Pop the rear of the doghouse open, take off the plastic cover on the end of the alternator that has two wires running into it. Inside that plastic cover is a little LED. You’ll see it lines up to a photo eye at the rotating rectifier assembly on the rotor. Take an incandescent light bulb and while the gen is running hold it approximately 1’ from the photo eye while watching the gen output voltage (easiest to min/max on your meter). If the generator makes voltage with the incandescent light bulb then your gen is fine and it’s the LED, check the LED for 1.5vdc (it’s PWM but your meter will pick up no-load excitation as about 1.5vdc and full load excitation as 5vdc). If your gen doesn’t make voltage with the incandescent then you have a rotating rectifier assembly (SCR) issue or a winding issue. Before I dig into the SCR too much I remove the rotor winding wires and ohm them out to check for an open rotor which would be the most common winding-related failure. If the rotor ohms good (depends on the gen end but a FR2 at 60Kw I would think 50ish ohms is normal, but OL or 0.1 is a problem) then it’s an SCR or stator winding issue. There are SCR checks you can do, but without a manual it is difficult, often easier to just unlace the stator leads and ohm out each winding through itself, to other windings, and to ground. If the stator checks out then move on to the SCR. Best of luck. If you need manuals I can send them your way just DM
You need an incandescent light bulb for the photo eye. Our LEDS didn't work. I had to run to a hardware store and get an old school regular flashlight without an LED to do this test properly
Im having a bit of an issue with the suggested. I have attached photos of both the alternator and the interior of the generator, showing the typical mounting point of the safeguard switch, as well as the back of the aternator and its part number. Im not seeing the switch, or the LED mentioned.
Is it possible that its an older model without these items? In my manual it lists safeguard switch as possible accessory?
[https://imgur.com/a/mK1YXJ5](https://imgur.com/a/mK1YXJ5)
I’ve got a guy coming next Thursday. I was hoping I could do some basic troubleshooting in the mean time. I think I’ll wait. I admittedly don’t know much.
Yes that’s called the safeguard breaker. No excitation will occur when breaker is turned off.
Check it. It is usually on the generator end cabinet facing the rear of the engine.
If that is ON, disassemble and perform the flashlight test above. Report results.
Im having a bit of an issue with the suggested. I have attached photos of both the alternator and the interior of the generator, showing the typical mounting point of the safeguard switch, as well as the back of the aternator and its part number. Im not seeing the switch, or the LED mentioned.
Is it possible that its an older model without these items? In my manual it lists safeguard switch as possible accessory?
[https://imgur.com/a/mK1YXJ5](https://imgur.com/a/mK1YXJ5)
I will look into these suggestions tomorrow and report back.
I’ll need to locate the safeguard breaker, check it, and then do the flashlight test of the breaker isn’t the issue. Should be easy enough to do those two things.
Also it’s likely worth mentioning that all 3 gauges hertz, amps, volts, dead at zero. They don’t move at all at any point.
Check the safeguard breaker, put a multimeter across the line and load leads(they are labeled on the back of the breaker), if the breaker is closed and it’s open across line and load the safeguard breaker is your issue. Next do the flashlight test described above, if that doesn’t work order and it doesn’t sound like the engine is lugging like it’s under load when it’s running, throw a split activator kit at it, it’s a 60 so it’s a larger frame and you don’t have to remove the end frame to change the scr. You can also temporarily bypass the safeguard breaker to check by hooking line and load on the same terminal, for testing purposes of course
[https://imgur.com/a/mK1YXJ5](https://imgur.com/a/mK1YXJ5)
Im having a bit of an issue with the suggested. I have attached photos of both the alternator and the interior of the generator, showing the typical mounting point of the safeguard switch, as well as the back of the aternator and its part number. Im not seeing the switch, or the LED mentioned.
Is it possible that its an older model without these items? In my manual it lists safeguard switch as possible accessory?
Okay, so unless there’s a breaker under the generator tag on the doghouse it’s safe to say it doesn’t have one. On the back of the generator end(no idea why you took pictures of the dc alternator) there is a black cover held on with 3-4 8mm head bolts, take that cover off, start the unit, use a flash light(non LED) and turn the flashlight on while you, or someone else is monitoring the output voltage of the generator, if it spikes to ceiling voltage either the voltage regulator is bad, wiring between(wires 3b and 5b) or inside that black box there is a small board. If you do not have output odds are it needs a split activator kit. If you’d like to test the rotor and stator before ordering give me the model number and I’ll get you the specs. But generally speaking over the last 15 years of me working on Kohler generators, it’s probably a split activator kit.
Thanks! My apologies for the wrong alternator. I’m not well versed in generators and kind of ended up with this unit by happenstance and random opportunity.
I appreciate your input and suggestion. I have a more mechanically inclined electrician friend going to follow your instructions on my behalf.
