voltage gage problem

[cherokeechief79]

1967 coronet 440 station wagon w 318.
we changed the voltage regulator to a solid state one along with a new alt and all new headlites and bulbs(not led)
we were having trouble with the stock temp gage and decided to put an old school triple gage set in for the nostalgic look and to make sure it didn't get too hot.
it all worked out fine except the volt gage constantly dances between 13 and 14 volts.
the factory one is an amp gage and doesnt jump but im not even sure it works.
i even ran the hot wire directly to the battery to see if it smoothed out but it didnt.
if i turn the headlites on it smooths right out at around 13.
any ideas?

 

[vance.dykes]

get a good volt meter and check at battery see if it steady 13.8 -14. volts and that should be good.

 

[cherokeechief79]

i put a digital one on the battery.it wasnt steady but was changing so quickly i couldnt read the numbers but they were up high 13s.
we bought a cheap volt gage at autozone and were just gonna hook it right to the batt and see if its steady.i only grounded it right at the dash where the lights for the gages are .should i run a ground farter out towards the batt?

 

[HALIFAXHOPS]

Sounds like the VR is on its way out

 

[cherokeechief79]

i just put this regulator in.
its a solid state.i didnt have the volt gage before this so i dont know if it was jumping then.
my lights were dim so we put in a new vr,alternator and headlights.
the lights seem bright and steady now.

 

[hunt2elk]

New voltage regulator from China?

 

[vance.dykes]

i put a digital one on the battery.it wasnt steady but was changing so quickly i couldnt read the numbers but they were up high 13s.
we bought a cheap volt gage at autozone and were just gonna hook it right to the batt and see if its steady.i only grounded it right at the dash where the lights for the gages are .should i run a ground farter out towards the batt?

yes connect directly to the battery for voltage for amps connect to alt. and the cheep parts from chine as said dont use.
you get what you pay for

 

[cherokeechief79]

i got it from advance auto.

 

[HALIFAXHOPS]

I sell them when I get them in, Tell you what just about all the electronic ones are all made overseas, and 3 out of ten fail testing.

 

[twecomm]

Mechanical regulators don't have capability to make small adjustments to what is passed to field coil of alternator. The solid state regulator is much better than the mechanical one. Voltage and current are two different things, related, but not the same. If only the engine is running, there is a relatively small current load on the electrical system, so relatively little current is required from the battery and alternator unto the cars ignition system, so the small voltage variations you describe of .2 volts sound about normal. Just starting the car will deplete the battery, so once engine is running, the alternator replenishes the battery shortly thereafter. You probably see a higher voltage after starting while this is happening, but the voltage you see will slowly drop to a normal level shortly as the battery get replenished. With headlights on, a significantly larger current must supplied by battery / alternator, combination. With that additional headlight load, the regulator senses the voltage drop on the battery and allows more current flow to alternators field coils to "generate" what's needed to keep up with the additional current load of headlights. The regulator is constantly looking at the nominal battery voltage and trying to keep the electrical system in equilibrium. Also note that aged wiring, corrosion on bulkhead connector pins, loose - dirty mechanical connections, bad crimps all can a negative effect a stock electrical system.
Bottom line, don't think I would worry about a .2 volt variation you see on the voltmeter, sounds normal. I'm of the opinion that the original amp meter (alt gauge) will tell you a lot more of what's going on with the cars electrical system than a volt meter alone will. There are many opinions on eliminating the amp meter and associated wiring. If you are adding a lot of electrically operated items to a car with a "stock" electrical system doing the various conversions probably worth considering or absolutely necessary. The cars electrical system was designed for what it came with, nothing more. I'm sure that cost was a factor dictating the original design as well.
My opinion, sure there are others that will disagree..

 

[vance.dykes]

 

[cherokeechief79]

thank you for all of the replies guys..ill look into everything youve pointed out.
we didnt drive it and its been sitting.it only ran for a few min.
maybe it had to charge itself up a little to even out.

 

[cherokeechief79]

Mechanical regulators don't have capability to make small adjustments to what is passed to field coil of alternator. The solid state regulator is much better than the mechanical one. Voltage and current are two different things, related, but not the same. If only the engine is running, there is a relatively small current load on the electrical system, so relatively little current is required from the battery and alternator unto the cars ignition system, so the small voltage variations you describe of .2 volts sound about normal. Just starting the car will deplete the battery, so once engine is running, the alternator replenishes the battery shortly thereafter. You probably see a higher voltage after starting while this is happening, but the voltage you see will slowly drop to a normal level shortly as the battery get replenished. With headlights on, a significantly larger current must supplied by battery / alternator, combination. With that additional headlight load, the regulator senses the voltage drop on the battery and allows more current flow to alternators field coils to "generate" what's needed to keep up with the additional current load of headlights. The regulator is constantly looking at the nominal battery voltage and trying to keep the electrical system in equilibrium. Also note that aged wiring, corrosion on bulkhead connector pins, loose - dirty mechanical connections, bad crimps all can a negative effect a stock electrical system.
Bottom line, don't think I would worry about a .2 volt variation you see on the voltmeter, sounds normal. I'm of the opinion that the original amp meter (alt gauge) will tell you a lot more of what's going on with the cars electrical system than a volt meter alone will. There are many opinions on eliminating the amp meter and associated wiring. If you are adding a lot of electrically operated items to a car with a "stock" electrical system doing the various conversions probably worth considering or absolutely necessary. The cars electrical system was designed for what it came with, nothing more. I'm sure that cost was a factor dictating the original design as well.
My opinion, sure there are others that will disagree..

only adding an under dash 8 track player! a cool one on one of those chrome slide out brackets with the electrical connectors in it