How to Check an Onan Voltage Rectifier

An Onan rectifier takes alternating current produced by a combustion engine and converts it to direct current electricity to charge the vehicle’s battery. Onan rectifiers, commonly used in tractors, are an important part of the charging system. Without the rectifier, the cells in the battery would burn up and the engine would not run properly. If you suspect the rectifier of not working properly, you can test it with a simple ohmmeter.

Ohmmeter

Instructions

- 1
  Position the ohmmeter on “ohm” if the meter has the ability to complete other functions.
- 2
  Place the red lead of the ohmmeter onto the grounding stud, which is the bolt that secures the rectifier to the chassis of the vehicle. Place the black lead of the ohmmeter onto the exposed end of the wire coming out of the rectifier. Write down the reading on the ohmmeter.
- 3
  Switch the leads on the ohmmeter so the red lead touches the wire and the black lead touches the ground. Write down the measurement. If the numbers are close together, the rectifier is defective. If the numbers differ significantly, the rectifier works properly.

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