The '72 has developed a charging problem. Started out as just driving the down the interstate the other night when I noticed the headlights got dim and the radio started turning on and off. Realizing there was a problem, I turned off everything unnecessary and drove the rest of the way home. Turned the car off when I got home, tried to restart and the battery is dead. Just get the dreaded "click click lick" from the solenoid. Put the battery on the charger and headed off to Auto Zone with the alt. and had it tested. They said it was weak, only putting out 11.67 volts. Went ahead and picked up a rebuilt alt and a new voltage regulator just for the heck of it. Had them test the rebuilt alt. before leaving, works fine. Put new alt. and voltage regulator on and took the car for a test drive. All seemed fine for about 5 minutes. Then the head lights started flashing brighter and dimmer, and the radio started turning on and and off again. Got home, shut the car off, battery dead again. So I take the battery and have it tested. The battery is three months old and it tested bad! 3 year free replacement, picked up a new bat. for free, decided to pick up some new battery cables since I don't know how old the ones on the car were and they looked a little rough. Headed back and put it in the car. Fired it up, took it for 25 minute drive with lights, radio, electric fan and heater going full blast, no problems. Great. Drove the car for 4 days, 362 miles, no problem. I shut the car off after driving 30 miles the other day, go to restart it 15 minutes later, and out of nowhere it has a dead battery again. It shows 14.6 volts at the back of the alternator, the headlights get brighter when you rev the car up, but when you shut it off it either turns over slow and just barely starts, or it won't start at all. New alt., new regulator, new battery and cables, still no cigar... Any ideas?
Check your regulator wiring with ohm meter, make sure batt disconnected so no voltage goes in meter. If wiring checks out, I would try another regulator, Seems to be a fair amount of problems with new regulators. Make sure frame, battery, an engine are WELL grounded.
The original ground cable had a lug that attached to the base of the voltage regulator. Replacement cables do not have this lug. Therefore, the regulator must get its ground through the mounting screws. Over the years, age and corrosion add resistance to the ground. Anybody thats had flakey lighting problems can attest to that. Its usually bad grounds. For the regulator to work properly, it needs a good ground. I would run a heavy gauge wire directly from the negative terminal, to the base of the regulator. In worst case, the regulator can fry in a couple of seconds of not properly grounded. I've done it. Since then, I've always added the extra ground.
Good info guys, I appreciate it. I will run a ground wire to the regulator later today and see what happens. dkstuck, the engine, battery and frame are well grounded. My ground cable comes off the batter, goes straight to the engine block. And then I have a second cable that comes off the engine block and goes to the body of the car.
Very good advice....... If this does not work...... One would have to assume the following..... You have a draw....... Could be the regulator not shutting off...... or.....?
i never buy rebuilt alternators... always new.. just because it worked at the store, doesnt mean it hasnt shorted out already. if you say all your wiring is good then ity has to be, battery, alternator, voltage regulator, or the starter is bad, drawing too much from the battery and killing the battery drive the car to autozone/checker what ever parts store you shop at, and have them test the system
Could also be the soleniod (sp?) or starter. I had a 65 Falcon that ate batteries but everything tested fine. It ended up being a week solenoid that allowed power to trickle to the starter, not enough to crank but about a 5 amp draw that'd kill the battery in no time.
I suffered for a few weeks with similiar problems you have and it turned out to be the ignition switch on the steering colum under the dash. I replaced it with an old spare I had in may (orphaned) box of parts and KA=BLAMO !!!!!! no more lights flickering, sudden engine shut downs, drained batterries gone, click click gone, and thats after a new battery, brand new Bosch starter motor, cables and new selenoid !!!!!!!
This is not a power drain issue. The battery dies while the car is running, not why it's off. I didn't have time to mess with it yesterday. Might today if it warms up a little. The "new" alternators were made by the same company as the remanufactured ones. So what's the difference, besides $40 vs. $135... I'll bet they have the same parts in them.. I am researching the 3G setup. Might go that route.
I had this problem with the comet years ago. IMO it was a bad charging system design from the start. I threw the whole charging system in the trash and bolted on a 1-wire alternator and never had that problem agian. P.S. It looks much cleaner also.
What alternator will "bolt right on?" I've been thinking about upgradeing mine since Iam going to put on an electric fan.
