Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Three Wheeler & Super 3 RIP Regulator

After reading many posts about the feebleness of the original front mounted Regulator, I got into the habit of checking the voltage before turning the engine off, it paid off today after a 30mile cruise it was reading 10.8V with the headlights on and 11.4V with them off. I know it was at 12.9V (and also getting a charge of 14.2V with the engine on) before I set off. So somewhere en route it lost the plot.
I’ve ordered a direct replacement for the Harley unit from flea bay as non of the UK Harley dealers appeared to have any original ones in stock.

I recommend getting in the habit of checking Voltage before turning off your engine and so avoiding getting stuck if your original regulator has gone to sleep and not charged the battery.

Good advice. The mechanic who talked me through the three-wheeler functions when I bought it recommended having the voltage displayed as the default, and keeping any eye on it.

Sound advice indeed...

Update- so while waiting for the new regulator I decided to do some tests. Interestingly the charge voltage seems normal at about 14.2V but the thing that exposed the problem was driving with the headlights on, which discharged the battery as the load clearly wasn’t being met by what the stator produced.

Running around without headlights on appears to be problem free.

Is this the failure mode that others have experienced?

I know nothing of the M3W or LED headlamps, though if they are not already fitted to the M3W, I wonder if they might reduce the electrical loading on the system, if it is thought advantageous to run with headlights on during the day..?

Just thinking in type..

Agreed Luddite, on these DC systems there are advantages to reducing the load, but in any vehicle electrical system the stator must be capable of putting out enough power to support items like the original lights otherwise driving at night would be off limits for a standard vehicle. Even if I had the lights and heated seats on it should still cope without discharging the battery.

However many years ago I borrowed my bosses new Ford Granada Exec, it was the end of the line and had everything on it. I was stuck in traffic near Brighton in rain and fog and had all the lights on, heated seat and windows and stereo, I decided to play with the electric seats, you can guess what happened next.

If you follow the loom back from the regulator about a foot or so, you come to a square plug. You can check the stators out through that. There are several sets of instructions for doing this if you Google it. That will at least prove the condition of the stators.

Thanks Planenut, stator checks out ok. No leakage to ground, generates 20V at idle and c50V at 3000rpm.

Strangely all three diodes read .45v.

Does anyone know what the 15A in-line fuse is for that’s on a red wire next to the battery?