Troubleshooting Guides User guide
Page 1
TG82A
Table of Contents
Section A: Component Description ..................... 2 – 3 
Section B: On-vehicle Troubleshooting ............... 4 – 5
  Indicates special instructions on 
  installation, operation or mainte- 
  nance that are important but not 
  related to personal injury hazards.
NOTICE
Troubleshooting Guide
for N1617 Alternator
Testing Guidelines
Professional service technicians rely on the following 
guidelines when testing electrical components. 
Voltage testing: 
•  Set meter to proper scale and type (AC or DC).
•  Be sure to zero the meter scale or identify the meter 
burden by touching meter leads together. Meter bur-
den must be subtracted from final reading obtained.
•  Be sure the meter leads touch source area only. 
Prevent short circuit damage to test leads or source 
by not allowing meter leads to touch other pins or 
exposed wires in test area.
Voltage drop testing: 
•  Measure voltage between B+ on alternator or source 
and B- (ground) on alternator or source. Record 
obtained reading. Move to batteries or other source 
and measure again between B+ and B- terminals on 
battery or other source. Difference between the two 
readings represents voltage lost within the circuit 
due to but not limited to inadequate cable gage or 
faulty connections. 
•  Voltage drop measurements must be taken with 
all electrical loads or source operating.
  Before troubleshooting any CEN products, the service technician should:
  •  read, understand, and agree to follow all information contained in this troubleshooting guide.
  •  understand the operational characteristics of the electrical charging system components to be tested.
 • be profi cient at the use of tools and test equipment used in troubleshooting CEN products.
WARNING
WARNING
Hazard Definitions 
These terms are used to bring attention to presence of hazards 
of various risk levels or to important information concerning 
product life.
  Indicates presence of hazard(s) that 
  can cause severe personal injury, 
  death, or substantial property 
  damage if ignored.
  Indicates presence of hazards that 
  will or can cause minor personal 
  injury or property damage.
CAUTION
CAUTION
  When testing field coil or stators, 
  most shorts to ground will measure 
  0-100 ohms. Test readings may also  
  show higher, other than OL, typi- 
  cally in the megaohm range, when 
  windings are dust-covered, wet, 
  or oily from environment. Be 
  sure to distinguish between 
  defective readings and surface 
  debris readings when determin- 
  ing the test results.
Resistance (ohm) testing: 
•  Set meter to proper scale.
•  Be sure to zero the meter scale or identify the meter 
burden by touching meter leads together. Meter bur-
den must be subtracted from final reading obtained.
•  Be sure the meter leads touch source area only. 
Prevent altering the reading by not allowing fingers 
or body parts to touch meter leads or source during 
reading.
•  Be sure reading is taken when source is at 70ºF. 
Readings taken at higher temperatures will increase 
the reading. Conversely, readings taken at lower 
temperatures will decrease the reading.
•  Be sure to test directly at the source. Testing through 
extended harnesses or cable extensions may increase 
the reading.
Dynamic/Live testing: 
Definition: Connecting power and ground to a 
component to test operation/function out of circuit. 
1. Be sure to connect jumper leads directly and securely 
to source contacts of the component being tested. 
2. Be sure to make any connection to power and ground 
at the power supply or battery source terminals. Do 
not make connection at component source terminals 
as that may create an arc and damage component 
source terminals.





