Turn signals don't work - possible charging issue

Yesterday on the way to work I noticed my headlights were dim and my turn signals stopped working. Also the radio would cut in and out every 5 seconds or so before I shut it off. I figured the alternator was the problem. My ammeter was reading lower than normal.

Today I go out and swap the voltage regulator with a spare I had. No change at all. Then I swapped out the alternator with my spare. The only difference is the radio doesn't shut off now.

My flashers work, head lights and tail lights work. When I flip the turn signal, the correct signal lights will come on, but they don't blink at all. Just solid. My ammeter is reading just slightly to the left when driving. When I turn the head lights on, it drops about halfway into the negative side on the left.

Anyone know what the problem may be? I charged my battery, swapped both the alternator and voltage reg and checked the fuses and nothing seems to have changed the problem. Thanks.

You'll need to put a gauge on it to see what kind of readings you're getting. I may be just a bad bulkhead or other connection. It could be that one of the parts you think is good, isn't.

It's not charging, that's what, we need to guide you through some checks, BUT FIRST

What year/ model is the car, and DO YOU HAVE the original type alternator installed? That is, you using original Mopar 69/ earlier, or original Mopar 70 / later, or some sort of aftermarket setup?

Thanks, I'll check some more readings tomorrow.

It's a 71 Duster 225 with an HEI ignition. With an original type 70+ alternator.

OK, this means you have the ISOLATED FIELD alternator, wrongly called "dual field" and your regulator should look like this:

http://www.mopartsracing.com/parts/electronic/reg.gif

A couple of quick checks you can do.

First, pull the GREEN wire off at the alternator, one of two push on terminals

GREEN goes to the regulator,

BLUE comes from the IGN switch and supplies 12V to the other field terminal.

With the GREEN off, hook a clip lead from the alternator terminal you exposed to GROUND

This will cause the alternator to "full field" or go to full output.

Start the engine, slowly bring up RPM while watching the ammeter. If the alternator is good, the ammeter will come up to charge. Don't get carried away, easy on the RPM until you see what the ammeter does. If you have a multimeter, it's a good idea to hook it to the battery, prop the meter up so you can see it and the ammeter. Don't let the voltage climb much over 15.5 volts.

For a rough idea on how much the alternator can put out, you can turn on everything in the car you can, stereo, heater, lights, 4 way flashers, etc. Again, don't over rev the engine.

Gently bring up the RPM until the voltmeter is between 14-15, and the ammeter should be in the charge zone somewhere.

If none of this works out, you have problems in the alternator OR the charging lead circuit is bad

To check this, set the engine on a good fast idle and note the battery voltage. Now move the positive meter probe over to the big output stud on the alternator. There should not be much voltage difference between the battery and the output stud, certainly not more than a volt or two.

If there is a big difference, you have a wiring problem in the charge wire/ ammeter circuit. Your number one suspect is the bulkhead connector.

If nothing seems to work out, maybe the field is not getting voltage. With the engine off/ key in "run" and your clip lead in place to ground, check the BLUE field wire. You should have "close to" battery voltage there. If not, you have a problem with that wire in the switched IGN circuit. Move your meter up to the bulkhead coil ballast and see if the IGN supply is close to battery voltage.

IF the voltage is OK at the ballast, the wire is broke from the ballast down to the BLUE field connection

If not, your switched IGN circuit is messed up, that's another story

If it ch

Now if the above test shows OK, you probably have trouble in the field/ regulator circuit

So remove the regulator connector, and devise a way to jumper across the two terminals in the harness connector. This might take a second person. Again, start the engine, gently raise the RPM while watching the (battery) voltmeter and ammeter. IF you get a good hot charge, you most probably have a bad regulator

If not, you probably have a bad circuit in the regulator / field, and/ or bad connector itself.

Note the regulator plug has a green and a blue. The BLUE just like the BLUE at the alternator field, comes from the IGN switch, and should have "close to battery" with key on

The green should show continuity (zero ohms) from the regulator harness connector down to the push-on terminal at the alternator field.

If all this check out, change the regulator. Make sure it's grounded, and post back with progress or questions.

You have a shop manual/ wiring diagram?

Download a 72 shop manual for free from this thread:

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=132309&highlight=manual,+download

Here are usable diagrams :

http://www.mymopar.com/downloads/1971/71ValiantA.JPG

http://www.mymopar.com/downloads/1971/71ValiantB.JPG

simplified charging system diagram:

http://www.mymopar.com/downloads/Dual_Field_Alternator_Wiring.jpg

See? easy.

67Dart273 gave you a detailed checklist, which you could have easily found in a FABO search since the "no charging" problem is regularly asked. Please let us know the outcome so we aren't "on hold". You will need a multimeter, but those are cheap (often free) at Harbor Freight (several stores in Sac).

Thanks guys, I have the tools so I went through all the checks and everything checked out fine except the battery voltage never went up from 12.6v no matter how high I raised the RPM's. Voltage regulator and bulkhead connector checked out fine as well. I have 4 alternators here and I tried them all to no avail. I went out to my Valiant, pulled the battery out and put it in the Duster. Fired it up and my lights were brighter, blinkers worked and the needle was slightly positive instead of halfway on the negative side with the head lights on.

I wish I would have just done that in the first place ops: