[STEVE]

STEVE on September 5, 2025 at 8:30 pm #25605

Hi Simon,
Thanks for the update.

I am glad you took the time to dig into this and take action. It seems as though your work has solved the problem. 

Thanks for sharing this saga. Perhaps it will help others.

Best,
Steve

[Simon Collette]

Simon Collette on September 4, 2025 at 11:50 pm #25604

*Update*
-Resistor and diodes replaced
-Zeftronics Voltage regulator and Piper over voltage relay replaced with Plane Power voltage regulator (with overvoltage protection). Able to adjust voltage to 14.2v. Part replaced a over a month ago and flew around 15hrs with no issues.

Piper tech support never replied to my inquiry.

[Simon Collette]

Simon Collette on June 29, 2025 at 9:10 pm #23168

Hi Steve,
The Lance is equipped with Garmin G3X’s. So all engine indication has been digitized. We have now added a personal procedure to confirm volts and amps through the engine display page to ensure that alternator is supplying power to the bus.

Hope this clarifies my statement.

Email sent to Roland Galindo at Piper Aircraft. He is the electrical tech specialist that was assigned to my case.

Guaranteed that resistor was starting to glow orange due to high load resistance.

[STEVE]

STEVE on June 29, 2025 at 8:58 pm #23167

Hi Simon,
I’m confused. What do you mean when you write, “when the owner checked the engine display system”

Good work on the resister checking. 

Steve

[Simon Collette]

Simon Collette on June 29, 2025 at 7:59 pm #23166

We finally got a chance to dig in to our annoying snag this past week.  Decision was made to remove the diode assembly because of this:
 
 
Measured the resistance at 12 Kilo ohms vs 4.7 ohms printed on the side.  Diode was measured and function correctly.  I’ll be sending this info to Piper because of the potential safety hazard this could have caused.  Being from Canada, I am going to report it through a Safety Difficulty Reporting system.  

*Kicker*  owner went flying today without this diode assembly installed(its only needed for external power starts in case of a dead battery).  3 or 4 circuit later, alternator tripped off again when they checked the Engine display system.  

[STEVE]

STEVE on June 15, 2025 at 3:02 am #23144

Simon,
Good blood hounding!
I suggest you order both parts and install them making sure that the diode is installed correctly.
Thanks for the help,
Steve

[Simon Collette]

Simon Collette on June 13, 2025 at 7:43 pm #23135

Hi Steve,
Thanks again!  I was going to do the same on my end.  Everyone else that I have mentioned this to are equally as stumped.  I was able to get part info and availability.  See following snips: 
 

 

 

 

Looks like you can individual source a resistor and diode that form the Alternator Power Relay.  Keep me posted if you here anything back from Florida.
 

Attachments:

• Lance_IPC_BatteryBoxInstall_32R7880023.png
• Lance_IPC_BatteryBoxInstall_Items.png
• AirpartsWest_Snip.png
• Lance_altwiringdiagram.png

[STEVE]

STEVE on June 12, 2025 at 10:14 pm #23126

Hi Simon,
I suspect the problem centers around alternator power relay circuit. 

I can’t find any particulars or part numbers of that circuit in the parts catalogs.

I’ve reached out to Piper and awaiting its response.

Steve

[Simon Collette]

Simon Collette on June 12, 2025 at 12:06 am #23125

Hi Steve,

Thanks for the replying back! Here are some more detail:

1) There is no tripping of any CB’s. Charging system is reset with use of Master switch(Replaced with new Piper split switch last March).

2)Lately, the squawk has been showing up while the gear is being selected “up” if we are doing any circuit work(Stop and Go’s). We have been starting to monitor the G3X engine page voltage and amp during gear retraction to see if the charging is still operating or electric system is running on the battery bus only. Amps can shoot up to above 50 amps.

Other parts replaced due to failure or upgrade: 

Alternator (May 2024)
Voltage Regulator(Zeftronics, May 2024)
Battery (Sept 2024)
Gear hyd pump and landing gear up relay replaced last fall(because of a tripping ldg circuit breaker in Sept 2024).
Grounds and Starter cable leads(Replaced with Bogert Low Loss Cables at this year’s annual)

Check that on the resistor(thank you for clarifying that)
Serial number is 32R7880023

[STEVE]

STEVE on June 10, 2025 at 12:38 am #23122

Hi Simon,
Next series of questions.
1) you wrote that the charging system disconnects every other leg. Which circuit breaker trips–the field CB or the alternator CB?
When you say every other leg; do you mean exactly on every other leg, or what seems to be every other leg? Is this disconnect something you can absolutely depend on to happen every other leg??? 
If it’s the field CB, I suggest you look at the field wire forward of the firewall; the symptoms support an intermittent grounding of the field wire.
I believe what you’re describing as a capacitor is really a resistor that’s part of the Alt Power Relay circuit.
Please get back to me with answers to my questions–your answers will help me narrow this problem down.
Thanks
Steve