Niva Chevrolet generator: possible malfunctions and repairs

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:42

Niva Chevrolet is a real favorite among off-road vehicles in the modern automobile market of the country. It combines the excellent qualities of both a touring SUV and a car for family trips. Due to its light weight and short overhangs, the Chevrolet Niva can drive off-road and fords. He climbs steep hills with ease.

But the electronics system is one of the car's most vulnerable points. With regular inspection of electrical components, with the timely removal of dirt and moisture from them, repairs will not be required even throughout the entire operation of the car.

Generator operation

The Niva Chevrolet generator is responsible for the reliable and high-quality operation of the electronics system. The owner should identify possible malfunctions in time and carry out high-quality repairs, since the functioning of all lighting fixtures depends on its good condition. It also affects battery life. A continuous supply of current is provided by the generator.

Although it is small in size, the generator has great strength. To prevent breakage and failureautomobile regulator, the owner must follow the rules for operating the car.

Special attention should be paid to how the Niva Chevrolet generator works. Malfunctions that led to a failure in its operation can be determined on automotive diagnostics. And the repair depends entirely on the degree of complexity of the breakdown.

Faults that happen in the operation of the generator

The Chevrolet Niva generator, the photo of which is provided in our article, may have the following malfunctions:

• damaged or completely worn pulley;
• slip brushes worn out;
• rectifier failure;
• faulty voltage regulator;
• manifold worn out;
• worn or completely destroyed bearing;
• charging circuit wires damaged.

The owner of the car needs to get acquainted with the main reasons for which generator malfunctions occur. In addition, you need to know how to eliminate these breakdowns, as well as preventive measures to prevent them.

Chevrolet Niva generator

Depending on the type of current, generators are DC and AC. The owners of the named car sometimes do not know, but what generators are used for this model? "Chevrolet Niva" was provided with an electromechanical alternating current device. A diode bridge is built in here - a rectifier. To provide work to electrical consumers, it converts the variablecurrent to direct. The diode bridge with the generator is one mechanism, they can be located both in the case and in the cover of the generator.

The operation of the latter is affected by the speed of the car and the speed of its engine, since the generator is connected by a belt to its crankshaft. To regulate the output current, a voltage regulator relay is installed. In addition, integrated voltage regulators are built into modern generators.

Chevrolet Niva generator may be subject to the following faults:

• electric;
• mechanical.

If the malfunction is mechanical, then it includes a breakdown of the mount, housing, faulty condition of the clamping springs, bearings, belt drive or other breakdowns that are not related to the electrician.

In the first type of malfunction, winding breaks, burnout or wear of the brush are possible, the rotor can pierce, and a short circuit occurs between the turns. The diode bridge and the relay-regulator may be out of order.

Sometimes there are signs indicating that the Chevrolet Niva generator is out of order, but completely different breakdowns can cause this problem.

Signs of a malfunctioning generator

As a rule, there are several signs of a generator malfunction:

1. While the engine is running, the battery discharge indicator lamp flashes or stays on continuously.
2. Car headlights are dim and rattling when the engine is runningbeep or it is very quiet.
3. Battery drains quickly.
4. The brightness of the headlights changes significantly as the number of revolutions increases.

Chevrolet Niva alternator belt

In order not to get into an unpleasant situation, it is necessary to ensure that the Chevrolet Niva alternator belt is in working condition. So, the presence of mechanical damage to the pulley can lead to damage to the belt, as a result, it can break.

Replacing the alternator belt

To change the Chevrolet Niva alternator belt, you need to use the following tools:

• screwdriver;
• jack;
• set of keys.

In a Chevrolet Niva car, the alternator belt is replaced as follows:

1. You need to remove the connector from the crankshaft position sensor.
2. Unscrew and remove the bolt that secures the sensor.
3. The nut that attaches the generator needs to be slightly loosened and moved to the block. With the alternator displaced, its belt will loosen and be removed without problems.
4. Using the jack on the side where the generator is located, raise the machine into first gear.
5. Pull the belt away from the pump pulley. Spin the wheel to move the pulley to the pulley.
6. Then remove the belt from the other pulleys.
7. The new one must first be put on the alternator pulley and the crankshaft pulley, and only then put on the pump pulley.
8. Turn the wheel tountil the belt is on the pulley.
9. Put the generator in place, and pulling the belt, attach it to the bracket with a nut.
10. Replace the crankshaft position sensor.

Alternator belt replacement process completed.

Generator roller

Belt tension affects the operation of the generator. And the Chevrolet Niva generator roller regulates it. During the operation of the car, it is necessary to ensure that the roller is in good condition. If there is the slightest suspicion of a breakdown, the Chevrolet Niva must be repaired.

