electrical and ignition Charging issues.

[danielp.per3]

Hello fellow members I am stuck in a runt... i have a 74' automatic having electrical/ charging issues... any and all suggestions would be greatly appreciated. A couple weeks ago i started having alternator issues ex:( low battery, disconnect the battery the car dies). I have tries everything to my knowledge..New alternator, new voltage regulator, new grounding cable, secondary ground, cable leading from alt. to battery, tried two different batteries. When that all failed i tried a e21 alt. (known to work to my knowledge) any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Help me keep my 02 

[JohnH]

Is your battery light in the instrument cluster illuminating?

 

Edit: I meant to say "L" light.

Edited May 18, 2016 by JohnH

[wegweiser]

I've had new and nearly new Bosch (and other brand) regulators fail right out of the box, or within 10,000 miles. Check the wires from the regulator all the way to the alternator for continuity. Make sure the connectors are properly seated, and intact, inside those plastic 3 prong plugs. I spent 4 hours sleuthing out my own charging issues on Sunday. Turned out to be a broken wire *and* a bad 3 year old regulator (!) If the red charging light on the dashboard doesn't illuminate (along with the oil light) with key on, engine OFF, my money is on bad voltage regulator. I'm bringing THREE old / used / good ones with me on Friday's road trip…just in case. 

[laundromatt]

Sounds like something to do with the voltage regulator to me.  You say it's new - is it really new, or is it a used one from somewhere else?  Everything seated and connected properly?

[MatthewCervi]

I'll join the chorus here.  I've had multiple new voltage regulators quickly go bad.

[danielp.per3]

14 hours ago, JohnH said:

Is your battery light in the instrument cluster illuminating?

 

Edit: I meant to say "L" light.

It is on but very very dim to where you would barely be able to see it... and my red oil pressure light comes on with no problem 

[danielp.per3]

45 minutes ago, laundromatt said:

Sounds like something to do with the voltage regulator to me.  You say it's new - is it really new, or is it a used one from somewhere else?  Everything seated and connected properly?

its out the box brand new... and it looks to be to me no loose cables.

[danielp.per3]

56 minutes ago, wegweiser said:

I've had new and nearly new Bosch (and other brand) regulators fail right out of the box, or within 10,000 miles. Check the wires from the regulator all the way to the alternator for continuity. Make sure the connectors are properly seated, and intact, inside those plastic 3 prong plugs. I spent 4 hours sleuthing out my own charging issues on Sunday. Turned out to be a broken wire *and* a bad 3 year old regulator (!) If the red charging light on the dashboard doesn't illuminate (along with the oil light) with key on, engine OFF, my money is on bad voltage regulator. I'm bringing THREE old / used / good ones with me on Friday's road trip…just in case. 

my instrument cluster lights are illuminated... the yellow (L) light is illuminated but very very dim i thought it was a grounding issue so i changed out the grounding cable and actually added another from the alt. to the body but still no luck...

 

[oracle_29]

Not sure if you are saying the L light is dim before you start the car or after.

In any case you need a dvm, with the car idling or revved to about 1k rpm measuring across the battery should read between 13-14volts, if it's under 13 something is wrong.

If you can start the car easily probably your ground and positive cable are good.

Measure from the alternator positive (output) lead to the positive battery terminal, this should be less than a volt, with the engine running, this checks the wiring from the alt to batt.

Also be sure all connections to the regulator are clean and fit snugly, same with the alt, do any of the wires have broken strands, do any of the wires look like they've been hot?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[danielp.per3]

1 minute ago, oracle_29 said:

Not sure if you are saying the L light is dim before you start the car or after.

In any case you need a dvm, with the car idling or revved to about 1k rpm measuring across the battery should read between 13-14volts, if it's under 13 something is wrong.

If you can start the car easily probably your ground and positive cable are good.

Measure from the alternator positive (output) lead to the positive battery terminal, this should be less than a volt, with the engine running, this checks the wiring from the alt to batt.

Also be sure all connections to the regulator are clean and fit snugly, same with the alt, do any of the wires have broken strands, do any of the wires look like they've been hot?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The L light is dim before and after i start the car, i checked the voltage and it is reading about 12.3 on the alt and battery... ill check the voltage from the alt. to the battery and let you know... all the wires have good connections there was some corrosion and broken strands but i added fresh new ones... no hot wires to my knowlede.

[wegweiser]

Wait! *YELLOW* "L" light????

 

Yellow is oil pressure w an "O" ...and the alternator light should be RED w an "L". Unless later cars are different from all the round light cars I've owned. 

[danielp.per3]

7 minutes ago, wegweiser said:

Wait! *YELLOW* "L" light????

 

Yellow is oil pressure w an "O" ...and the alternator light should be RED w an "L". Unless later cars are different from all the round light cars I've owned. 

wow i was wrong but "o" is red and the yellow light i'm talking about is "B" located at the bottom left..so sorry about the confusion 

[wegweiser]

Lower left? Um… turn signal tell-tale?….light green color? B = "Blinker" auf Deutsch. 

Edited May 19, 2016 by wegweiser

[danielp.per3]

yes thats the one that is illuminated for some reason..

[wegweiser]

What happens when you use your turn signals? Does it flash? Does the red "L" (upper right, next to orange oil light) light ever come on - like when the key is on, but not starting the car?