Purpose

The generator provides voltage to operate the vehicle's electrical system and to charge the vehicle's battery. A magnetic field is created when current flows through the generator's rotor. This field rotates as the rotor is driven by the engine, creating an AC voltage in the stator windings. The AC voltage is converted to DC voltage by the rectifier bridge and is supplied to the electrical system at the battery terminal.

The operation of the charging system is monitored by the PCM The PCM sends information to the Body Control Module (BCM) when the charging system is inoperative and tells the BCM to illuminate the volts telltale lamp.

The PCM supplies 5 volts through the L circuit to the generator. If the generator becomes inoperative, the PCM can detect the fault through the L circuit and tell the IPC to illuminate the volts telltale lamp.