89 pontiac formula 350. 350 tuned port, auto it is a 350tpi from a 85 corvette now. The car has elctric fans and I wired them up to a toggle so they run all the time. I turn the car on and the voltage guage reads 13 to 14. Even if i dont turn the fans on it will eventually bounce up to bout 18 the redline on the voltage guage, it will do this even if i turn on the heater, wipers, and roll up windows. It keep overchaging and blowing my toggles they start smoking and then i gotta replace cause the toggle is only a 12v toggle so what could be causing this, a fuse? a short? loose connections? bad connections? wire on starter wrong? any ideas i would appreciate, thanks

 

voltage regulator?

 

need new alternator. One of many symptoms either won't keep a charge or it will over charge. I recommend a new alternator. Since the regulators are inside the alternators now.

 

now see that is exactly what i thought. isnt the regulater in the alternater?

 

thanks guys that is exactly what i thought it was so i appreciate it guys

 

would be best to check the actual voltage at the battery
when the voltmeter jumps up to make sure the problem
is not just a faulty gauge,could also observe the lights
to see if they brighten when the volts jump up-if so,
most likely an alternator problem.The reason the add-on
manual fan switch is burning out is because a relay is
supposed to be used to switch the power to the fan
motors(there is probably at least 10 other posts with the
exact same direct-wired manual switch burnout problem
)It's pretty easy to rig up an add-on thermostatic
fan control that will be reliable

 

thats exactly what happened to me.

i was about an hour away from home, out in the sticks of virginia with no where to pull over or stop in the middle of the night. headlights, gauge lights, everything was constantly "flashing". one scary drive home, luckily for me no damage

 

happened to me too-worn alternator brushes were the
cause,fixed the brushes no more problems.
Suprized i didn't burn out any bulbs

 

I never heard of a faulty voltage ampere gauge before. Not that its not impossible but less likely I am betting on the alternator.