Electrical issues

[Tonefiend]

At idle all the lights in the car dim as the rpm drops.  Step on the gas and everything lights up.  The batteries have been dying at about 9 months and it hads a new battery thats a month old.  The problem is getting worse.  The alternator checks out fine and today I blindly replaced the voltage regulator.  I replaced the distributor and cap, last year.


A few issues I know about.  The new voltage regulator does not have a good ground to the body. The self tapping typ screws holding it down are loose and there is surface rust so that is one idea I need to look into. Like install bolts and nuts with star washers to bite into the metal.    Generally all the electrical connections are old and oxidized so I need to go through all those and clean them up.  Also the ignitions is electronic and I have a 4 post ballast resistor I installed last year. The choke is run off that.  I also have the wiper motor pulled out as it went bad.

I know it's pretty vague, i need to bring the multimeter home and start checking into it.  Anyone have any ideas?  ?  Is there a good place online where I can find out how to troubleshoot this?

[shadango]

I have the same dimming lights issue at red lights etc.......when I gas it some the lights are fine....

Now, I have a cam ,so my idle is pretty rough which is probably part of it.

New, VR, new alternator, etc....went over the ground connections, added new ground straps between the ECU, VR and the engine, which in turn has the ground cable to it......I dont have the issue of batteries dying out though.....

I know this isnt much help.....just commiserating. LOL   

You dont have any accessories that may be draining the battery when sitting, do you? Like an alarm or radio or something?

[ShelbyDogg]

Like you said, get some outside-star washers and put one under the bolt head and one under the VR between it and the firewall. Take off your cowl vent and put a lock washer and nut on the backside.  I even run a ground wire to the block from that point.

There was an article somewhere that said that some of the rebuilt alternators have the wrong armature in them and don't put out enough voltage at idle.  Get a lifetime alternator from another auto parts store and try it. I've never had a problem getting my money back with a LIFETIME return.

Get that mutil-meter and start checking your voltage. The cheap ones are $2.99 at Harbor Freight and sometimes free with a coupon. 

Check for any current draw between your battery and the positive cable with the key off, with a little light bulb. The bulb should not be on at all.

[smallblocksrock]

I have an aftermarket wiring kit in a 70 Challenger with a new alternator.   The lights would fade and the battery would die.  I put a jumper between the alternator output and the starter relay to charge the battery direct.  Everything works fine now.   Make sure you use a heavy guage wire and a fuse.   I used a 40 amp.

[barracuda7199]

i did what this article says to my car and my lights quit blinking. http://www.moparmusclemagazine.com/techarticles/interior/mopp_0808_fixing_dim_or_blinking_headlights/index.html although i also upgraded to a denso alternator at about the same time the stock voltage regulator controls it just fine. i didnt buy that kit just went to the parts store and bought a relay for bout 5 bucks.

[Tonefiend]

Thanks for the great advice and links.  I will bring my meter home from the shop and dig into this and figure out how to do the tighten up on the electrical system.

Hmmm I'm thinking  that aftermarket radio from the '80s thats in there might need to be disconnected too. 

[Tonefiend]

I haven't driven the car since that day and I only briefly started it after replacing the voltage regulator. 

Today I start the car to move it and it fires right up first try.  Everything is cool and it idles perfectly.  The lights do not dim when I step on the gas or use the turn signals. 

Now I have never owned a vintage Mopar.  I made a post a while back complaining about the dimmness of the instrument lights. I thought that was just the way they were supposed to be.  Well now they are on brighter than ever. 

Istill have to test drive the car tomorrow and see how it does.  And, go through and clean all the connections, clean up the mess under the dash, make sure all the grounds are grounded.  But I think I am on the right track here. 

[dodj]

Cleaning connections and keeping them in good shape is a constant maintenance issue with 40 year old cars. Keeping the grounding in good shape is very important because poor or intermittent grounding can cause REALLY strange things to happen! A seemingly 'possessed' electrical system that never does the same thing twice can often be traced to poor ground connections. Poor bulkhead connector connections can cause a variety of problems from dim lighting to improper VR operation etc, etc. If you still have the factory ammeter, make sure you clean and tighten those in particular. (disconnect battery) 

[500Stroker]

To eliminate the dimming or yellow look headlights put a relay in and power the lights directly off the battery or alternator. 

[Tonefiend]

Thanks guys.  I like the modern headlight relay idea. I think I am going to do that . 

[Tonefiend]

I have been working alot lately, building uy business so not much time or money for the car.  I have a new alternator I am putting in along with new bolts that are not stripped out and new belts and rad hoses. 

Anyway I had a No S@!t moment the other day when I realized the ground from the negative battery to the body is disconnected.    That could be the source of my problems.   

[Tonefiend]

Ok I have a new 60 amp alternator, VR, Battery, distributor cap rotor,and a  reasonably new ballast resistor. 

I put in the alternator the other day and started up the car.  It ran better than ever with a smooth idle.  It's always idled a bit rough.  If my imagination is not playing tricks, I think it even seemed to not smoke as much if that makes any sence.   Then I realized I had not connected the alternator wires!  Which I did.  I started it up and it runs lousy!  Slow crappy idle, the dimming is even worse.  This is really depressing.

What the heck could it be?  I am stumped. 

I'll take a look at the bulkhead connectors and chase some more grounds. 

[ShelbyDogg]

It could be your imagination but to be sure, unplug one of the alternator's small wires then start it up. While it is running, you can  plug that wire back on and off to compare the idle quality.

Did you ever get a voltmeter to check across the battery?  Was your 70 ever converted to electronic ignition? Have you checked your timing with a light?

I'm thinking that if you're having such a hard time with a very simple charging system, (alt and VR) that the ignition might seem really complicated.

You need to find a real Mopar guy that can check the basics for you. BEWARE though. Some have good intentions but you don't want them touching your car.

[Tonefiend]

It could be your imagination but to be sure, unplug one of the alternator's small wires then start it up. While it is running, you can  plug that wire back on and off to compare the idle quality.

Did you ever get a voltmeter to check across the battery?  Was your 70 ever converted to electronic ignition? Have you checked your timing with a light?

I'm thinking that if you're having such a hard time with a very simple charging system, (alt and VR) that the ignition might seem really complicated.

You need to find a real Mopar guy that can check the basics for you. BEWARE though. Some have good intentions but you don't want them touching your car.

Thanks!   I did unplug one of the alternator wires and when I do that the idle goes up and the car purrs like a kitten.

The car is converted to electronic ignition.   I had it timed a while back by a mopar guru after the new distributor. 

I still have not brought the VM home to check things out.  I will do that this week and see whats up then continue checking grounds and my bulkhead.  I am thinking I should checkthe leads or bypass the ammeter. 

[shadango]

Maybe swap in another alternator just for kicks and see if anything changes?