I put a new alternator and voltage regulator in since my last alternator died. Now the gauge is maxed out at the +40 mark. My driver side tail light blew out and when i put a new on in it you could see the element start smoking and filling the bulb with white smoke. The car was not running when i did this with the tail light bulb. The alternator tested at 13.2 volts when it was bench tested at the parts store. If there a ballast resistor in the charging system? Any one have any ideas?

I lost my multi meter so i can not test the volts right now

Check to see if the voltage regulator is properly grounded. Some of them come with a full epoxy coat that prevents the regulator housing from grounding. You may have to scrape it away.

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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 sanded the mounting holes on the VR and ran a ground line off the casing. Now my gauge is reading one line below the +40 mark. I will get a meter tomorrow to check what the voltage is..

For goodness sake, don't drive it anywhere until you've fixed it. I have visions of your wiring harness going up in smoke... with the car right behind it!

Try disconnecting the field wire connection on the alternator. Does that stop the car from charging?

-Mac

So i hooked up a meeter. its ruining 15V at the alt. If i unplug the field wires it stops charging.. What could be making it try to charge at 15V?

I brought the car up to operating temp and let it idle down. It now reads 13.6 at the Bat when charging...

Now time to work on the volvo..

A broken insulator at the low side field connection can allow a short, causing full field current and max alt output. Also, it's easy to pinch and short out the low side field wire with the same result if you aren't careful, or, the regulator could have fried internally.

I've had a similar problem like that. But instead of the lights blowing out my charging gauge almost fried and filled the whole cab with smoke. Turned out the new alternator was fried and was putting out to much voltage. Think I may have reversed a couple of wires because I switched them when I put the second new alternator in. It ran fine ever since.

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1980 dodge custom 150, 225 slanter, four on the floor, restoring lil by lil. So far the engine has the clifford intake and headers, holley 390cfm vacuum secondary, all stock from there.

I've had a similar problem like that. But instead of the lights blowing out my charging gauge almost fried and filled the whole cab with smoke. Turned out the new alternator was fried and was putting out to much voltage. Think I may have reversed a couple of wires because I switched them when I put the second new alternator in. It ran fine ever since.

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1980 dodge custom 150, 225 slanter, four on the floor, restoring lil by lil. So far the engine has the clifford intake and headers, holley 390cfm vacuum secondary, all stock from there.