What should I look at next. Charging system

[Edsel G. Tattooer]

I have noticed my amp meter has been on the charge side for about the last few drives but with no problems to report.

Last night I had to jump the car because the map light was on over night and drained the battery.

SO I drove it for a while last night to charge the battery and 4 blocks from the house the car died. A great human at 1 am helped me jump the car to get it started and I got about 3 blocks from home same thing.

So I thought my Battery was going bad. No said the local flaps today.

Question what do I suspect first. The regulator? Or The Generator?

I did squirted the regulator today with contact cleaner to eliminate dirty contacts. It was no help at all.

If the regulator How do I test it?

Also do I replace the Generator Or have it rebuilt at a local auto electronics re-builder?


THanks in advance!

[jclary]

Well, Mr. Edsel, since I don't know you well enough to know what mechanical skills you have, please forgive me if my suggestions seem condescending. Also, that regulator is more "electro-mechanical" than electronic. It is also the "traffic manager" of your electrical charging circuit. Although it is tough, it can also be as cranky and sensitive as an irish traffic cop standing in a cold rain when you give him the finger for just doing his job. In other words, it is usually best to leave him along and let him do his job. As far as the generator...if you can find a competent repair shop, it wouldn't hurt to have it checked out. On these old generators, the brushes are held in with a little spring-loaded clip that is supposed to keep the brushes pushed down against the armature as they wear. I have had these to hang up and lose contact. You can sometimes cure that by removing the tin dust cover strap and gently tapping or pressing the brushes. However, if they are worn out, it is a good signal that the generator needs refreshing.

If you are still on your original 6 volt system, be sure to guard against some young kid reversing the polarity. It is getting more difficult to find competent technicians to work on these systems. If you don't have one, you need to buy the shop manual for your car and learn as much as you can in order to do more yourself and to keep others from ripping you off. If you are still using the original wiring harness, it is time to replace it.

As far as what to replace, it wouldn't hurt to have a spare regulator, generator, and fuel pump for most of our cars. A spare regulator is a lot easier to haul around than a generator, but you need to know what is failing before you start throwing parts at the problem.
Hope this helps, and good luck.

[54stude]

If you need your generator or regulator checked or rebuilt, there is a very good shop for this in the twin cities.

Generator specialty
210 9th st west
Saint Paul, MN 55102
651-796-1406

They are open 7-3 m-f.
Good luck,
Brian

[DieselJim]

To test the generator, remove the field wire from the generator. Hook a jumper wire from the field post to ground. Start the engine. If the generator is working, the amp gage will show full charge. If that checks out, the regulator is not working. If it don't, the generator is not working. Good luck. Jim

[jackb]

OK...so the FLAPS attendant says the battery is OK...as in fully charged ???? You should be able to drive way more than a few blocks even with the headlights on and a charged battery. I suspect the battery is down, but not ruined...yet. Follow advise above...

[raoul5788]

Did the flaps check only the voltage or the cca also?

[Edsel G. Tattooer]

Did the flaps check only the voltage or the cca also?

John Clary

I am ok under the hood most of the time, when encountering new systems. I like to just be cautious and ask for help before I mess something up. Or I know when to (cry for Help) ask for advise. I do have all the manuals but of course I jump on here before I read anything in it.

I'll have the Generator checked out.

THe CCA was 442 Saw it my self. He was a well not the sharpest tack in the box but I did see the idiot lights and readings my self.

THe Battery was not fully charged when I took it out for the drive. I was tring to get it charged.

54stude
I will call the generator place today.

Thanks! I'll let you know what i find.

[jclary]

John Clary

I am ok under the hood most of the time, when encountering new systems. I like to just be cautious and ask for help before I mess something up. Or I know when to (cry for Help) ask for advise. I do have all the manuals but of course I jump on here before I read anything in it.

That's OK and I do the same thing. What I like about this forum is that it is like a 24/7 campfire! The BS is entertaining and the little tid bits of good information is priceless. For example, I had heard of Diesel Jim's quick test, but had forgotten the details or sequence of testing. I always try to qualify my advice just in case someone might make the mistake of thinking I "really" know what I am talking about.

[Edsel G. Tattooer]

To test the generator, remove the field wire from the generator. Hook a jumper wire from the field post to ground. Start the engine. If the generator is working, the amp gage will show full charge. If that checks out, the regulator is not working. If it don't, the generator is not working. Good luck. Jim

That Is just Brillant!

[StudeMann]

After reading this thread I realized I needed to drive home to disconnect my battery charger. I had left it on full charge rate for 3 days! We'll see if the battery's cooked.

[Mike Sal]

As a slightly related question.....when I went to pick up the '55 president from the former owner, he was trying to start the car without success. I rolled the car up on the trailer & brought it home only to find out afterwards that he had put the battery in backwards (negative ground rather than positive.

Since the car never actually started, do you think the reversed polarity would have screwed up the regulator? I have the car up on stands right now while putting a new exhaust system & heater hoses on it (wow theres a lot of hose....), so I can't really drive it yet (once I turned the battery around & put a new condensor in it, I did drive it the 30 feet into the shop).
thanks,
Mike Sal

[Edsel G. Tattooer]

As a slightly related question.....when I went to pick up the '55 president from the former owner, he was trying to start the car without success. I rolled the car up on the trailer & brought it home only to find out afterwards that he had put the battery in backwards (negative ground rather than positive.

Since the car never actually started, do you think the reversed polarity would have screwed up the regulator? I have the car up on stands right now while putting a new exhaust system & heater hoses on it (wow theres a lot of hose....), so I can't really drive it yet (once I turned the battery around & put a new condensor in it, I did drive it the 30 feet into the shop).
thanks,
Mike Sal

Was it charging or On zero? I wouldn't think you mees something up with just that. But someone will correct me if I am wrong I am sure of it.

[Edsel G. Tattooer]

Ok the Electronics repair shop says everything is working just fine. I guess I was an Idiot on this one. I'll see if it messes up again.

[christophe]

"Since the car never actually started, do you think the reversed polarity would have screwed up the regulator?"

I misconnected the battery on my first car (SIMCA 9 Aronde 1951) the first time I started it. Well, it was not entirely my fault as the wires were wrongly identified. Moreover, with a battery under the seat, you don't see where they go. The car actually worked with all its accesories except the fuel gauge. While checking for this malfunction, I discoverd negative tension then understand the problem and fix it. I did nothing else and the car has been working well the last 25 years. Still, I don't know if the two problems were really related.
On our old cars, I think that a polarity inversion, at least temporarily, can cause no harm.
On a recent car, it's not the same thing. I've seen a car starting burning itself because of an inversed battery, and it was not running.

[Edsel G. Tattooer]

Ok the Electronics repair shop says everything is working just fine. I guess I was an Idiot on this one. I'll see if it messes up again.

Ok here was the deal. I havent driven the car much this summer, well because it was freaking hot, humid, and raining most of this summer. So i drove the car to work just the other day. Charging system still not working. Now after knowing all components are just fine. What could be wrong. I thought well it has to be a bad ground where I asked the ground on the regulator I ran another wire to the battery terminal sure as shinola it was working just fine after that. A crappy ground on the regulator itself. Who figured it out? A dummy like me that's who.