Re: [ihc] electrical

["Allan Ericson" <lowvolt@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kevin Moore" <kmoore@domain.elided>
To: <ihc-digest@domain.elided>
Sent: Friday, December 03, 2004 11:09 AM
Subject: [ihc] electrical



> I have a 1967 Scout 800 w/196 engine.  My ammeter needle is bouncing 
> rapidly
> back and forth and is sometimes settling on the discharge side and staying
> there.  I haven't began to work on this yet.  I just replaced the 
> Alternator
> and the voltage regulator.  The needle bouncing was occuring before the 
> new
> parts and still is.  Any comments where to start looking.  I do plan to
> replace the constant voltage regulator.
>
> Thanks,
> Kevin in NC
This problem is usually caused by bad connections. The ground wires are a 
good place to start. Putting all the power connections some place besides 
the big terminal on the starter is also a good idea.

There is a big wire leaving the main battery terminal at the starter. Not 
the battery cable, this is about a 10 ga. wire. It goes through the ammeter 
where it connects to the feeds to all the gadgets in the vehicle. Then it 
goes to the alternator. These two wires will often have worn insulation, and 
an intermittent short to ground will cause the swings.

A bad set of battery cables can cause this, too.

A bad connection to the voltage regulator can cause this, too. If the field 
wire is intermittent, it shuts the alternator down as it loosens or shorts 
to ground.

Just some places to start.