FREE REPAIR MANUALS & LABOR GUIDES 1982-2013 Vehicles
Courtesy of Operation CHARM: Car repair manuals for everyone.

Generator Output Test

Generator Output Chart:




The output of the generator is dependant on the demand (load), vehicle temperature, and the rpm of the generator.

LOAD: If the vehicle electrical demand is low (all accessories off), the output from the generator will be low. As the demand increases (accessories on) the generator output will increase

TEMPERATURE: As the temperature increases the output from the generator decreases.

RPM: The generator rpm is 2.53 times the engine rpm. As rpm increases the output of the generator increases until it reaches maximum output (generator fully loaded). At extended idle (low rpm), maximum load, and high temperatures the generator maximum output will be low.

IMPORTANT: When testing a generator, the load, temperature and rpm must be considered to obtain the most accurate conclusion. When using the carbon pile load tester (carbon pile fully On), the load should be set for maximum generator output.