Irregular Charging
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Joined: Jan 2001
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From: S. Mississippi
Irregular Charging
My 82 F-150 isn't charging like it normally should..it will kill a battery in a bout a day, the ammeter gauge in the dash constantly bounces around etc.
I've swapped alts, v-regs...etc and i cannot get this thing to charge... no matter what i do, it'll charge for about 15 minutes, and then like a circuit breaker being tripped, it just stops charging like the current has been turned off.
Anybody got any ideas where i can look to finally nip this electrical gremlin in the bud??
I've swapped alts, v-regs...etc and i cannot get this thing to charge... no matter what i do, it'll charge for about 15 minutes, and then like a circuit breaker being tripped, it just stops charging like the current has been turned off.
Anybody got any ideas where i can look to finally nip this electrical gremlin in the bud??
New User
Joined: Feb 2004
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From: Indiana
Check the connections on the back of your alternator. I had a very similar problem recently. I had the wires on the back of the alternator swapped and it would drain a new battery in a couple hours of driving.
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Posting Guru
Joined: Jan 2001
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From: S. Mississippi
I'd assume if it were connected wrong, that it would not charge at all...but it does charge, just randomly, like a circuit breaker has blown or it has a break in the wiring somewhere....
I'll post back later, i'm going to go do some more investigating.
I'll post back later, i'm going to go do some more investigating.
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Joined: Jan 2001
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From: S. Mississippi
Well it started raining on me so i'll have to wait till tomorrow AM to really look at it again... I"m thinking its def in the wiring, as i've noticed a spot in the harness that has been cut and spliced, and is wrapped up in black tape....
More info later.
More info later.
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Joined: Jul 2003
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From: toronto
i got rid of the ford alt on my 85 cause of the same problem an put a gm delco in there not it got all kinds of power for charging .ez swap to do an only takes a few hours .
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From: toronto
it wasnt a pain at all the hardest part was drilling out the gm case to fit the ford bolt . as for wiring all u need it the plug for the gm an a resotor put on the white wire . an take the green wire off te ford regulator an put it to it . 1 power wire from the ault to the batt an its done . most it took me was about 1 1/2 hour to do it all .
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Posting Guru
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From: S. Mississippi
Voltage Regulator has been replaced... matter of fact i've replaced it with two of them...so it can't be the problem..as 1 is new and another i've taken off another car that has never had any charging problems at all.
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Posting Guru
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From: S. Mississippi
Well after some more investigating and swapping alternators with my old man... it still isn't charging... and i know his alternator works fine on his pickup...but still..nothing.
I'm thinking it has something to do with him having 3 wires stock connected to his alternator, and i only have 2.
Anybody got any ideas??
I'm open to anything.
I'm thinking it has something to do with him having 3 wires stock connected to his alternator, and i only have 2.
Anybody got any ideas??
I'm open to anything.