I HATE electrical problems...
Volt Meter bounces all over the place (looks like it spikes high then settles back but its bouncing back and forth like 3 times a second). This is at all rpm. Headlights dim and brighten as well so I know its not just the gauge going crazy.
Replaced the voltage regulator with another one and the problem was gone for a while, then it came back but in a different RPM range. It was now only doing it from 1800-2000 rpm.
Going by a friend's advice (and I agreed with it) I took my alternator apart, put it back together with a junk case (my case is polished) and returned it to AutoZone for a warranty replacement. Took the brand new (rebuilt) alternator & voltage regulator home and installed it. Guess what? Still bouncing volt meter. Took alternator back to AutoZone (I've had bad "new" alternators before) and it passed their test so my assumption is it is good.
Finally busted out my shop manual on CD and looked up troubleshooting for the meter.
-Point F to Ground test Passed - Voltage >= battery voltage
-Point A to Pos terminal test Passed - Voltage gauge stops bouncing
-Slip ring to case Ohm resistance >200 - Not sure what they want me to test here. I know the slip rings are what the brushes ride on but there is no connection at all between those and the case.
According to the troubleshooting guide if the Point A test passes and the Point F test passes, the alternator and voltage regulator are both good and there is either a loose fuse or a problem somewhere in circuit 36 Y/W wire.
I went to 50resto.com and purchased a new 3 wire plug and the white stator wire connector (alternator side plugs) and will splice them in once they arrive. (Some of the connections looked gross so I thought it wouldn't hurt to try). Right now wiggling the connections at the alternator didn't really yield any results. I can't make this problem happen or stop other than the Point A to (+) test which is supposed to make it stop anyways.
No, my dumb ass hasn't checked for a loose fuse yet as I was dumb enough to re-locate the fuse box and I have to take the wheel well apart to get at it.
I highly doubt its a loose fuse however. Obviously if the new connections don't help the situation, the only remaining point to check after this would be either the Y/W wire from the alternator to the fuse box, or the fuse box (a loose fuse?) itself. At least according to the Ford diagnostics.
The only thing that has me confused is that I have two different voltage regulators here and each one behaves differently. One does it at idle and 1800+ RPM and the other only really acts up at 1800-2000.
Any other thoughts / suggestions?
PS I hate electrical problems
Volt Meter bounces all over the place (looks like it spikes high then settles back but its bouncing back and forth like 3 times a second). This is at all rpm. Headlights dim and brighten as well so I know its not just the gauge going crazy.
Replaced the voltage regulator with another one and the problem was gone for a while, then it came back but in a different RPM range. It was now only doing it from 1800-2000 rpm.
Going by a friend's advice (and I agreed with it) I took my alternator apart, put it back together with a junk case (my case is polished) and returned it to AutoZone for a warranty replacement. Took the brand new (rebuilt) alternator & voltage regulator home and installed it. Guess what? Still bouncing volt meter. Took alternator back to AutoZone (I've had bad "new" alternators before) and it passed their test so my assumption is it is good.
Finally busted out my shop manual on CD and looked up troubleshooting for the meter.
-Point F to Ground test Passed - Voltage >= battery voltage
-Point A to Pos terminal test Passed - Voltage gauge stops bouncing
-Slip ring to case Ohm resistance >200 - Not sure what they want me to test here. I know the slip rings are what the brushes ride on but there is no connection at all between those and the case.
According to the troubleshooting guide if the Point A test passes and the Point F test passes, the alternator and voltage regulator are both good and there is either a loose fuse or a problem somewhere in circuit 36 Y/W wire.
I went to 50resto.com and purchased a new 3 wire plug and the white stator wire connector (alternator side plugs) and will splice them in once they arrive. (Some of the connections looked gross so I thought it wouldn't hurt to try). Right now wiggling the connections at the alternator didn't really yield any results. I can't make this problem happen or stop other than the Point A to (+) test which is supposed to make it stop anyways.
No, my dumb ass hasn't checked for a loose fuse yet as I was dumb enough to re-locate the fuse box and I have to take the wheel well apart to get at it.
I highly doubt its a loose fuse however. Obviously if the new connections don't help the situation, the only remaining point to check after this would be either the Y/W wire from the alternator to the fuse box, or the fuse box (a loose fuse?) itself. At least according to the Ford diagnostics.
The only thing that has me confused is that I have two different voltage regulators here and each one behaves differently. One does it at idle and 1800+ RPM and the other only really acts up at 1800-2000.
Any other thoughts / suggestions?
PS I hate electrical problems