fried voltage reg
Thread Starter
|
Senior User
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 316
Likes: 0
fried voltage reg
What could cause a new voltage regulator to go haywire? 2 times in less than a week my reg has fried. After sitting for hours, at a cold start situation. The alt light comes on with the key and stays on after the rig is running? The only thing I had done diferently both times was listen to the radio for about ten minutes with the key in the acc. position before leaving the rig. Is the radio related to the failed regs? I been carrying a spare and I just replace it and all is fine again.
What gives? Todd
What gives? Todd
Thread Starter
|
Senior User
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 316
Likes: 0
The ground on the core support, the terminal connection, and the back of the Vr itself are good and clean. I sanded the crap out of them to get good clean metal. How could/might the radio interfere? I am considering a re-wire of the radio bypassing the ignition switch altogether.
Todd
Todd
Elder User
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 930
Likes: 0
From: East Helena MT
What kind of voltage regulator do you have, one is a thin type and the other is pretty thick? The thin ones are a solid-state device where the thick one has three contacts in them, much like the points in the distributor. Two screws holds that cover on and you can see what is in there. My old one was a point style and just like the points on your distributor after they make lots of contacts the ends get chewed up and no longer make a good connection. You can try to clean them up with a small file but you might have to replace it.
If you install a new one I would go with the solid state style, no moving parts which improves the reliability.
Jeff
If you install a new one I would go with the solid state style, no moving parts which improves the reliability.
Jeff
Thread Starter
|
Senior User
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 316
Likes: 0
The 2 that fried were solid state units. I chose that over a new points style? I am being careful not to leave the radio on. we will see how the 3rd one goes. It was from a 72 that I pulled the core support at the wrecking yard. Maybe there is a difference between the aftermarket ones and Ford ones.
