High volts

Well you're getting there, anyway. I didn't bother to read clear back, are you sure the regulator is well grounded?

Indeed I did-I think I checked it about three or four times at least. I jumped it, removed and reinstalled different ones, you name it...regardless of which one of the three I used, it's still the same voltage. FWIW, the BWD one I bought from Advance has the most steady voltage, and came with some troubleshooting advice and basic system theory instructions.