The voltage regulator in your vehicle is in charge of keeping the right amount of electrical power flowing consistently to certain parts of your car. This means if the voltage regulator is broken, the components in your electrical system might only work erratically or not at all.

If you are experiencing any of these problems, here are some helpful tips that will help you troubleshoot your vehicle’s alternator charging system.

1. Conduct a Visual Inspection Under the Hood. Inspect belt condition and tension.
2. Visually Inspect and Test the Batteries.
3. Perform a System Voltage Test.
4. Test Alternator Output.

A VOLTAGE REGULATOR regulates the charging voltage that the alternator produces, keeping it between 13.5 and 14.5 volts to protect the electrical components throughout the vehicle. There is also a system to warn the driver if something is not right with the charging system.

Symptoms of a bad voltage regulator may include:

1. High voltage output.
2. Low voltage output, sometimes.
3. No voltage output.
4. Lights dim or flicker.
5. Faulty high-beam headlamp bulbs.
6. Engine working erratically (weak or flickering ignition system)
7. Adding water to the battery frequently.

The stator coil generates the power for the spark plug and other accessories on small engines Without a stator there would be no spark at all, meaning the engine won’t run. While a stator is dying, it can produce a weak spark, causing the engine to miss or run poorly.

On distributors with the pickup separate from the module assembly, you can check the pickup using your Ohm meter. Connect the leads from your Ohm meter to the 2 leads of the pickup. If you show a resistance of 50 to 200 Ohms, the pickup is functioning correctly.

Magnetic Speed Pickup Installation: Insert the magnetic speed pickup into the hole and turn it until the magnetic speed pickup makes contact with the face of the gear. Wire leads should be twisted for their entire length from the magnetic speed sensor to the control unit.

Magnetic Pickup Troubleshooting

1. Verify that the sensing gear is made of ferrous material.
2. Verify that the sensing gear has a propper pitch for the sensor.
3. Verify the air-gap between the sensor and the gear.
4. Verify that the gear is moving at the correct speed.
5. Verify the output voltage and frequency.

Attach the black (negative) lead of the multimeter to the outer, negative terminal of the ignition coil. Connect the red (positive) lead of the multimeter to the outer, positive terminal of the ignition coil. Turn the reading dial on the multimeter to ohms to measure resistance of the primary pickup coil.