charging problems

[bombcan]

my pinto powered model a is having charging problems.  I've put in 3 alternators, and one voltage regulator.  My guage shows that I'm not getting a charge.  If the back of the alternator is checked when the car is idling it shows the same as if the car isn't running, the battery voltage.
Any suggestions on where to go, or what to check next?

All three of the alternators and the voltage regulator are NAPA items.

[MrMopar64]

my pinto powered model a is having charging problems.  I've put in 3 alternators, and one voltage regulator.  My guage shows that I'm not getting a charge.  If the back of the alternator is checked when the car is idling it shows the same as if the car isn't running, the battery voltage.
Any suggestions on where to go, or what to check next?

All three of the alternators and the voltage regulator are NAPA items.

Have you had any of the returned alternators checked to make sure where the problem is......... the car or the alt
I had this problem on a late model and after the 2nd returned they said it was in the car I took their alt to different auto parts store and had it tested turned out to be no good bought one at that store and it worked fine..........

MM64  

[58Apache]

I understand that some older alternators needed a good supply from the battery to excite the windings. I am betting on a broken wire at a connector. Maybe at the alternator, or at the battery, or at the regulator.

Check all wires very carefully. Make sure all connections are clean.

                                 Steve

[348tripower]

You might check the system for a fuseable link. I have seen them in a charging system and when they go bad you don't charge.

[Bruce Dorsi]

My guage shows that I'm not getting a charge.

Is your gauge a voltmeter or an ammeter?

If an ammeter, where is it connected? .... Also, does it have two terminals, or is it an induction type?

If the back of the alternator is checked when the car is idling it shows the same as if the car isn't running, the battery voltage.

What voltage reading are you getting?

What happens if you increase the engine speed?  ....Do you get a higher voltage reading at the alternator then?

Have you verified battery voltage going to the regulator?

Can you test at the back of the alternator to see if the regulator is sending voltage to the alternator to excite the windings?

Has the alternator/regulator ever worked properly previously while you owned the car?  ....Or, has this condition been present all along?

You also didn't say if the battery has been going dead or not.  

Is the regulator an electronic one, or an electro-mechanical type?

Yeah I know,   lots of questions, but there are many possibilities.   ...Help us, help you!

[parklane]

One quick way- back yard mechanic -  of telling if you alt. is working is to start you car, and put a screwdriver (or something similar) at the back of the alt. If it sticks(magnetic), the alternator is working.

John

[bombcan]

My guage shows that I'm not getting a charge.

Is your gauge a voltmeter or an ammeter?

If an ammeter, where is it connected? .... Also, does it have two terminals, or is it an induction type?

If the back of the alternator is checked when the car is idling it shows the same as if the car isn't running, the battery voltage.

What voltage reading are you getting?

What happens if you increase the engine speed?  ....Do you get a higher voltage reading at the alternator then?

Have you verified battery voltage going to the regulator?

Can you test at the back of the alternator to see if the regulator is sending voltage to the alternator to excite the windings?

Has the alternator/regulator ever worked properly previously while you owned the car?  ....Or, has this condition been present all along?

You also didn't say if the battery has been going dead or not.  

Is the regulator an electronic one, or an electro-mechanical type?

Yeah I know,   lots of questions, but there are many possibilities.   ...Help us, help you!

OK, the guage is a voltmeter.
The battery goes dead over quite a long period, 2 - 3 weeks. But it hasn't been driven with the lights on, the radio isn't in yet so the only electrical draw is the starter and the electronic guages.

Changing the engine speed doesn't change the voltage reading.

If I put the battery on a charge the guage reads 14V then slowly works down to as low as 11 volts as the battery is used.  Checking across the back of the alternator the reading is the same as the battery reading. 11.5 volts this past saturday, before I replaced the alternator twice, and the voltage regulator.

I haven't verified the voltage going to the regulator.

I don't know if the problem came with the car or not.  When I purchased the car it only had a speedo and a gas guage.  The alternator was making alot of noise, so I replaced it with the first of the napa units.

I guess I'm going to have to find someone that knows, or understands the charging system better than I do.

I'll do some more checking tonight, maybe I'll find something.

Thanks
Rob