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buzzing voltage regulator


Farmer Joe

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so i noticed that my truck has been making a buzzing sound latley. at first from where the sound came from i though that it was a bearing going bad in the transmission. it kind of made a whirring buzzy sound. but then i got to listening. when i would rev up the truck it was flat go away. so a transmission bearing. went and popped the hood and listened around and founf that the buzzing was coming from the voltage regulator.

 

so what would cause the voltage regulator to buzz? i already have put a different regulator on it and it still makes the same buzzing sound, just louder cause its got a new regulator on it.

 

not get this. when the truck is idling it makes the buzzing sound. not charge light at idle. but when i rev up the truck, buzzing goes away and the charge light comes on gradually as the revs go up. also this started happening really bad on the way home from work tonight. and i have to drive 30 miles home. so on the way home, i have the tunes cranked up and i turned on my lights and the charge light starts coming on just a little. hit my turn signal and when it flashes the charge light gets a little brighter every flash. turned the tunes off and the charge light goes back down a little.

 

now as im driving and as i bring the revs up in each gear the charge light gradually comes on till its lit up all the way. this is prolly around 3500rpms when it comes on all the way. on my way home i was prolly doin about 60-65 and thats around 3200 rpms, and the charge light stays on on flickers brighter every once and a while.

 

so what seems to be the issue? alternator toast? it didnt wear down the battery and my headlight didnt get dim, so whats the deal? i are confused.

 

any help would be great! thanks in advance

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had a similar experience in my sentra

 

turned out had to replace the alternator. alt light would stay off at low rpms. turn on at high rpms. it was over charging and i blew out a buncha lights in the car. Lucky thats all that went.

 

 

soon after it died on me in the street lol.

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yeah. well ill see what anyone else has to say in the morning.

 

i will add one more thing that might help someone figure this out. now when the truck is running at idle and i take the plug out of the back of the alternator the buzzing stops and the engine idles up alot. it seems like the alternator is workin too hard. hmmm

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well got up early this morning went out and started the truck... and no buzz from the regulator. and no charge light coming on...

 

so now im really confused. i did swing by my moms place and picked up my spare alt and a set of tools just in case.

 

i dont get this truck... i turned on the lights, the heater fan, turned up the music in the truck real loud and the charge light stayed off. hmmm i dont get it.

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my voltage regulator was doing the same thing, and my truck was acually dieing. replaced the the regulator and it stopped buzzing, but i still get a little charge light now and then. i assumed alternator, but my belts are really old. but replacing the regulator did stop the buzzing for now.

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you sure its the voltreg??????? not a choke relay nearby?

 

but this will help buy this

every body should run a volt meter of some kind so you can catch these thing.

Dont rely only on the dash light. By then its already too LATE!!!!!!!!!!

 

http://www.amazon.com/Equus-3721-Bat...ag=online0a-20

 

 

also upgrade to a solid state volt reg if you have a external volt reg.

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you sure its the voltreg??????? not a choke relay nearby?

 

but this will help buy this

every body should run a volt meter of some kind so you can catch these thing.

Dont rely only on the dash light. By then its already too LATE!!!!!!!!!!

 

http://www.amazon.com/Equus-3721-Bat...ag=online0a-20

 

 

also upgrade to a solid state volt reg if you have a external volt reg.

 

I just ordered one of these, cheap, also gives me a clock, thermometer, etc. $27 at Amazon.

 

41vrHGdhFGL._SS500_.jpg

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so i dont know what happend with the problem. started the truck up yesterday when i was going to work and the buzzing didnt happen. so drove to work and back with no problem. then on the way home from work tonite, i get to the gas station, shut the truck off and get my gas. when i get back in the truck and start it up the buzzing starts back up and the charge light comes on full force!

 

so i drive to another parking lot to see if the light will go off and it doesnt. pop the hood, the regulator was buzzin like a mofo. unplug the alternator and the lights dont dim. the buzzing just stops and the engine idles up a bit from not having the load on it. so i plug the alternator back in, and i pulled the negative off the battery and itll run for like a second and then the lights dies out and the engine dies.

 

so i just said fuck it. ill drive home. if the battery takes a shit who the fuck cares lol. oh yeah i forgot about the cop that asked what i was doin in the parking lot when i was messing with the alternator. he strolls up and asks whats going on. so i tell him what happend in super great detail like i did here, and he was all "well... um if youve got it handled than ill be on my way". the whole time he had a 'duh' look on his face and was lookin for my alternator on the driver side under the distributor.

 

so i jump back in the truck and head on my way and the charge light it just bright as fuck. so im like, well how the hell is my lights not dimming out? when the revs go up all the lights get brighter, including the charge light. so i figure there just something crossed in the altermator and its making the regulator freak out and the charge light come on.

 

then i came up to an stoplight that was changin from green to orange and i went from 5th to 3rd and revved the fucker out, and then the charge light went off and all the lights got brighter. jumped on the freeway, got all the way home, and the charge light never came back on...

 

i guess its just something loose in the alternator thats crossing and causing the issue. so when i get my next days off im gonna change the alt to the other one i have and see what that does.

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G man that a cool gizmo.

 

 

Farmer Joe

Have you cked the voltage? That would be a start.

als clean the battery cables

 

What di you unplug from the alternator. The red/wht wire or just the T connector. If you remove the T connector I usually dont notice a change either in my 521. I run a volt meter and I had good voltage.

 

Bucket on here recently had a buzzing regulator and he swapped it and all is fine now. I assume it s mechanical type.

 

But I have seen when you rev a motor up then the lights go out to be the brushes in the alternator. as there are barely touching, so ifyourev the shit out of it the slip rings will make contack.

 

all can suggest is clean the cables or get new ones.

Make sure the hood is not hitting the battery. put + side of battery toward the firewall.

ck the volatge

get a solid state volt reg(if external type)

get ready to get a new or another alternator.

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