Smoked Alternator

[FreeBeeTony]

Started to boat yesterday........started fine as usual....heard a belt squeal for a few seconds, didn't think anything of it.
Gauges looked normal but the voltage seemed a little low. Started to head out, got past the now wake zone throttled up a bit and smelled something....thought it was a BBQ. Lifted the engine cover and found smoke. Shut the engine down.Thought it was the belt but it was cool......smoke was coming from the alternator itself. Felt the battery cables and they were cool also. Just used the boat a few days prior.......guess these things just fail when they want to.

 

[glenn property of pam]

check and test the battery as a large alternator on a bad battery can get a little upset trying to charge a battery with a dropped cell. If it was a small amount of smoke and alternator was cool then it sounds like the diode pack burnt up in the alternator. Most people probably wouldnt have noticed the alternator failing so well spotted.

 

[FreeBeeTony]

Wasn't on fire but the alternator seemed VERY hot.

 

[glenn property of pam]

Test the battery voltage its should be around 12.6 when fully charged.

 

[fishrdan]

^^^ Agree, check your battery(s).

What type of an alternator is it, stock or aftermarket high output?

I have a 105 amp aftermarket (china) alternator and the first time I put a heavy load on it, I could "smell" it. I popped the engine cover and the alt was stinking and felt hot, but after 3 years it's till working fine.

Those USGC anti-spark screens reduce air flow, less cooling..........

 

[Walt T]

Oh! I saw the "Smoked Alternator" title thought maybe it was a bbq recipe or something. But now you've gone and done it! You let all the smoke out of the alternator. so take it down to your local smoked alternator rebuilder and ask them to re install the smoke please.

 

[Bondo]

Oh! I saw the "Smoked Alternator" title thought maybe it was a bbq recipe or something. But now you've gone and done it! You let all the smoke out of the alternator. so take it down to your local smoked alternator rebuilder and ask them to re install the smoke please.

Ayuh,.... Alternator,... Must be a saltwater fish,..... Never heard of it,..

Electrical things, once ya let the smoke out, ya gotta get some put back in, or trade it for a new one, with smoke already in it,...

 

[FreeBeeTony]

All a bunch of comedians.............
I ordered a new alternator and a hydrometer to test the batteries.

 

[Bondo]

All a bunch of comedians.............
I ordered a new alternator and a hydrometer to test the batteries.

Ayuh,..... The Fresh Smoke oughta take care of it Tony,.....

I haven't used a hydrometer for a battery in Decades,....
A Load Tester will tell ya Alot more 'bout the battery, 'n it's capabilities,....
They're pretty cheap at Harbor Fright,...

 

[FreeBeeTony]

I ordered a hydrometer to see if there's 1 cell down.

 

[FreeBeeTony]

So will I be able to locate a bad cell and not lust a bad battery?