Overcharging Issue & Car Start Issue

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This ignition switch worked correctly at one time and doesn't work now. I'm the original owner of this new ignition cable and have not switched any wires. Switch is being checked while disconnected from the main harness.
 
Well then sounds like you have found the problem == be buyin' new switch
 
I received the new ignition switch yesterday and confirmed that my old ignition switch that's currently in the car is bad. This is what was causing the car to start in the run position. I'm not sure if this is what was causing my overcharging or if the overcharging caused the ignition switch to burn out. I will now install the switch and keep my fingers crossed that my overcharging is solved also.
 
Well post back to this thread so we can maintain continuity, and we'll help ya through it.
 
A bad key switch could definitely cause over-charging. The voltage regulator senses the battery voltage via the key switch. Too much resistance in the switch makes it think the battery is low and increases the alternator field. You might wonder why didn't they wire the VR direct to BATT+? That would work better in sensing voltage, but might run your battery down when sitting for a long time.
 
Well I haven't posted in a while and I wanted to make a post as to what I've done since my last one.

I've fixed my starting issue by replacing the ignition switch. My car now starts when the car goes to the start position and not to the run position. Problem solved there.

I replaced my alternator because the field windings were burnt and I replaced my regulator also . I also installed an external volt meter and a new amp meter gauge in the dash cluster. After all these installs I started the car and my external volt meter read 14.5 volts. I took a measurement across the battery and rev the motor to 3K RPM and held it there. The measurement read 14.08V. At idle it reads 12.8 volts. My alternator meter in the dash started to creep to the overcharging side until it pegged. At that time my instrument fuse blew.

I'm so baffled and mystery by this. I'm now clueless from all what I've done.
 
At this point I'd almost say try to find some local hands--on help. Sounds like you have some sort of problem in the harness. Do you still have the other regulator and are you sure it's bad?

Is the regulator FOR CERTAIN grounded?
 
I don't have the other regulators anymore. The regulator is grounded. What should be the normal needle reading on dash cluster amp meter gauge. Should it always be on center at idle and slightly to the charge side when driving down the road? I'm not sure on it's normal profile under driving conditions.

I do know that at idle with my head lights on the car acts very normal. You know, lights a little dim and then they bright up when you tap the throttle then they go back to a little dim. Volt test meter across the battery reads about 12.8v at idle and goes to about 14v when you rev the car then goes back to 12.8v.

It's that amp meter in the dash that scares me by reading somewhat overcharging.
I'm not sure it the blown instrument panel fuse is connected or could be connected to this problem.

This issue makes no sense to me !!!!
 
The amp meter really cannot tell you if it is over charging or not. All it really does is indicate current flowing to or from the battery. Negative needle indicates current drawn from the battey. + needle indicates current flow to the battery ie altenator charging. When my Dart 1st starts up the amp meter pegs over to the + side for a few seconds as the altenator puts back what the starter just took out.
 
Tech857 said:
The amp meter really cannot tell you if it is over charging or not. .
Click to expand...

Well................. most of the time, and if your brain is in gear it can

If your battery is healthy, the car starts and runs normally, and you haven't left the lights/ dome light on, you can "usually tell" by habit.

You jump in, you start it up. It charges hard. A healthy battery should take little time for the needle to start crawling back to center. Depending on the weather, how long the car was parked (in weeks, not hours) and how long you cranked it to start, will affect when this happens. It should not, however "bury" the needle for more than a couple of minutes

If it's an older traditional system, IE one where low RPM running doesn't "keep up" a stop light may result in a slight discharge, but within a block or two it should be back to center. This gets worse in cold weather, when running lights and heater, and in snow country where slick roads dictate more slow driving. (Hey, we DID drive these in the winter ya know!!)

"Running down the road" at just about any speed should result in pretty much a centered scale reading.
 
My guess is that you have a short circuit to ground somewhere. That might explain why you get so much current out of the alternator but the battery voltage holds steady (doesn't overcharge). Perhaps the battery itself has an internal short (sorry if you replaced, I didn't re-read the whole thread). Otherwise, 14.5 V regulation with the engine running is about perfect. That is what I see on my modern cars using a cigarette lighter type volt meter.
 
I do want to chime in here and end this thread. We have finally come to the end of my problem. All planets are aligned and we are in perfect harmony again with my Mopar.

It was a very expensive fix. I had 1 smoked battery, 1 toasted alternator, 1 melted amp meter, 2 blown regulators and a bad ignition switch.

There's been a lot of troubleshooting going on here. It took a month to find and fix all the problems. I believe it all started with and bad battery that was internally shorting which I had no idea of. From there it just domino all the parts I had to change.

I want to thank everyone for all their input. I want to especially that "67dart273". Your knowledge helped me greatly. Your advice you gave me has been printed out on paper and resides in my problem/solution log book.

Well I'm off to enjoy my car again. Again, Thanks to all.
 
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