I’m frustrated so I’m cutting this wire!

[Tony 69]

I have a 69 RR 440 electronic ignition
I have added an electric fan
It has a single field alt
The battery is good
The alt charges ( but on the ign side of voltage reg) nothing at the battery
The wiring diagram shows only 1 wire on the alt
Has anyone experienced this?
Thanks in advance

 

[72RoadrunnerGTX]

Experienced what exactly? Not clear what the issue is. You want to cut the alternator output lead?

 

[pnora]

I have a 69 RR 440 electronic ignition
I have added an electric fan
It has a single field alt
The battery is good
The alt charges ( but on the ign side of voltage reg) nothing at the battery
The wiring diagram shows only 1 wire on the alt
Has anyone experienced this?
Thanks in advance

View attachment 1291870

View attachment 1291871

Your diagram shows 2 wires. Black will be 12 volts or battery voltage. The green is a field control circuit which is a regulated ground from the regulator.

 

[Tony 69]

That is what has me baffled
The black wire is 12 volts
The green wire that you cants see is the field
The wires that you can see are tied together with a factory looking terminal end
My issue is what is the extra wire

 

[Tony 69]

I am getting 13.9 volts and the ign side of the regulator but nothing at the battery

 

[pnora]

That is what has me baffled
The black wire is 12 volts
The green wire that you cants see is the field
The wires that you can see are tied together with a factory looking terminal end
My issue is what is the extra wire

The other small wire on the alternator stud goes to the horn relay.

 

[Canadian1968]

I don't know if I would cut it! You could always just unbolt it lol.

What is the rest of the setup? What regulator are you using?? Is the car running electronic igntion?

The green wire is the field wire, The big black wire you are apparently going to cut is your charging wire.

The most basic path of a stock charging system is,

From the 'battery' stud on the alternator, to the bulkhead on the fire wall , then up to the ammeter in the dash, off the ammeter down back to bulkhead and out into the engine compartment. engine compartment side of the bulkhead to the starter relay with a fuseable link. From starter relay to the battery.

 

[Demonic]

^ What he said above. If voltage at the alt output stud is good, 14 at idle, the problem is the bulkhead, amp meter, other bulkhead or starter relay junction.

 

[Tony 69]

I finally threw a voltage regulator on it today for chance ( the black mechanical kind) even though I wanted to prove what was wrong instead of just changing parts.
Went for a drive and the regulator started smoking. Checked the voltages and had 12.6 at battery when running. Had 13.9 on the ignition side of regulator.
I don’t understand this.
I have checked the bulkhead on both sides and pulled the ignition switch and checked there too. The wiring diagram looks like there is battery power splice ( or junction) going to ammeter which shouldn’t affect charging one way or the other
Thanks pnora about the other wire going to horn relay. I wonder why it is not on the wrong diagram

 

[72RoadrunnerGTX]

Assuming a stock charging system, no modifications, you are indicating a total of 1.3-volt voltage drop between the regulator Ign1 terminal and the battery post. Needs to be less than .5 volts under load. You can verify by connecting your VOM leads directly across those two locations while under load. This shows high resistance in connections or conductors somewhere in the path that includes the ign1 bulkhead terminal, ign switch connections, ign switch, splice 1, ammeter terminals, bulkhead battery return terminals, fusible link. What is the ammeter indicating under these no charge condition? Bulkhead connections are by far the weakest link in the original design, loose ammeter stud nuts or damaged insulators will result in high resistance as well.

Third party wiring diagrams are not always accurate, better off with factory wiring diagrams.

 

[Tony 69]

The ammeter mostly stays in the middle but bouncing around when I have the electric fan on. So I assume it’s working to some degree. Sinc I have 13.9 volts on ign side of regulator I assume the alt is working. I can’t figure out how or why 13.9 is present at regulator and not at the battery. I think the ign side of regulator has battery voltage (12.6) but not charging voltage. So my hang up is how is it getting there and not to the battery. Ignition switch or 2 bad connections at bulkhead?

 

[Geoff 2]

Think twice: cut once.....

 

[72RoadrunnerGTX]

I'd be looking at the ammeter terminals, you can pin down the point of highest resistance by doing voltage drop measurements at various points in the path described above.

 

[Tony 69]

Thanks for everyone’s input. Looks like I’ve gotta pull the cluster for some more checking. I am still wondering, when this issue does get fixed, will the battery voltage on the ignition side of regulator go up with the battery? Like should it be 12.6 key on engine off and then 13.9 or whatever when the engine is running? Like I said earlier the regulator was smoking

 

[72RoadrunnerGTX]

Yes, the reference voltage at the regulator Ign1 terminal should be with in a few of tenths of a volt max of the voltage reading at the battery post. Smoking replacement regulator? No change in the voltage reading from the previous regulator. Sound like a bad replacement regulator.

 

[Geoff 2]

Couple of comments.
- alt large terminal is normally connected to the battery with a fusible link in the wire. Check that the FL is not open cct. Working correctly: eng running, same voltage at bat & alt terminal.
- smoking VR is probably toast [ pardon the pun ]
- ign sw on, engine off, probably get less than 12.6 v at the VR, depending on what else is drawing current from the sw in this position.

 

[Canadian1968]

Stop focusing on the regulator.

If you can put a volt meter on the B post of the alternator and get 13.9V your voltage regulator is working. ( but it should not be smoking !! ) If you were only getting 12.6 volts off the alternator, then yes your regulator is not working. BUT that is not the case.

Now if I understand this right, when you try and test the battery while the car is running you only get 12.6 volts ? What do you get at the battery with the car off? If its the same 12.6V the circuit is broken somewhere.

By the sounds of it everything else in the car is running fine. SO........ my bet is fuseable link between the bulkhead and the starter relay. That is the the last connection before the + post of the battery.

Do you have the fan wired to the battery or to the alternator?

 

[Tony 69]

canadian1968
You are correct
12.6 with either engine off or running
The fusible link is good
Inside harness is new
I found this and hope it’s accurate
And for a quick fan install I ran “switched “ power from wiper motor since this car doesn’t see the rain. But when o disconnect the fan nothing changes

 

[Canadian1968]

How do u know the link is good? . IT doesn't have to loom burnt to be bad

 

[Tony 69]

It has voltage on both ends of it