Voltage Regulator Question
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From: Da UP, eh!
Voltage Regulator Question
I just bought a 1988 Bronco with a 5.8L in it. The owner said he put a 195V (is that possible????) voltage regulator on the alternator and said the battery gets over-charged. Can someone tell me what size regulator I ought to put there in its place? I intend to use the truck as a plow vehicle. It has a Waldoch conversion so there are extra interior lights in the truck. No stereo at all in it at this time, but will put something in it some day, nothing crazy. Just don't want to kill my brand new battery.
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From: Easton,Ks
Originally Posted by hunter1897
The owner said he put a 195V (is that possible????) voltage regulator on the alternator and said the battery gets over-charged.
Originally Posted by hunter1897
Can someone tell me what size regulator I ought to put there in its place?
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From: Da UP, eh!
Yeah, I feel a bit stupid now, but made an honest mistake. I meant to put "A" instead of "V", but in any case, is a 195A an appropriate rating in the first place, and what size should I put in under the conditions I mentioned?
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From: Virginia
First thing to do is verify what's going on. A 195 amp alternator will not overcharge the battery if it's working correctly. Get a voltmeter, and with the truck idling, check the voltage on the battery. It should be around 14 volts. Then rev the engine and the voltage should stay pretty close to the 14 volt range.
If it goes way up, then it is overcharging the battery. You then need to look at it and see what type of alternator you have. If it has an external regulator, you can check the wiring. If it's a internal regulator, you can take it to a local alt shop and see how much it would cost to fix it. If it is an oversize alternator, it would be nice to keep it if doesn't cost too much to fix.
If it goes way up, then it is overcharging the battery. You then need to look at it and see what type of alternator you have. If it has an external regulator, you can check the wiring. If it's a internal regulator, you can take it to a local alt shop and see how much it would cost to fix it. If it is an oversize alternator, it would be nice to keep it if doesn't cost too much to fix.
Last edited by Franklin2; Jun 30, 2007 at 08:16 PM.
