Hi again KLaus.

I belive that the adoption of the AC generator on vehicles was one of the best things that ever happened to motoring mankind, and I hope eventualy that computers on cars will be seen in the same positive way.

Alternators seldom fail, but when they do, we are doomed these days,we wont get far.

I recently saw a 'digger'that touched some overhead power cables with its boom sending a 220v charge to earth through the structure of the machine. The diodes that are only good for fifty volts or so, punctured their junctions easily with this discharge.

The diodes are not in that box by the brush holder, that is the voltage regulater,another source of infrequent failure.

The diodes, usualy nine of them, are located on heat sinks inside the body of the machine and are a bench job to change.

As a poor ignorant Crofter it sometimes falls to me to rebuild them, but I dont do AC pumps!!! He He.

Best regards as ever...
Howard.
Isle of Skye.