Any master mechanics?

[thisismatt]

Just to verify, the charge light should only be on during key on, engine off. Still nothing?

[Eddie Cantina]

Correct. I’m not getting anything.

[Eddie Cantina]

Damnit. I just swapped bulbs from the park brake to charge and back again. Now park brake light doesn’t work. Don’t quite know if it’s relevant.

[datzenmike]

Dielectric grease won't stop two things connecting electrically if they are meant to connect like a plug into a socket. It will prevent corrosion by sealing out moisture and air. You can use on the outside of battery terminals. It's specially good on high voltage applications to prevent air arcing from coil to negative terminals, between distributor wires on the caps that are close together and down the side of spark plug porcelain insulators. It also makes the nipples easier to remove.

[Eddie Cantina]

No charge light.... am I chasing a wire at this point?

[Crashtd420]

Check for ground to the cluster and directly to the bulbs.....

[datzenmike]

1 hour ago, Eddie Cantina said:

No charge light.... am I chasing a wire at this point?

 

Could be the new alternator. Plug it into the old one and ground the case to the block.... it should light.

[wayno]

Are you positive without a doubt this is an externally regulated alternator you have?

[nl320what]

Is it that it is not charging at 14volts or that there is a few amps of discharge when parked?

 

You could hook up a meter in series with neg battery cable and should see a few amps draw sitting (dont start it).

 

Then start to pull fuses and wires to narrow down the circuits.

[Eddie Cantina]

I’m gonna try these suggestions. I’ll get back to you all.

[Eddie Cantina]

So. Went and picked up ANOTHER alternator today. Charge light comes on and stays on. Still only reading 12.3 volts...

[Eddie Cantina]

I guess I start pulling fuses?

[Eddie Cantina]

Hooked up a test light from negative battery cable to battery. Doesn’t light up. So no draw.

[wayno]

Something is not right, the alternator is not energizing, I went thru all this a long time ago and have forgotten what I all did wiring wise to make it work using an internally regulated alternator.

Basically you have 4 wires, the large red one goes from the alt output to the starter terminal where the battery cable connects to the starter which basically means it goes to the battery, the big black wire goes to the regulator and grounds on one of the regulator mount screws, I am not positive about the next 2 wires as it has been a long time,. I believe the top wire on the tee plug goes to keyed power, meaning when you turn the key on it energizes the alternator, I believe the lower wire in the tee goes to the dash light.

This above is how I wired my work truck to install a internally regulated alternator as the externally regulated alternator/regulator would not work properly anymore, the light was on and it was charging, till one day it was not charging, I barely made it home so it didn't strand me, but that was the straw that broke the camels back, I was tired of dealing with it.

Sometimes the guys at the parts stores don't know what they are doing anymore when it comes to older vehicles, they sell what they have rather than sell you what you need, my guess is if you cannot get it to work properly either the wrong part was sold to you which in this case is the alternator or regulator, or one of them don't work properly, I have not in the last 10 years bought a regulator that worked properly out of the box, that is why I have internally regulated alternators on all my 520/521 trucks, of course I also now use 720 wiring harnesses on all my trucks also.

[Eddie Cantina]

I’m trying to stick with the external regulator setup. I’ve chased all these wires. They all look in order to me. Again. The last “new” reman I put it I couldn’t even get the charge light to come on. I might through it back in again and see what happens. Maybe the regulator is bad? It’s new as well...

[Eddie Cantina]

Well. Got ANOTHER regulator coming. Should be here Monday. In the mean time, is there anything else I can check/do to see in neither of those two things are any longer the problem?

[datzenmike]

 

 

 

 Two many things were changed and it's hard to figure out if one or both are now at fault.

 

Lets assume that the 3rd? regulator is good. If still no charge, you have to assume the alternator is bad.

[Eddie Cantina]

Alrighty....

[Eddie Cantina]

But we’re assuming it’s one for these two things ya?

[Eddie Cantina]

And just to clarify. Where before I didn’t have a charge light with a new reman alt. This second one I put in, now the charge light works(but stays on) is a step in the right direction?

[Eddie Cantina]

Welp. Threw in another regulator. Charge light stays on and still only reading 12.3v...

[Eddie Cantina]

Could it be the ignition switch?

[Eddie Cantina]

Putting in another alternator right now.

[wayno]

I think you need to stop buying stuff, it isn't all bad.

Since you don't have your original regulator I am at a loss what to do, I only know how an internally regulated alternator is wired.

The big black wire goes to the alternator(E post) the ither end goes to the regulator ground/mount screw, the big red wire goes from the alternator main output post to the same post on the starter that the positive battery cable goes, and the"Tee" plug plugs in the back of the alternator.

Check all the plugs, make sure that all the male spade ends go into the female plugs, if any of them male spade ends is pushed up farther into the plug it might not make contact with the female plug end, that would certainly be an issue and it is not something you can likely see looking at a plug unless you are looking for it.

[Eddie Cantina]

Well I know that before I bought a regulator, I only bought an alternator and put it in. Wasn’t getting above 12.3v so then I got a regulator.