Field Wire and Ignition Question

[drew]

Should the field wire be hot when the ignition is on?

[drew]

Yes and no. The field current is based entirely on the voltage requirements of the charging system. When more power is needed, a higher voltage is dropped through the field current. But, the voltage regulator needs hot ignition to activate. So in a sense, the field voltage will always be cold when the ignition is off, and when the ignition is on, the field voltage can be hot.