this is the firs time we found the sensor fuse blown any ideas appreciated!

1544563589301234594711.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites

I would contact Graeme Polley, the designer/manufacturer of the ZM4.

 

info@smartregulator.co.nz

 

0274487027

 

Unless it is a fault in the ZM4 itself it will be a fault in the battery sense wiring. I have seen fuses go intermittent i.e the filament is broken but touching.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I would contact Graeme Polley, the designer/manufacturer of the ZM4.

 

info@smartregulator.co.nz

 

0274487027

 

Unless it is a fault in the ZM4 itself it will be a fault in the battery sense wiring. I have seen fuses go intermittent i.e the filament is broken but touching.

Thanks Jon. My thoughts too, is the battery sensing wire reading the winch supply? Spoke to Graeme this morning and just off the phone with Maxwell to see if they think we need to run the engine a while before running the winch? Seems strange that it's worked well for about a year then twice in a few days its tried to cook the alternator.

Attached a couple of screen grabs. Dec9th shows twice we ran the winch and voltage under load dropped to 12. Today's Dec12th shows what happened this morning, 11.9v Maxwell seem to think nothing strange but if the batteries are a bit low, run the engine a while to compensate. Will give it a try. The zigzag voltage is our freezer turning on and off!

Dec 9th.jpg

Dec 12th.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites

A cheap Chinese device (One that works!) that goes over your battery terminals. Download software on a smart phone and there's all your history, think it stores up to 2 months worth. Shows charge discharge too in real time...$40.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Thin, 14mm I think. It's a green belt and never an issue slipping so far. Of interest, left the eastern arm and moved to the western arm and this is the plot from the batteries. Decided to run the engine at higher revs when pulling the pick up, not at idle as vertually no voltage drop despite winch running. Think I found the problem however, connection to the battery sense wire looked a little dubious so have moved it to the battery side of a 400amp master switch. Time will tell.

Screenshot_20181212-132649.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites

Sounds like battery sense issue to me. Battery sense wire should go (via a fuse) directly to the battery terminal, not to a switch or anywhere else. To the pos battery terminal only!

Quite agree, it is now. The 100amp cable supplying the master switch is where it is now connected on the battery side. So far so good.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...