STILL having charging issues....UGH *UPDATE*
 

Still havin those *&%)&%(^##(*% charging issues...

My truck is a 1992 300/5speed....

I swapped to a 94 cluster (Original one went bad...), and had to jumper the ignition/charge wires over....

Well, that worked awesome, until today....

I picked a 1993 Cluster up today, and on the way back to the house, it quit charging......

My voltmeter is only showing ~12volts while the engine is running....

Took the truck into O'Reilly's....A friend of mine works there, and we checked it with a tester....ANOTHER digital tester read ~11.67-12.3v WHILE running....

Swapped the alternators out (Tester said good diodes/low voltage regulator...

Rechecked the NEW alternator/VR....SAME EXACT NUMBERS....WTF...Even the low voltage regulator.....

__________________________________________________
Now, I've cleared the playing field....No more of this BS....I have a 1993 Cluster, (My truck is a 1992 model....)

GOtta repin a few things, but otherwise (In a perfect world) if I repin everything correctly, then all the gauges should start working again, and the damned thing should charge correctly.....

OTOH, after I get the repinning, etc done, and it ISN'T charging...WTF could be the issue? New alternator, voltage regulator (Both were changed as of today, as one...) and the battery is ~2 months old....Otherwise, has been running, charging FINE.....

So honestly, W-T-F is left to check/change?

Btw...its been runnning perfectly with the 1994 dash cluster in there

You need to check to see that your ignition power wire to the alternator regulator is OK - if you don't have 12V to the regulator to power the field windings, you will not get any charge. Do a search on alternator here, many people have recently posted the wiring diagrams which show exactly what wire and what color it is.

It's a green/red striped wire....Been through all that...


I just can't figure out whats goin on....Literally, it just randomly starting acting like this again

I just checked.....VERY little voltage to the green wire/Red stripped exciter wire....5.47v~

WTF.....Its a NEW Alternator/voltage regulator....:-arrgh

Take a deep breath!

You have identified the problem - you don't have the proper voltage going TO your regulator. This is not the alternator nor the regulator's fault. Changing them again and again will solve nothing.

The problem is in the vehicle wiring - you need to figure out why you aren't getting full system voltage on that wire. It could be just a corroded connection somewhere. Follow the wiring diagram and work you way back up that circuit, until you find the problem.

I did just that....Went back, took all new readings...

Battery-11.60~v
Ignition/charging wire (Red/green and the excitor wire)-5.48v

Now, that is at the CLUSTER....(What the battery gauge would read....)

So now....it's getting dark....And I'm at my GF's apt...She's gone to her parents.....

And I'm not about to throw money at it...Thats the jackasses way of doing things....

Again, this truck ran FINE today, yesterday.....

So I honestly don't know...

Btw....This is a lil tidbit I forgot to mention....Both clusters that were in the truck (1994 AND the 1993)...BOTH would randomly shut down....No speedo, no mileage.....Yet the truck was still running.....Then it'd start sputtering horribly....Drained of battery....

Just a heads up on what its actually doing...

X2 very sage advice there.

Just came back in from rechecking things...

Battery-7.65v
Cluster wires (Ignition/charge)-5.45v, and it dropped like no other....Literally watched it fall to 3.98v.....

Checked the Fuselink, it's good...

The ONLY 2 things i can honestly come up with is:

1)The voltage regulator is bad (Checked the NEW one from O'Reilly's...Said the VR was low)

2)The regulator PLUG is bad....I've alredy replaced the main power plug...Checked it again, and there is evidence of heat (Discoloration)...


Again, this seems to be a recurring theme with this truck...

At least now, it'll be with a period correct cluster...

You need to charge the battery first. Then retest all the cicuits.

I plan on it tomorrow....I have no extra ride, etc...lol

There is a fuseable link in the charge circuit.

Ok, I have a suggestion. I've experienced this before several times. The "Battery Indicator Light", is it working?? It MUST be connected or it'll never charge. I know you changed out the cluster, so maybe it isn't hooked up to a good circuit? Believe me, it happened several times to me and others on here. I have a Ford tractor with a alternator and external regulator that I've learned this on, along with an old Chevy Van.

That's a GOOD point, except the fact that the cluster is out ATM....

I've simply jumpered the 2 wires over, to get a reading, etc....To "Fool" the alternator circuit.....

Good point though....

I'm trying to get this issue sorted out, BEFORE I swap the 1993 cluster in.....Easier than yanking it out every 5 minutes...:-X18

Most clusters put a resistor in parallel to the charge indicator bulb to make sure it will still charge if the bulb filament burns out.

My original cluster had it across the bulb holder, the replacement ('89) had it on the flex board itself.
Not so sure about your later model truck.