Originally posted by F111D F:
This circuit only draws 4-5 amps at the most. I interesting note is with the headlights on the current draw was 2-3 amps and revving the engine the current drops the 1/2 to 1 amp? I think once the alternator has 1500 and over rpms, the current draw probably is linear, it's that transition from idle to 1500 the output catches up.
Ok...now i'm a little worried...I don't mean to hijack, but since we're on the subject...
A while back i had some alternator issues of my own, and while looking over the schematics on the service CD I realized that fuse 5 distributes power to both the positive wire on the 3-wire alternator connector as well as the fog lamps (this can be seen on a few schematics on the service CD) ...it actually feeds power to both fog lamps...well as it turns out my stock fog lamps cracked up so i replaced them with aftermarket fogs which use H3 lamps ...55 watt each vs the stock which iirc is 37.5 watts each but since at the time i though fuse 5 only fed the fogs (i didnt know that it fed the regulator as well back then)...i just wired up the H3 lamps to the stock wiring since the fuse that came with the aftermarket fogs was 15 amps as well (like fuse 5 was originally).
But now i'm wondering...that stock rating of 15 amps is for two 35 watt fog lamps and the regulator...but i'm pulling current for two 55 watt fogs as well as the regulator...so i wonder if my having switched fogs and using them all the time (i treat them like DRLs) will affect the regulator in a bad way...hmm, i wonder if that's what killed my original alt?????
Well, i guess no more using my fogs until i have time to wire up a relay....... 
F111D F,
So you hooked up an ammeter in series to the slot 5 fuse location (with no fog lamps on...just the car on) and it actually showed 5 AMPS?
Last edited by amarv12; 01/07/06 10:12 AM.
