| silverchief | -- 05-17-2011 @ 8:37 AM |
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Lost my printout of older thread re most probable and common cause for flutter of voltage regulator needle - and remedy. Couldn't find subject in search. Please advise again. Thanks.
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| supereal | -- 05-17-2011 @ 12:11 PM |
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Bill: A fluttering meter can be the sign of problems in a number of places in the charging system, or an indication of a problem on the load side of the ammeter. It can be due to a sticking or worn brush in the generator, or a poor connection between the generator and the regulator. Fiddling with a regulator most often results in having to replace it. The contacts actually "buzz" when it is working, and can only be set with the correct instruments and tools. Substitution of a known good regulator is the best test. You can place an analog voltmeter on the "batt" terminal to ground with the engine running to see if the output is actually fluctuating. The system is usually not steady enough to test with a sensitive digital meter, and most meters will not handle the current. If the flutter is caused by a varying load or short in the car's wiring, it could pose a fire hazard, and needs to be identified. It could be as simple as a bad stoplight switch, etc. That is why we urge the installation of a battery master switch in all old vehicles, because most are not fused, and can catch fire without warning. This message was edited by supereal on 5-17-11 @ 12:48 PM
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| silverchief | -- 05-17-2011 @ 5:16 PM |
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Thanks Supereal - I'll take a look at everything and leave the regulator alone. Hopefully I will stumble onto something simple. My car still has all the original wire and it's pretty ratty. Maybe someday I will get ambitious.
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