Hello. I really need some help because I don't know much about charging systems and how to ferret out problems. My dart is not charging. My battery is about 12.2 with the engine running. I have had my alternator bench tested twice and it bench tested fine. My voltage regulator was just replaced and I have a brand new battery.
I have heard of other people having this problem but there never seems to be a solution presented. I have checked all my wires and connections and they seem tight with no damage to any wires.
My questions are these- Does anyone have any ideas as to something that I may have overlooked. Is there a way to test my alternator with a voltmeter and if so how and are there any fuses that I may have overlooked? I'm wondering my ammeter has a fuse in line somewhere?

Any suggestions would be quite helpful as I am somewhat unfamiliar with electrical charging systems and this one has be stumped.

Welcome on the board. See charging system test info here. You will also want to buy a factory service manual and possibly the other two books discussed in the link.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

If all checks out and it still doesnt charge U find that ammeter guage burns out on these Mopars quite a bit. You can run a jumper from the battery wire on the back of the alt ( the one that goes on the big lug) over to the battery positive post. If its the ammeter burnt out then the alt will charge but you have ot cheack it with a volt meter because the meter in the dash will not show a charge ( it would be what is burnt out).


If this test shows the meter to be the problem you can unbolt one of the two wires that bolt to the back of the ammeter and place it on the other stud with the other wire ( effectivly bypassing the ammeter).



This and the regulator not having a good ground at the body are two of the out of the ordinary problems I see when all other parts are good. Ofcourse wiring and ignition switch could be a problem also but in the test listed above you should be able to figure if anythng like that is going on.


Jess

If the ammeter fails in this manner, the car will be electrically dead. No lights, no crank, no start, no radio, no nothin'.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Thank you all for your ideas. I will try to bypass the ammeter and see if that's the problem. I should get a reading around 14 or so if it's charging correct?

I have already run a wire from my alternator fld to my voltage regulator fld and there was no difference so I feel like I can rule that out. My voltage regulator looks like it has a good solid ground too.

Also, I do have some confusion. I was under the impression that the car could still run with a burned out ammeter, it just wouldn't charge because it was inline with the alternator charging system.

Not correct. All current goes through the ammeter, in both directions, so if the ammeter's open, the car will be electrically dead. The ammeter is not causing your problem if anything electrical on your car works.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

So, I was told that I could simply put a voltmeter to my battery post on my alternator and get a reading. I did that and my alternator tested at 11.5. I am hoping that what I was told about testing my alternator was accurate for it seems this would explain the problem. The alternator was bench tested twice and I was told it passed so....

Do as Dan suggested, take it to your local "Rebuilder" there may be a diode out or faulty. They can change the diodes for about $15. You should be seeing around 13.5 to 14 volts depending on the voltage regulator. Mine reads a little higher.

I was going to suggest upgrading your wiring harness. I did that and it did the trick, but this sounds like a alternator that is just so so. You should see good voltage at the back of the alternator. If not, get it fixed rather than getting another one.

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Aggressive Ted

http://cid-32f1e50ddb40a03c.photos.live ... %20Swinger


74 Swinger, 9.5 comp 254/.435 lift cam, 904, ram air, electric fans, 2.5" HP2 & FM70 ex, 1920 Holley#56jet, 2.76 8 3/4 Sure-Grip, 26" tires, 25+MPG

Follow the link I posted and do the tests I described.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

I am under the impression that these ameters can offer high resistance that is not a total failure, which can produce a voltage drop in the line. Am I wrong about that? Are there no connections within the meter itself that could have high resistance, and yet still work, but poorly? Certainly the connections on the meter or the crimp connectors themselves on the ends of the wires could be bad.

Check the voltage of the alternator itself. Is it putting out a full 14 volts? If it is up to full volatage and the voltage is low elsewhere, then there are high resistance connectors in your harness or bulkhead connectors somewhere. You can track this down with a volt meter. In this case, the voltage can be low, even though things work. I am sorry , I did not read Dan's link. You should check that out first.

