High amps and volt indications

JimT

New Member
Joined
Oct 28, 2006
Messages
2
Location
Phoenix, AZ
My engine quit on takeoff and the following summarizes what I have looked at and at a loss for what to do next.

OK I need some help on where to start looking. Sorry for a long post but don’t know how to say it without leaving important stuff out. About a month ago I lost power on takeoff. It didn’t quit completely so thanks to some throttle blips and altitude I made the “impossible turn” and got the plane back on the ground and taxied normally to the hangar.
First we checked the fuel system, doing fuel flows every conceivable way we knew how. Even tied the tail down and ran one in a “climb out attitude”. All flows seemed to be normal.
The next thing was to download the Dynon data log. In looking that over it became apparent at the time of the incident I was producing 62 Amps and 20+ Volts. This would last for a few seconds and drop to a more normal range then spike again it did it several times. It appeared that the spikes were when the engine wasn’t running.
The next was checking the P and E mags. Brad after hearing my story suggested I send them in. They found the circuit board in the P-Mag wasn’t reliable. Both mags had been subjected to very high temps, according to Brad this could have been from the engine oil temp or the high amperage. I learned that I had the blast tubes aimed incorrectly. They have been rebuilt and are now both P-Mags.
The alternator, Van’s Nippon Denso, was bench checked twice by two separate shops. Everything was normal.
The plane was reassembled and test run. Everything seemed normal until I ran high RPM, 2000+. As soon as the RPMs climbed the Dynon showed the amps climbed right up to 60 and voltage up to 20. The engine kept running on the ground but to say the least I am not enthusiastic trying to fly it with these same conditions.
Where do I go from here?
Jim Thorne
RV7A :-/
 

dynonsupport

Dynon Technical Support
Staff member
Joined
Mar 23, 2005
Messages
13,226
Off the cuff, that sounds like something is up with the voltage regulator. But we don't claim to be experts in parts of the airplane that we don't make.

As a double check to make sure that the voltage reading is right on the Dynon, you might hook up a handheld voltmeter to the same place that the Dynon system draws its power from. I'm guessing that the high readings are real, though.
 

dynonsupport

Dynon Technical Support
Staff member
Joined
Mar 23, 2005
Messages
13,226
Just having high voltage won't normally change an engine's performance, so you also want to know is why it started running badly.

Look at your fuel flow (or EGT's if you don't have flow). Did it go way up (EGT's down) when the voltage went up? If so, that was probably the electric fuel pump flowing a lot more and flooding the engine.

If it wasn't that, it may have been the ignition, but I hope they are designed to run at 20V.
 

airguy

Well-Known Member
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Nov 10, 2008
Messages
1,055
Location
Gods Country - west Texas
It's been reported before (and no I don't have the names, just 3rd hand info) that voltage spikes have caused issues with the circuit boards on E/P mags - not necessarily through direct electronic breakdown but through excessive heat development. The OP says the Pmag board was found to be "unreliable" - this would be a big indicator.

As for the high readings - almost certainly (if they are legit) this is a voltage regulator or regulator ground issue. An old-school voltage meter plugged into your bus would tell the tale for you...
 
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