Electrical Woes

[dpuckett]

I have an early 91 (11/90 build date) that I have been having problems with. The volt gauge reads anywhere from 12-14 volts, with no real consistency or rhyme or reason. It has a new voltage regulator, and the alternator has checked out ok. What else is there? What is the alternator supposed to put out? The one field (out of alt) was 13. 8V; other 10. x. Didnt check the one going to the battery. This is affecting my headlights, and now and then my tach. I relocated the volt reg to the driver's fender, with a ground wire goung from under the regulator screw to a ground off the neg battery terminal.



Alternator is reman from Advance Auto Parts in ColoSpgs- 2yrs

Battery is 1100CCA from O'reilley in Poplar Bluff- 1yr old.

Volt regulators have been from everywhere- any recommendations?



1stGen4ever- I read somewhere that you retorfitted yours to a Ford setup? What is the benefit of that? Roger (g/f's boss- owns the shop here) ws aurprised there were only 2 wires to the VR.



Daniel

 

[Greenleaf]

The Volt Reg controls ground at the alt ... ... . ummm..... field terminal I think? So it would have to have a good ground. One wire from the alt and one to. Right?



There are diodes that give problems time to time. Three of them I believe. One can drop out intermitently and the alt would not give full voltage. All my alts on the buses are equiped with it's own internal regulator. I simply replace the whole thing, so what do I know.



GL

 

[B.G. Smith]

Is this the old finned Chrysler alternator with the deck of cards sized regulator, (the regulators were notorious for doing what you describe). The controlled voltage should be between 13. 8 and 14. 4 volts. On those units, one of the field connections had battery voltage and the other was a ground controlled by the regulator. bg

 

[dpuckett]

Electrical stuf hits me about mid forehead- not quite over my head, but definitely not easy for me to pick up on. Yes, it has the card deck sized regulator. Sounds to me like my voltage is a little low. Might get the alternator checkd somewhere else and see what conclusions they draw.



Thanks guys. Prolly be a week before I get back here.



-DP

 

[tugboatphil]

Daniel,



For what it's worth, I once had trouble with a "new" voltage regulator on my 90. It was about $14 at the time, so I got another one. Problem solved.