Edit:
I did just read Dan's post. And, I re-read your initial post and saw that your alternator is indeed putting out low voltage, so that is where to start. Dan's post is a good, detailed diagnosis procedure, and worth bookmarking. I am told that the real problem with outsource alternator rebuilds is that they only replace the bad diodes; not all the diodes. This means you might be on the verge of a break down of the next worst one the moment you start it up the first time. I actually try to buy new when I can. I adopted this policy after crawling under my car 4 times in one day to replace 4 rebuilt starter motors. The shop gladly replaced it, but then I had to do the grunt work. I ordered a mini starter new from the Dodge dealer and it has been good since. The rebuilt starter was about $40. The new one was $109 from Koeller Dodge in Michigan.

Sam

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Follow the link I posted and do the tests I described.[/quote]

I did those tests as described. Running my bat to fld did indeed draw from my lights but my inquiry was if there was a way to test it with the voltmeter and get a reading from it. I was told reading at the battery post of the alternator with the voltmeter would give me a reading as to my alternator output which I was told was about 13-14. I am hoping this correct but am unsure as my alternator was bench tested and they said it was fine. Perhaps I got the wrong information about testing my alternator in this manner.

That is possible — it's a(nother) very good reason to keep on top of maintenance. It's wise to undo the connections at the firewall and at the ammeter, clean 'em up, apply Stabilant-22a, and reassemble...every couple decades or so, whether it needs it or not!

In practice, though, since all the car's current goes through those connections, once there's any significant resistance it usually tends to build up in a hurry and effectively kill the car dead before long.
Minor quibble, charging voltages are usually a little lower than 14 with original Mopar systems. Under normal conditions you'd generally tend to see mid-high 13s.
Yup...we need to figure out whether the alternator itself is faulty, or the regulator is faulty, or the wiring is faulty. If the "bench test" is to be believed, and the voltage regulator was indeed replaced and correctly installed, then a wiring fault or a problem with the ignition switch is likely to blame. We'll know more once the OP carries out the tests described in the post I linked.
That's one potential reason for the unreliability of "remanufactured" alternators. The others are low-quality replacement parts, mismatched components, abusive "cleaning" methods, and sloppy/careless assembly work.
Pretty good policy, though if one is starting with an "unmolested" original unit, a careful bench rebuild by a competent local auto electrical house is a very good option. Too, one must be careful to avoid the so-called "100% new!" alternators and starters available at the parts stores and all over the internet. They are generally poor-quality Chinese copycats. That said, it's not very hard or expensive to find brand new Chrysler alternators. They're just not on every street corner any more.
Yup. "Lifetime warranty" = you spend your lifetime replacing cruddy parts under warranty!

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Good one Dan!

As you said before, go the "Rebuilder" and have the alternator done right!

Rewire the car or at least the charging circuit and be sure that new regulator is grounded correctly!

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Aggressive Ted

http://cid-32f1e50ddb40a03c.photos.live ... %20Swinger


74 Swinger, 9.5 comp 254/.435 lift cam, 904, ram air, electric fans, 2.5" HP2 & FM70 ex, 1920 Holley#56jet, 2.76 8 3/4 Sure-Grip, 26" tires, 25+MPG

Thanks everyone for your help. I have checked and rechecked all my wires, done the tests that you suggested (which further leads me to believe my alternator is the problem despite their bench tests) and rechecked my VR. Everything looks good, the vr looks mounted on solid and my connections look good.

Slant Six Dan, you mentioned my ignition switch as being a culprit? I was always under the impression that a faulty ignition switch would sometimes make it so your car would not start at all or it would cause lights to cut out etc. Is it possible to botch just my charging system? My good old reliable slant six starts up EVERY time, it never has a problem with lights going out or loss of power. I've had this car for three years and this is the only problem I've ever had with her.