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charging confusion.

2K views 7 replies 4 participants last post by  5M-GECelica 
#1 ·
well, i know theres a lot of posts on similar type problems ect. but heres mine. first of all i drive an '83 5mge. well iv had the car for close to a year and i havent had any problems with it (well at least not the charging system anyway) but the other day i shut of the car and then started it back up a little later on. i see that the brake light and the "dummy" light for the voltage meter came on and the meter was at ~11v. so i take it to O'reilleys and they run a test and it says my voltage regulator is bad. The next day i change the alternator for a stock reman. well i get it running and it works fine and at ~13-14v. (where it usually is) i get on the off ramp and it does everything the same. the two lights come on and the voltage is at ~11v. i pull over and shut it off. start wiggling the wires on the back and check the belts. i start it up and its back on at ~13-14v again. So i drive 50 miles on the highway and have no problems. i shut it off and restart it later and drive another 25 miles. i get gas and start to leave and a little later the light and everything comes back on.

well i get to my friends house and hook up my DVOM. At idle ive got ~12.6v. i let it run a while and randomly it goes up to ~14v. then it goes back to ~12.6. i leave his house and up until i get on the highway its at ~11v. I get on the highway and everythings fine and i drive 20 miles more. i get to town and get home and it goes to 11v.

i end up taking it to AutoZone and have their test run on it and my guage reads right and the test says everythings fine. i have them test it again and this time my lights are on ect. the test shows my regulator volts are at 12v instead of 14v on the previous test. i leave in frustration and i end up here writing this post. I'm about to pull my hair out over this so some help would be nice. i'm thinking about rerunning a new main "power" wire with a fuse and hooking it straight up to the possitve on the battery. another question is whats all the other wires that plug in to the back of the alternator? thanks for everything guys. -Scott
 
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#4 ·
since you are having charging issues you should just run it right to the batt. you can do this fused to make it safer. what size cable are you using? if only 6ga then you should only use about a 50-60a fuse, but if running 4 then u can go larger if wanted like 80-100a. and also grounds like i said b4. if doing 1 part do it all.
 
#5 ·
I have one behaving just about the same, except it doesn't fall far enough to ever turn on the warning lamps and it hasn't ever failed to start. Its been doing it for almost a year (tho I don't drive it much), since I got the original alternator wet last winter, driving without an engine undercover. I had the original alternator rebuilt by a local alternator shop and then it started behaving like this. I have tried yet another known good working alternator, no difference. I have tried another known good working battery, no difference. I have gone through the charging system and cleaned a bunch of contacts, replaced the battery terminals, no difference. Added some grounds, no difference. I did the Jim King direct wire mod, no difference. I can test with a meter and sometimes it will fall down to mabe 11.7v at idle and sometimes all the way up to 14.7v. Just all over the gauge. I can be driving on the highway, look down one minute its reading about 11 ,then a little later look down and it will be reading 14. I'm about ready to order a Camry alternator direct from toyota. My 7mgte car with the 80 amp alt never wavers.
 
#6 ·
well i'm not sure what exactly happened but it hasnt dropped off and the warning light hasnt came on or anything so im not even going to worry about it anymore. ut thanks for the help anyways. but i have noticed that the blower motor rarely works, but if it does work then oddly enough the car runs perfect, so i will probably will put new ground wires throughout the whole engine bay. theres some blue and red "high performance" wires on ebay. hopefully i can find some clear or black ones.
 
#7 ·
I re-read your first posting a couple of times... So let me get this straight.

Took everything in... Guy at O'Reilly's says that the Voltage Regulator is bad.

You then change the alternator.... No prob.

Did you also replace the Voltage Regulator??????????? VR on the 82's & 83's are a seperate item & are not integrated inside the alternator like the newer 84+ alternators...

BTW!! COULD SOMEONE PLEASE MOVE THIS TO THE GENERAL TECH SECTION??? This has nothing to do with aftermarket engine managment stuff.
 
#8 ·
what? its external?! where is it? i know on the alternator there is one big post and then a hookup snap clip that has three wires. Tonight i just replaced all the ground wires. all in 4.ga wire (i think) that came as a stereo instalation kit. i got a 4 output battery post and ran them all starting from there to the origional location on the block, and one to the origional location to the fender. then i ran one to the top of the cylinder head, and one to the alternator bracket, and one from where i attatched the wire to the back of the alternator itself. I also replaced the one n the back of the cylinder head to the firewall. i just took it out and nothing has changed. Now ill try to figure out the voltage regulator problem. assistance on that subject would be nice.
 
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