so I took my 1974 swinger 360 auto out last night and my Head lights were turned on, a guy pulls up to me and tells me my brake lights are out, I pull into the gas station and sure enough both bulbs are burnt out, I look in the floor of the car and here is this burnt plastic with a light bulb in it, (pic attatched) then I look at my dash cluster and the voltage is pegged at positive and it looks like it has burnt from the inside out the plastic has turned gray and the plastic is burning hot!!!! also my tach that I added was burning hot as well...... :banghead: WHAT DA HELL IS GOING ON?
HELPPPP! shes H O T
- Thread starter mopardrt
- Start date
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HotLines
Realist - Free Thinker
You may not have a battery switch but a very similar thing happened to one of my Signets and the cause was the on-off battery switch, where as I mistakenly turned off the ignition before turning off the switch and with the engine running through the alternator pushed too much power. Burnt out both headlights and tail lights.
pettybludart
Well-Known Member
I would check your bulkhead connections for corrosion.
My amp gauge shorted and I had to replace the instrument cluster and I bypassed the amp gauge.
Here is a good read for ya:
http://www.madelectrical.com/electricaltech/amp-gauges.shtml
Here is a good read for ya:
http://www.madelectrical.com/electricaltech/amp-gauges.shtml
Inertia
Well-Known Member
Pull one of the small wires off the back of your alternator,, then check your voltmeter.. If the reading has dropped close to normal,, you need a new regulator,, if the voltage is still high, replace the alternator...
67Dart273
Well-Known Member
It sounds like you have a severe overcharging problem
First thing to do is find out whether this is the voltage regulator or a wiring problem, and because of the damage you have described, it might be BOTH
First hook your voltmeter (multimeter)--------
one probe to the blue alternator field wire
other to the battery positive (starter relay stud)
and turn the key to "run" with engine off
You should read a very low reading, not over .3V (three TENTHS of one volt)
If this is within reason, you need to find out if the regulator is "in control" of the alternator
To do that, disconnect the regulator connector at the regulator.
Start the engine and see if battery voltage is abnormal. Should be 12.XX depending on charge level, and with the regulator unplugged, should not change.
Plug the regulator back in, and see where the voltage goes, EASE the engine RPM up. IF the voltage goes above 14.5 replace the regulator.
But with your description, I'd bet you have done some damage to the system. You may be looking at some melted damaged wiring, and damage to the bulkhead connector.
First thing to do is find out whether this is the voltage regulator or a wiring problem, and because of the damage you have described, it might be BOTH
First hook your voltmeter (multimeter)--------
one probe to the blue alternator field wire
other to the battery positive (starter relay stud)
and turn the key to "run" with engine off
You should read a very low reading, not over .3V (three TENTHS of one volt)
If this is within reason, you need to find out if the regulator is "in control" of the alternator
To do that, disconnect the regulator connector at the regulator.
Start the engine and see if battery voltage is abnormal. Should be 12.XX depending on charge level, and with the regulator unplugged, should not change.
Plug the regulator back in, and see where the voltage goes, EASE the engine RPM up. IF the voltage goes above 14.5 replace the regulator.
But with your description, I'd bet you have done some damage to the system. You may be looking at some melted damaged wiring, and damage to the bulkhead connector.
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