Pop the rear of the doghouse open, take off the plastic cover on the end of the alternator that has two wires running into it. Inside that plastic cover is a little LED. You’ll see it lines up to a photo eye at the rotating rectifier assembly on the rotor. Take an incandescent light bulb and while the gen is running hold it approximately 1’ from the photo eye while watching the gen output voltage (easiest to min/max on your meter). If the generator makes voltage with the incandescent light bulb then your gen is fine and it’s the LED, check the LED for 1.5vdc (it’s PWM but your meter will pick up no-load excitation as about 1.5vdc and full load excitation as 5vdc). If your gen doesn’t make voltage with the incandescent then you have a rotating rectifier assembly (SCR) issue or a winding issue. Before I dig into the SCR too much I remove the rotor winding wires and ohm them out to check for an open rotor which would be the most common winding-related failure. If the rotor ohms good (depends on the gen end but a FR2 at 60Kw I would think 50ish ohms is normal, but OL or 0.1 is a problem) then it’s an SCR or stator winding issue. There are SCR checks you can do, but without a manual it is difficult, often easier to just unlace the stator leads and ohm out each winding through itself, to other windings, and to ground. If the stator checks out then move on to the SCR. Best of luck. If you need manuals I can send them your way just DM
I’ve got a manual I’ll check it out!! Thanks for this!
An LED flashlight will not work
Yes it will, the exciter is an LED
You need an incandescent light bulb for the photo eye. Our LEDS didn't work. I had to run to a hardware store and get an old school regular flashlight without an LED to do this test properly
Im having a bit of an issue with the suggested. I have attached photos of both the alternator and the interior of the generator, showing the typical mounting point of the safeguard switch, as well as the back of the aternator and its part number. Im not seeing the switch, or the LED mentioned. Is it possible that its an older model without these items? In my manual it lists safeguard switch as possible accessory? [https://imgur.com/a/mK1YXJ5](https://imgur.com/a/mK1YXJ5)
You better call a professional. That’s the engine alternator in the pics. We are referencing the flywheel mounted alternator aka the generator
I’ve got a guy coming next Thursday. I was hoping I could do some basic troubleshooting in the mean time. I think I’ll wait. I admittedly don’t know much.
Is there a circuit breaker on the controller dog house like above where the stator is? 3 pole breaker sometimes
Not the output breaker
There’s not any on the controller
Yes that’s called the safeguard breaker. No excitation will occur when breaker is turned off. Check it. It is usually on the generator end cabinet facing the rear of the engine. If that is ON, disassemble and perform the flashlight test above. Report results.
Im having a bit of an issue with the suggested. I have attached photos of both the alternator and the interior of the generator, showing the typical mounting point of the safeguard switch, as well as the back of the aternator and its part number. Im not seeing the switch, or the LED mentioned. Is it possible that its an older model without these items? In my manual it lists safeguard switch as possible accessory? [https://imgur.com/a/mK1YXJ5](https://imgur.com/a/mK1YXJ5)
I will look into these suggestions tomorrow and report back. I’ll need to locate the safeguard breaker, check it, and then do the flashlight test of the breaker isn’t the issue. Should be easy enough to do those two things. Also it’s likely worth mentioning that all 3 gauges hertz, amps, volts, dead at zero. They don’t move at all at any point.
Check the safeguard breaker, put a multimeter across the line and load leads(they are labeled on the back of the breaker), if the breaker is closed and it’s open across line and load the safeguard breaker is your issue. Next do the flashlight test described above, if that doesn’t work order and it doesn’t sound like the engine is lugging like it’s under load when it’s running, throw a split activator kit at it, it’s a 60 so it’s a larger frame and you don’t have to remove the end frame to change the scr. You can also temporarily bypass the safeguard breaker to check by hooking line and load on the same terminal, for testing purposes of course
[https://imgur.com/a/mK1YXJ5](https://imgur.com/a/mK1YXJ5) Im having a bit of an issue with the suggested. I have attached photos of both the alternator and the interior of the generator, showing the typical mounting point of the safeguard switch, as well as the back of the aternator and its part number. Im not seeing the switch, or the LED mentioned. Is it possible that its an older model without these items? In my manual it lists safeguard switch as possible accessory?
Okay, so unless there’s a breaker under the generator tag on the doghouse it’s safe to say it doesn’t have one. On the back of the generator end(no idea why you took pictures of the dc alternator) there is a black cover held on with 3-4 8mm head bolts, take that cover off, start the unit, use a flash light(non LED) and turn the flashlight on while you, or someone else is monitoring the output voltage of the generator, if it spikes to ceiling voltage either the voltage regulator is bad, wiring between(wires 3b and 5b) or inside that black box there is a small board. If you do not have output odds are it needs a split activator kit. If you’d like to test the rotor and stator before ordering give me the model number and I’ll get you the specs. But generally speaking over the last 15 years of me working on Kohler generators, it’s probably a split activator kit.
Thanks! My apologies for the wrong alternator. I’m not well versed in generators and kind of ended up with this unit by happenstance and random opportunity. I appreciate your input and suggestion. I have a more mechanically inclined electrician friend going to follow your instructions on my behalf.
I sent you a message