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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Tazza" data-source="post: 67398" data-attributes="member: 82">Good to see you are back into it.Not sure exactly about the alternator. The only ones i have messed with have an internal voltage regulator.There is a big lug that goes to the battery, this one only produces power once the alternator is excited by a small lug on the voltage regulator on the alternator. With the engine running, I get a wire from the +ve battery terminal and brush it over the lug on the alternator and check to see if it is producing power.My understanding of an alternators workings is that power is applied to the armature magnetizing it. This creates power in the field windings that is rectified and goes to the battery. The voltage regulator works by changing the amount of power that goes into the rotor, less magnetism = lower voltage, more = more voltage. The brushes do wear over time too, so they could be the problem.Ensure power is getting to the alternator, as there should be an inline diode to prevent it draining the battery when the machine is off.If all this fails, i believe you can pickup a 1 wire alternator at a pretty good price. Simply attach it to the engine, and one wire to the battery and you are all good to go. No need to have switched power to it.</blockquote>