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Alternator
FAQ's
ANSWER:
The voltage regulator controls the alternators output. It senses
how much voltage is needed by your vehicle, then adjusts the
current field in the alternator so that it sends out the right
amount of current. To little current will run the battery down
while to much current can damage the battery and other sensitive
electronics.
In older vehicles the regulator was separate from the
alternator. For the last 15-20 years the regulators have been
mounted on or inside the alternator to reduce the amount of
wiring in a vehicle and to speed assembly. Some alternators are
regulated by the engine computer, if that fails you have to
replace the engine computer.
Internally regulated alternators are built as a unit.
If either part fails you have to replace them both. This is
because service shops would have a hard time buying just the
regulator and probably would not have the equipment to check the
rest of the components. So you just buy a rebuilt or new
alternator.
