Dealing with mercury outboard voltage regulator problems
If you've spent plenty of time on the particular water, you've most likely had to deal with mercury outboard voltage regulator problems on the absolute worst feasible moment. It's among those components that you don't really think about until your own electronics start acting possessed or your own batteries won't crank the engine after a long time of fishing. While Mercury makes the best outboards in the particular world, their voltage regulators—especially within the old two-stroke models—are recognized for being a slight weak link within the chain.
When a regulator starts to go south, this doesn't always simply stop working entirely. Occasionally it dies the slow, dramatic death that can actually end up charging you more cash in peripheral harm if you don't catch it early. I've seen guys ruin a brand-new set of deep-cycle batteries because these people didn't realize their regulator was moving 17 volts in to them for 3 hours straight.
Exactly how to tell if your regulator is giving up the ghost
The first factor you'll usually notice isn't the motor dying, but rather the particular gauges acting weird. One of the particular most common symptoms of mercury outboard voltage regulator problems is a dance tachometer. Since the tach gets its signal in the getting circuit, any fluctuation in the regulator or the rectifier side of the house will cause that needle to jump around such as it's at a rave. If you're cruising at a stable 3, 500 REVOLTION PER MINUTE and the filling device starts bouncing to 5, 000 and back down in order to zero while the engine sounds perfectly smooth, you've got a charging concern.
Another tell-tale sign is "boiling" batteries. If you open up your battery area and it has the aroma of rotten eggs (sulfur), or if you see white crusty stuff forming about the caps, your own regulator is probably stuck in the "wide open" position. Rather than capping the voltage at around fourteen. 2 or fourteen. 5 volts, it's sending everything the particular stator can produce—sometimes upwards of 16 or 18 volts—directly to the battery. This literally cooks the particular electrolyte inside, plus it's an excellent way to begin a fire if you aren't cautious.
On the particular flip side, you might have the opposite issue in which the battery simply isn't charging in all. You'll go to start the boat after the lunch break, and all you receive is that will dreaded click-click-click . When your battery is relatively new and you haven't been running a massive stereo and three fishfinders all day, the particular regulator probably isn't doing its job of converting and sending that power back to the particular cells.
Why these regulators fall short so often
Heat is the particular primary killer of marine electronics, plus the voltage regulator sits in the very tough neighborhood. It's tucked under the cowling, often close to the top of the stop where all the heat rises. Mercury outboards generate a decent amount of heat, and the regulator is in charge of shedding its own warmth through its air conditioning fins or the particular mounting plate.
Over time, the potting material—that hard plastic material items that seals the internal electronics—can break. Once a little bit associated with moisture or sodium air gets within there, it's sport over. I've also found that loose battery pack connections are the secret killer of regulators. If your battery cables aren't tight (and I actually mean wrench-tight , not really finger-tight), the regulator can't "see" the particular battery properly. This particular causes it to spike its output, which eventually fries the internal diodes.
If you see these yellow wires coming from the stator looking brownish or melted, that's the huge red light. Individuals wires carry the organic AC current in order to the regulator, and if the regulator is struggling or faltering, those wires obtain incredibly hot. I've seen some that were so far long gone they actually fused together, which may then take out your stator too. Now you're taking a look at the much bigger restoration bill.
Testing it yourself without a degree in physics
You don't need an extravagant diagnostic computer to figure out when you're having mercury outboard voltage regulator problems. A simple $20 digital multimeter can confirm almost everything you need to know.
First, check your battery voltage using the motor off. It should be around 12. 6 volts. Then, start the particular engine (on earmuffs or within the drinking water, please) and let it idle. Examine the voltage at the particular battery again. This should bump up slightly, maybe to thirteen or 13. 2. Now, have a friend safely increase the Rpm to about 2, 500 or a few, 000. The voltage should climb but stay under fourteen. 7 volts. When it stays from 12. 6, it's not charging. If this climbs to fifteen. 5 or increased, it's overcharging. Possibly way, the regulator is toast.
Another quick check out is to have the regulator after the particular engine has been running for a few a few minutes. It should end up being warm, but this shouldn't be "burn your skin" very hot. If you observe any black goo leaking out of the back of it, or when the plastic casing looks bubbled, don't actually bother with the particular multimeter—just replace this.
The "While You're In There" checklist
When you determine that will the regulator will be bad, don't simply swap the component and call this per day. You require to figure out if something else caused it to fail. Examine the stator wires. If they're brittle or burnt, you might need to trim them as well as install new terminals.
Also, look in the mounting surface. Most of these types of regulators rely on the particular engine block to act as a high temperature sink. If there's a variety of paint, deterioration, or even old crusty grease within the mounting place, the new regulator won't have the ability to transfer heat efficiently. Use a bit of sandpaper or a wire brush to get that spot straight down to clean, shiny metal. Some guys even use a tiny bit of thermal paste—the stuff people use on computer CPUs—to help the warmth transfer, even though that's not firmly necessary if the particular surface has been cleaned.
Should you opt for OEM or aftermarket?
This is the big argument in the sailing world. Mercury outboard voltage regulator problems are so common that the huge aftermarket replacement industry has sprang up to solve them. You'll find inexpensive regulators on The amazon online marketplace or eBay regarding $25. Don't buy them. Seriously, save yourself the particular headache. Those inexpensive knock-offs often lack the thermal security and high-quality diodes needed to survive in a marine environment. I've heard tales of them lasting exactly one trip before melting down.
If you can afford it, choose the initial Mercury (Quicksilver) parts. If you would like something even beefier, consider companies such as CDI Electronics. They will focus on marine combustion and charging techniques, and their regulators are often built better than original units, along with better heat diffusion and improved internal components.
A few tips for prevention
In order to keep your new regulator happy, make sure your battery pack connections are spotless. Throw away all those wing nuts which come on marine batteries and replace associated with stainless steel hex nuts. You need a solid connection that you can't wiggle with your own hand.
Also, try to avoid using the "battery selector" switch while the engine is operating. In case you flip that in order to "OFF" while the motor will be spinning, there's nowhere for all that electrical energy to go, and it will strike the diodes in your regulator quicker than you may blink.
Coping with mercury outboard voltage regulator problems is simply part of the "boat life" experience for numerous Mercury owners. It's frustrating, sure, yet once you know the symptoms, it's a fairly easy fix that you can deal with within your driveway along with basic tools. Simply watch that tachometer and check your battery voltage every now and after that, and you'll likely catch the problem just before it leaves a person stranded or fries your expensive consumer electronics. Safe boating, and hopefully, your getting system stays best where it belongs!