(ET) Charger tip...

["Elie, Larry (L.D.)" <lelie ford com>]

As most people know, the GE charger is a source of many problems.

This is a test, not really a fix (although you can 'get away' with 
this pretty much indefinitely) just to let you know how the charger 
is working.

If after a number of hours of charging, the 'fuel' meter never makes 
it into the 'charge' section, you might try this.  Unplug the charger.  
Unscrew the top (timer section) of the charger to expose the balance 
capacitor.  Disconnect one of the two quick connects and wrap the wire 
with electrical tape.  Leave the wire disconnected and replace the 
cover.  Plug in the charger for a few hours.  IF the voltage ('fuel') 
meter has risen appreciate ably, the capacitor was leaky.  Why does 
this work?  The cap is a phase-corrector for the inductance of the 
transformer, sort of like a motor run capacitor only of MUCH higher 
value.  If the cap is leaky, it draws current from the secondary.  If 
it is out of the circuit, the secondary can get all the current it 
needs, except for some relatively small phase correction.  The down 
side is that the primary will draw MORE current from your AC than 
normal.  In the case of a leaky cap, disconnecting it raises the 
secondary by something like 2 V, very significant with respect to how 
full of a charge you can get.  Even with the cap you won't do much 
better, but the cap lets you charge more efficiently off your AC.

BTW, it took me a year to figure that one out.  Staring me right in 
the face on the schematic too.

Larry Elie