Alternator Gremlins

[toofun]

Thanks Jake,

Will do, Someone on the other site said that it could be the voltage regulator or the terminals on the horn relay? How would I go about checking that? I guess I need a systematic approach to isolate the problem. You know like if you do this and this happens then you can eliminate that...etc...



Thanks In advance to all

Mark
TOOFUN

[gmachinz]

I would bet the alternator is bad. Autozone's newer testers like that don't give you a readout of the amperage which would be nice. Sure, it can be testing good, but at what amperage output? Also, the charging system is not designed to charge a battery, only to maintain its charge. So, if you are running your accessories directly off the battery, I suspect the alternator cannot keep the charge up. The alternator will do a better job of running your fan for example if you use your +12v buss bar on your horn relay and route that to a relay for a power supply. Really though to take full advantage of modern HO electrical components, I would recommend upgrading to a 94-140 amp CS design alt. But, this is assuming you have no other electrical problems. I'd replace the headlight switch first just as a start. There is so much voltage drop in OE wiring from those years that I'd consider totally re-wiring it anyway. -Jabin

Before making the switch to a one-wire alternator, be sure to research its drawbacks (and there are several...) on www.madelectrical.com and you'll probably stay with a three-wire system for a more durable design. Focus on what the author says about voltage sensing and you'll see the one-wire's biggest drawback.