Is this a test?

I know what it is... I think. The Coast Guard must still be testing me to see what I would do in some maintenance situation.

The new alternator came in yesterday. This morning I pulled the old one off. They're not the same. The old one has more wires hooked up to it because it's an Ignition Excited type alternator and has a lug for a Duvac System, whatever that is. I called the alternator shop in Green Bay to let them know. No problem they said. The new alternator is a Self-Excited type alternator. There is a modification that can be done so it will work with a Duvac System. Go ahead and put it on they said.

Well first I have to take the pulley off the old alternator to put on the new one. It takes an impact gun to get the nut off. No problem... my son-in-law has one here that I can use. But there was a problem. His air compressor couldn't supply enough air pressure. So I took the alternator into town and found a shop that could get it off for me. I went to pay they guy for his trouble and realized I left my wallet back at the motorhome.

Okay I've got the pulley off the old alternator and onto the new one. I get the wires hooked up and the new alternator mounted. I start the engine and... it's not charging. I pull the new alternator off and mount the old one again. It's charging... but erratically... the way it was before I pulled it off the first time. I called the alternator shop and talked to them about it. They told me sometimes a new alternator might have to be "flashed" before it will start charging the first time and told me how to go about "flashing" it.

So I pull the old alternator back off, change the pulley back to the new one and mount it a second time. I start the engine, the alternator isn't charging, so I "flashed" it as instructed. It starts working! Great... I thought. I shut the engine down and restart it. It's not charging. So I "flash" it again a second time... then a third time. I called the alternator shop in Green Bay. Sounds like a defective alternator. Maybe if I can "flash" the alternator each time I start the engine, when I get back up to Green Bay, bring the new alternator in and they will send it back giving me a $242 refund and fix the old alternator. Yeah right!  I have to crawl under the back of the motorhome to get to the back of the alternator to "flash" it. So... having a background as an electrical engineering technician, I rigged up a way so all I have to do is open the engine hatch that is under the bed in the motorhome and spark a wire I have going to the back of the alternator to "flash" the alternator. At least this will work until I get back up to Green Bay. OWFISH!