- Joined
- Jun 13, 2012
- Messages
- 1,472
- Reaction score
- 3
- Location
- virginia
- My Car
- 1973 coupe
1998 mustang
1994 Nissan Sentra SE-R
So I have been driving the car more often and a new problem has arose that I cannot shake and it's beginning to drive me nuts.
Few weeks ago my car started going crazy with wierd things with the lights so I checked the battery voltage with the car running and my guage read 18v..uhoh. So I shut the car off and ordered a new volatage regulator got home and installed it. Started the car, checked the voltage..14.2v ok good to go. After getting the wheels and tires on I decided to drive it to work last week. As soon as I left my neighborhood the ALT light came on but I drove it 20 miles to work anyway. I checked the voltage at my shop and it fluctuated 15 - 15.5. When I turned the lights on It pegged the guage over 17v. So i chucked it up to a bad voltage regulator again. Called the parts store and had them swap it out with a another one. Installed that one and started engine and measured 14.2v ok good to go i got a bad voltage regulator out of the box. So I painted my car this weekend and needed to move it around I noticed the ALT light was on again...damn. Checked the voltage and it reads 15.3v and when I turn lights on or hit the brakes it goes to 17.3v As I was messing with the regulator making sure I had good grounds one wire going from the VR connector to a condensor looking thing bolted to the VR. It had a resistor or fusible link possibly in the wire but it snapped and broke, all kinds of green corrosion inside. I tried to replicate the wire and plice it but no change so I disconnected my "rig it up" and now I'm not sure where to turn. Can I buy a new VR condesor looking thing and splice it back into the harness? Should I get this VR swapped out again? Could my alternator put out to much power to kill the VR? I know the alt looks old and rought but my theory was that it's the alt's job to charge and VR's job to regulate - but could the ALT still be bad?
Take a look at this picture, the round condensor/resistor?? rusty round cylinder bolted to the VR, what is it and can I buy a new one? Is it needed the voltage readings didnt change regardless if it was connected or not.
Few weeks ago my car started going crazy with wierd things with the lights so I checked the battery voltage with the car running and my guage read 18v..uhoh. So I shut the car off and ordered a new volatage regulator got home and installed it. Started the car, checked the voltage..14.2v ok good to go. After getting the wheels and tires on I decided to drive it to work last week. As soon as I left my neighborhood the ALT light came on but I drove it 20 miles to work anyway. I checked the voltage at my shop and it fluctuated 15 - 15.5. When I turned the lights on It pegged the guage over 17v. So i chucked it up to a bad voltage regulator again. Called the parts store and had them swap it out with a another one. Installed that one and started engine and measured 14.2v ok good to go i got a bad voltage regulator out of the box. So I painted my car this weekend and needed to move it around I noticed the ALT light was on again...damn. Checked the voltage and it reads 15.3v and when I turn lights on or hit the brakes it goes to 17.3v As I was messing with the regulator making sure I had good grounds one wire going from the VR connector to a condensor looking thing bolted to the VR. It had a resistor or fusible link possibly in the wire but it snapped and broke, all kinds of green corrosion inside. I tried to replicate the wire and plice it but no change so I disconnected my "rig it up" and now I'm not sure where to turn. Can I buy a new VR condesor looking thing and splice it back into the harness? Should I get this VR swapped out again? Could my alternator put out to much power to kill the VR? I know the alt looks old and rought but my theory was that it's the alt's job to charge and VR's job to regulate - but could the ALT still be bad?
Take a look at this picture, the round condensor/resistor?? rusty round cylinder bolted to the VR, what is it and can I buy a new one? Is it needed the voltage readings didnt change regardless if it was connected or not.