How to replace the tension roller

The generator roller device is quite simple. The bearing is its main detail. When loosening or slowing down the belt, it is necessary to check the bearing itself by turning it by hand. A working roller has a quiet rotation, there are no jerks and biting. If the roller is in a faulty condition, it is necessary to replace it, which is possible even in the garage, with a minimum set of tools.

Install a pry bar or other tool that can prevent the movement of the crankshaft so that the clutch disc is locked. By loosening the bolt that secures the roller, relieve the tension on the belt. Having completely unscrewed the axial bolt, the tension roller is removed. Then they install a new roller and adjust the belt tension.

After replacing the roller, you need to re-inspect and check its operation. The instruction manual contains detailed instructions regarding the describedproblems.

Generator brushes

Worn-out brushes of the "Chevrolet Niva" alternator can lead to a voltage drop in the car's electrical system. This is considered one of the main and frequent causes of this type of malfunction. But since the generator has a simple design and is easy to get to, even an inexperienced motorist can replace its brushes.

The main signs of a brush failure are:

• voltage dips occur;
• battery not holding charge;
• weak headlights at night, blinking;
• radio turns off, etc.

Usually, when passing inspection, small elements of the generator are rarely checked. Therefore, worn brushes can remind you of themselves unexpectedly. But before deciding that the replacement of the Chevrolet Niva generator brushes is necessary, you need to find out if there are any other malfunctions that can cause such symptoms. And only after making sure, you can disassemble the generator case.

Replacing the alternator brush

When replacing the brushes, the voltage regulator is removed together with them as an assembly. In this case, the negative terminal of the battery is removed and the wires that come from the generator casing are disconnected.

Then the wiring harness is disconnected. From their tips with a positive terminal, it is necessary to remove the rubber cap that performs protective functions. Then you need to unscrew the nut from these wires, with which they were attached to the generator unit, and remove them.

Disconnecting the spring clipsgenerator, you should remove its black casing, made of plastic. Using a Phillips screwdriver, unscrew the fasteners of the voltage regulator. Get it complete with brushes. Then disconnect the wire block from it.

Replace alternator brushes and reinstall in reverse order.

If the length of the brush rods is less than 0.5 mm, they must be replaced. But if the brushes are in working condition, and the Niva Chevrolet generator does not supply a charge, it is necessary to check the operation of the voltage regulator and the circuit from the regulator to the brushes.

Reasons for replacing the alternator

One of the reasons why replacing a generator on a Chevrolet Niva is simply necessary is damage to the windings. If this happens, then either a rewind is needed, or you will have to purchase a new generator. Maybe the repair will cost a little cheaper, but no one will give you guarantees about the quality of the rewind and the uninterrupted supply of current to the battery.

Removing the alternator

For this process, you need to take a Phillips screwdriver. In addition, you must resort to using a car tester or ohmmeter, a 10 key and a test lamp.

To change the generator, you need to get it from the engine compartment. First, disconnect the wire and negative battery terminal. Next, disconnect the block with wires and the output of the generator, and take out the protective cover from there. Then, unscrewing the nut, disconnect the wires on the generator contact bolt. Then unscrew the bolt that secures the generator totension bar, and pull it out. It is also necessary to unscrew the bolt-shaped mount at the bottom of the generator.

Then you should remove the belt. After removing all the bolts, the generator must be removed from the bracket using a mounting spatula. To install a new one, you need to go through the whole process in reverse order.

Replacing the described electromechanical device, you need to inspect the drive belt and adjust its tension. But before changing the old Chevrolet Niva generator to a new one, you need to make sure that the replacement is really necessary. There are times when repairs can be done by yourself without resorting to the help of specialists.

In order to avoid confusion, it should be noted how the generator covers are correctly positioned. Next, you need to remove the plastic protective cover by unfastening the three latches on it. The voltage regulator and brush holder are removed together. In order to release the rectifier unit and the capacitor, it is necessary to disconnect the wires from the regulator terminal. The stator winding has three terminals. And in order to perform an operation to remove the rectifier unit and capacitor, you need to bend these conclusions a little. Prying off the side where the slip rings are located, remove the cover from the generator.

Clamping the generator rotor in a vise, unscrew the mount from the pulley. Then take out the spring washer, pulley and thrust washer. Then the rotor and the distance ring are carefully pulled out and their condition is checked. If the ring shows signs of damage, scratches and a noticeably worn condition, it must besanded with normal sandpaper. If the result is poor, the ring is ground on a lathe with the removal of a small layer of metal.

Having connected the rotor with slip rings, check the resistance of its winding with a tester. If the wiring is broken, the meter will show an infinite reading. For this reason, the rotor must be replaced.

To check whether the rotor winding closes or not, you need to turn on the test lamp in the network, which carries an alternating current of 220 V. One lamp wire is connected to the rotor, each ring is connected to the second one in turn. If the lamp lights up, the rotor needs to be replaced.