charging/wiring issues
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Senior User
Joined: Feb 2005
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From: Shelby Ohio
charging/wiring issues
I'm having problems with my lights and heater pulsing as i go down the road. I thought it could have been a bad ground but when i hooked up the volt gauge it fluctuates between 12 and 18 volts. Is it my voltage regulator or is it a wiring problem?
Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2005
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From: Gadsden Purchase
What kind of meter have you got... analog/digital?
What voltage scale are you using?
Where are you hooking it to get those readings?
Were you going down the road when you got those readings?
"Is it my voltage regulator or is it a wiring problem?"
Could be either and/or both. :/
Voltage regulator sounds like a good guess to me tho! :)
Alvin in AZ
What voltage scale are you using?
Where are you hooking it to get those readings?
Were you going down the road when you got those readings?
"Is it my voltage regulator or is it a wiring problem?"
Could be either and/or both. :/
Voltage regulator sounds like a good guess to me tho! :)
Alvin in AZ
MSEE
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 10,386
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From: Austin, TX
Check that you have a ground strap between your engine block, and the firewall. This grounds the sheet metal, so the regulator is properly grounded (since it grounds through its mounting flange). To really be detailed, you can disconnect the negative battery cable, then check the resistance (ohms scale on the meter) between the negative battery clamp, and the regulator body. Any resistance in this path will cause a "ground shift" so the voltage "sensed" by the regulator will actuallly be smaller than the true system voltage, and the regulator will not maintain proper voltage. You can also ohm out your regulator-to-alternator harness to make sure the wiring is good.
If all those resistance checks look good, the problem is in the regulator. You can take the regulator to the parts store to have to have it checked on a machine, but it might tell you it's good even if it's not because a lot of times the regulator doesn't fail until it's good and hot from being under the hood.
If all those resistance checks look good, the problem is in the regulator. You can take the regulator to the parts store to have to have it checked on a machine, but it might tell you it's good even if it's not because a lot of times the regulator doesn't fail until it's good and hot from being under the hood.
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Senior User
Joined: Feb 2005
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From: Shelby Ohio
my gauge is hooked into the fuse box and grounded to the firewall(this may be one issue) but i still can't figure out what is causing the pulsing. I need to get a ground strap on it this weekend from the engine to the firewall and see if that fixes it. My question for you guys is if it is a regulator what year do i have to look for. I don't have the typical regulator with the internal breaker. My regulator has a glass fuse you put on the front of it. When i went to the parts store they couldn't find it. oh and last night it must have surged because it blew 2 new halogen light bulbs. I hate wiring
Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2005
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From: Gadsden Purchase
Originally Posted by RangerTuff05
...last night it must have surged because it blew 2 new halogen light bulbs.
I hate wiring.
I hate wiring.
light bulbs, need to get it fixed.
Know anyone that owns a meter? :)
Alvin in AZ
