Ok. I know this probably lies somewhere with the alternator, but I've never had this happen before.

Since I've had the car back (about 4 months), I noticed that if I idled anywhere too long (usually in drivethrus, where I have to wait more then 5 minutes) and my heat would go up, my alternator guage would spike after getting moving again. Normally it would spike a few times and my lights and guages in correspondance would brighten for that spike. It's been doing this for a few months (I probably should have asked right away but it never seemed to do any real harm). Some times it would spike for so long that the needle would go clear off the gauge for several seconds.

So tonight, exact thing happens. In drive thru, car heats up. I get moving again, heat guage cools down, alternator guage starts spiking. At first it was the 'normal' spiking I get (don't worry, I know it's not normal), no big deal, I think it'll calm itself down. Well I accelerate away from a light and it spikes two big ones clear off the guage and holding, and I hear a little 'bzzt' and my headlights went out. Turn signals still worked (and presumably my rear lights). This is only a couple blocks from home. I hit my brights and my brights came on so I drove home on those, and I was still spiking/brightening in correspondence for the trip. I assumed I just 'burned out' my normal headlights. Odd thing is, they still come on when my brights are on, but I get nothing when my brights are off.

What did I do? What went out? Did I just fry my low beams? I'm not an electrical guy, I have absolutely no tools to work with my electrical system so I will have to get it looked at. I thought back when this started happening that my alternator belt was funked up but it's good and tight.

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-Anthony
1962 Plymouth Valiant Signet 200

I would look at the head light switch. Have you converted to the new style voltage regulator? You really need to get the problem fixed before you have a melt down or worse a fire.
Frank

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Scrapple: Because a mind is a terrible thing to waste.
73 Duster - Race Car
66 Dart Wagon - DD
178" FED
82 D150
All Slant powered

Ditto on checking the headlight switch. The rheostat can get a bit funky over the years.

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<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3173/2992308402_5481afb26e_t.jpg">

Disagree. Check the floor dimmer switch, and the headlight bulbs, themselves. It sounds like you might have a bad voltage regulator, and burned out both low beams when the voltage spiked. If not the bulbs, then the foot switch is the next most likely.

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Charrlie_S
65 Valiant 100 2dr post 170 turbo
66 Valiant Signet 170 nitrous
64 Valiant Signet
64 Valiant 4dr 170
64 Valiant 4dr 225

A lot of things can cause big problems, but if the voltage is going too high it's pretty much got to be a problem in the alternator's voltage regulator or low side field winding. If you've got the grounded field (older) alternator, I'd suspect the voltage regulator *and its grounding*. If it's the newer alternator, also look for a short in the wire from the alt to the regulator. If it's just charging poorly and suddenly jumping up to the proper voltage (~14.4V), the ammeter will suddently show a surge, but only because the system starts working suddenly after a period of letting the battery get low.

In this latter case, check the brushes in the alt - they're easy to replace w/o much effort - before anything else, then move onto the regulator and its grounds. Sometimes the hi/lo switch on the floor will short out from accumulated winter salt & crud and make for a big load, but that seems not to be your problem.

I'm not sure if we ever changed to the 'newer' type of voltage reg. We've had the car since 01 and I don't remember directly if we've done that, but we do have a newer alternator.

I'm not quite clear on why it might be either headlight switch; less so the foot switch. The foot switch seems to be exactly what IS working. I wouldn't have any front lights without it working. And everything else is confirmed working. Turn signals all around, back lights, brake lights, all gauges, etc. The only thing that seems to have been a victim were my low beams. I will get lookin' at the alternator, but first I'm gonna buy new headlights and see if the low beams work. I hate driving with my brights because some people tend to see you as a douchebag, even though they don't know the reason.

I planned on getting a new headlight switch for awhile, because the dimmer on mine is a little finicky at times, but it still works. I have a hard time laying down $54 on ebay to whoever sells them for that much. This is actually a really bad time for this to be happening, I'm going on a trip to Boston in a few weeks and I really don't have any extra cash laying around.

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-Anthony
1962 Plymouth Valiant Signet 200

Anthony
I would check / do things in this order.
1. Check/ replace voltage regulator.
2. Replace your headlights (to cut cost do 1 at a time?)
If those DONT take care of the problem.
3. Check your foot switch and Headlight dash switch.
Just a thought,
Frank

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Scrapple: Because a mind is a terrible thing to waste.
73 Duster - Race Car
66 Dart Wagon - DD
178" FED
82 D150
All Slant powered

Frank, hehe, that's the order I think I was going to hit up. Do you know if there's a better source for the 62 headlight switch?

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-Anthony
1962 Plymouth Valiant Signet 200

hedlight switches are not that $$ I have a new one plus decent used ones -- if you cannot find any ,Lawrence

My 2 cents, son had the same thing happen on the 65, both low beams blew and you could smell the battery was cooking. put in new lights and changed over to elect. volt. reg. and never had a problem again. voltage reg change over is a piece of cake.

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64 barracuda
64 valiant convertable
65 valiant sedan
65 signet
74 vw beetle convertable
79 E-250 4WD van
94 dodge dakota

I wouldnt worry about the switch yet. As Vdart says they are easy to come by.
Frank

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Scrapple: Because a mind is a terrible thing to waste.
73 Duster - Race Car
66 Dart Wagon - DD
178" FED
82 D150
All Slant powered

Is there anything to the voltage regulator switch aside from just replacing the unit? Or is there some other fundamental change required?

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-Anthony
1962 Plymouth Valiant Signet 200

I replaced the alternator over to a newer style also.

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64 barracuda
64 valiant convertable
65 valiant sedan
65 signet
74 vw beetle convertable
79 E-250 4WD van
94 dodge dakota

simple switch
Frank

_________________
Scrapple: Because a mind is a terrible thing to waste.
73 Duster - Race Car
66 Dart Wagon - DD
178" FED
82 D150
All Slant powered

The new regulator I got seems to be the same as the one I replaced. I also put some new lo-beams in (@ $8 a pop, I thought they would be more like $15). The lo beams work fine at the switch, so I THINK everything is cool. I will have to moniter overcharge tonight if there is any (it's easy to see at night because the lights go up and down). Just driving it today it charged up a bit @ ignition and pulling away from lights after idle, but never spiked off the gauge or anything. I think that only happens at night when I have my lights going anyway. We'll see. If it happens again and I blow out my lo beams, I'll just have my dad ship out the old alternator; which I should have him do anyway and just keep it in the trunk. It worked fine, but he *had* to get a chrome one (it adds HP you know ;p), which is what's running right now.

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-Anthony
1962 Plymouth Valiant Signet 200