Bad Alternator?

dodged200cs · Post by **dodged200cs** » Tue Nov 23, 2004 2:24 pm

A brand new alternator got installed on my truck about 6 months or so ago, and a new voltage regulator.

my old voltage regulator looked like this:

The new one is much smaller, I think solid state? It does not look like that one at all.

Would that make a difference? If I turn on my headlights, or turn indicators, my idiot gauge starts reporting a discharge. If the headlights are left on, it will drain the battery. This is driving down the road, not just sitting in my driveway with my headlights on!

What could be causing this discharge problem? It did not do this when we picked up the truck from California (ran it 280 miles without having to get a jumpstart, so it is something new. It had it's old Alternator & Voltage Regulator on when we drove it back, and replaced those 2 things much later.

Dane

Post by **Seabee** » Tue Nov 23, 2004 2:59 pm

The short answer is of course that it is not charging. It could be that the alternator has gone bad. It could be that the regulator has gone bad. It could also be that it is a wiring issue; broken/disconnected wire. Good auto parts stores can test the system and tell you if the alt. is functioning or not. Have a close look at the wiring as well.

Jeffc · Post by **Jeffc** » Tue Nov 23, 2004 3:31 pm

Seabee has it right, get it tested, but if it's not the problem come
back and we can walk you though some of the other possablitys.
I have had new parts fail out of the box, got a new alt a few
years ago the almost fried my wire harness when I installed
it and hit the key, it had a inturnal short and saw smoke
almost as soon as I hit the key......got lucky and only cooked
the field wire.....

dodged200cs · Post by **dodged200cs** » Tue Dec 28, 2004 12:47 pm

Okay,

time to start work on the electrical system. Got some nice mirrors off a 60's international, and got those installed

For christmas, I recieved a stereo for my truck, and want to get it put in. I am looking at getting some antennas/fm boosters to pull in a station 60 miles away that I like.

I will be putting in my stereo, as well as a CB radio. Should I need any electrical upgrades? Bigger alternator? I won't have bass thumpin' window rattlin tubes and another crap installed, just a stereo, speakers, and a cb radio.

Dane

Website · Post by **wideblock** » Tue Dec 28, 2004 11:29 pm

dodged, i wouldnt worry about a bigger charging system with what your talking about, but in these old trucks i would dang saure put in some noise filters or youll be hearing your rpm thru the cb

dodged200cs · Post by **dodged200cs** » Wed Dec 29, 2004 1:59 am

dodged200cs wrote: my old voltage regulator looked like this:

It was big and bulky like that one. The new one on the truck is much much smaller, and I suspect a solid state one. Could that possibly be the wrong voltage regulator?

Dane

dodged200cs · Post by **dodged200cs** » Wed Dec 29, 2004 2:02 am

wideblock66 wrote:dodged, i wouldnt worry about a bigger charging system with what your talking about, but in these old trucks i would dang saure put in some noise filters or youll be hearing your rpm thru the cb

can you show me some noise filters? No idea where to even find something like that!

what if I did want to put in a window rattlin', 7.5 trillion jiggawatt stereo system?

(I kid I kid!)

What would the benefit be to having a bigger charging system?

Dane

dodged200cs · Post by **dodged200cs** » Mon Jan 03, 2005 5:23 pm

okay, it was the alternator. Bad rectifier. Ditched that alternator, and picked up a nice 60 amp.

It still shows a discharge, so I think it is probably a idiot gauge. I pressed the horn, and the discharge needle dropped alot. Unhooked the horn, and it still is discharging. I ran my truck for about 20-25 minutes, and it didn't die. Started right up after I turned off after the 20-25 minutes (it was dieing in 15 minutes after turning the lights on) I put it under a high electrical load, by turning on the headlights,high beams, and emergency indicators.

I will probably be getting a new gauge set, that discharge thing is pissing me off!

Anyone have any thoughts what I should do next?

Dane

Jeffc · Post by **Jeffc** » Mon Jan 03, 2005 7:35 pm

Pull your fuses one at a time and see if
there is a reaction at the gauge..

PrairieDog · Post by **PrairieDog** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 8:04 pm

I had a similar puzzle and found some corroded connections in the terminal block mounted on the firewall. You should be able to unplug those wiring harnesses from the engine side of the firewall and see if they are clean.

Prairiedog

dodged200cs · Post by **dodged200cs** » Sat Jan 15, 2005 1:33 am

after running pretty good, the battery discharged again. Strange thing is, the headlights are pretty bright, but the engine won't turn over.

Anyone have a comprhensive list I should follow, a I have a 3 day weekend and want to get this problem taken care of!

Dane

powerwagontony · Post by **powerwagontony** » Sat Jan 15, 2005 8:31 am

I was having a hard time with my 67's charging system and went out and got a rebuilt alternator and a new regulator and that still didn't fix it, I learned the hard way not to be an idiot always check the fuses first. Fortunately enough I had no clue there was an alternator regulator fuse so I only looked half as stupid as I could have lol.

mesman · Post by **mesman** » Sat Jan 15, 2005 9:45 pm

At one time I had a problem that the alt gauge was showing no charge or discharge depending on the load, lights, blower, ect. Guess how I felt after a week, changing alt, regulator and battery to find out that my problem was a bad ground at the fuse box!!!! The screw that connects the fuse box to the dash had lost ground, I only needed to unsrew it and screw it back in! Now I always look for a ground issue first!

dodged200cs · Post by **dodged200cs** » Sun Jan 16, 2005 1:41 am

Here is what I did today:

Checked the fuses (what a

mess,

more info to come)

Checked the electrical connections (that weird block of wires close to the brake booster on the drivers side) Several had some weird dusty black grease on them, and some were sticking out, not fully pushed in. took care of those.

Ordered a new voltage regulator. The one that was replaced has been pissing me off! It is a solid state one, and yet when you get on checker's website, it shows one with a big cap on (the older analog type, not a solid state one)

I finally found one in the system, that looks like this:

It's a 60 amp version, so that will be a good match to my 60 amp alternator.

Now, about those fuses. what a

mess.

Alternator regulator fuse? Factory spec? 6. Installed? 7 1/2!

4 way flasher? Factory spec? 15. Installed? 20!

I did even loo kat the other ones, I went out to purchase a ton of fuses, so I could replace them all with the CORRECT fuses.

If you saw the guy who owned the truck before hand, you would know why it is like this! Turn indicator buckets in the front rust corroded? No worries, just go and get a 2 flasher replacement fuse!

(I was wondering why my new installed lights were barely working, and when I pulled the flasher fuse, I find out why!)

I have reason to also suspect that the fuel lines to the dual tanks got cut for some dumb reason (probably because they lost the keys!)

Well, all in a days work. New regulator comes in monday, and then I will go pick it up and install it!

Dane

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