My alternatotor is putting out 15-15.5 volts (appears to be fluctuating) at the battery and around 16/16.5 volts at the back of the alt. Its warming up my battery. I've tried 3 different regulators and a couple of different alternators. I've grounded the regulator to the alt and battery to eliminate potential grounding problems. This then brings me to my idiot light circuit which I created to allow proper functioning of the idiot AMP light. If the alt is working, current energizes the normally closed relay, opens the circuit and the idiot light is off. Current flows thru the diodes to the battery. If the alt is not creating voltage, the diodes prevent the battery current from coming back and energizing the relay, the relay closes and the AMP light is on. Is this circuit messing up regulation?? I tried putting a jumper around the diodes and there's no change in voltage at the battery. Any ideas??

http://www.projectplato.com/cars/idiot% ... ookup.html

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Cheers!
Al T

Which regulator are you using? Where are you tapping into switched 12V for the voltage regulator's input?

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Joshua

Regulator from local AutoValue Parts Store. Switched power for the reg is just a wire heading back to the ignition switch - but based on your question, I thought I'd try running a wire direct from the battery to the +ve field and when I did, the output voltage dropped to 14.8 - about 0.5 volt less. What does that indicate? Excessive resistance in the switched power supply?

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Cheers!
Al T

Oops - this is probably what you meant when you asked about reg type

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Cheers!
Al T

Couple questions:

1. What happens if you disconnect your idjit-light circuit completely from all of its connection points?

2. The car didn't originally have a useless idjit light, it had an ammeter. Where'd it go?

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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 guess I should have done your question 1 earlier. So . . . I just did that but no change.

As for question 2., 60 Dodge's in Canada came with the AMP light's. See here, left light on pod. http://www.projectplato.com/cars/interior.html
In Canada, '60 Dodge & Plymouth shared interiors.

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Cheers!
Al T

I needed to take a trip to the local wrecking yard today so while I was there, I saw an early 80's Dodge with a regulator stamped with the Chrysler penstar so I grabbed it. The back had a faily new "original Mopar parts" sticker on it. Swapped it in and the voltage at the battery dropped from the wobbly 15 - 15.5 range down to a very steady 14.6 V.

It appears that the after market voltage regs from Auto Value have a performance shortcoming or all three were flawed. . .

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Cheers!
Al T

Last time I tried an aftermarket voltage regulator, I got Chinese made junk that would hold 14.8V - at the regulator (easy 15+V at the battery). It was the same unit from SMP as Napa-echlin & some other supplier as well. Dan has a good supplier for Chryler made unit.

Interesting solution to the idiot lite, but the diode trio pushes the operating voltage at the alt up by .6V or more (it just adds that much more stress to the diodes in the alt itself)

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63 Valiant Wagon
225 - 4 bbl

Thks for the info about the diodes stressing the alt diodes Wagons. I continue to learn . . .

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Cheers!
Al T