Here is my delima

I have some digital guages (for a long time now) and when the car is off I get ~12.44volts and when turn the motorn on I get ~14.07-~13.90 somewhre in there

I've never had this happen before but, now my guages flake out when car is on but when off it's fine
(I know theres nothing wrong with the guages)

Is that too high Voltage from the Alt. ???
Maby the voltage regulator is going bad???
any info you have would be great THANKS

EDIT: holy #$%! I really screwed that topic spelling up
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Hecubus
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91-Z28 305 Tpi "G92" mods-- K$N/Foil/Cat Back 3" Flowmaster/3" High Flow Cat/B&M shifter/ Intrax Springs/ Kyb Shock's-Struts's/Poly Bushings/Hotchkis Strut Tower Brace/ 100-150 Nos Wet Plate System/ 155lph Fuel Pump/ Holly Adj. Fuel Press. Regulator/Digital Fuel, voltage & Oil Press Guage's/MSD 6al/ Blaster coil/ Optima,Yellow top batt.

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[This message has been edited by Hecubus (edited April 06, 2001).]

 

i don't know the exact number but i'd say you're fine, around 16 and the altanator will burn up i ithnk 14 or so is the normal output.

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ICON Motorsports

1st & 3rd
MM Black Diamond Lodge 538 F&AM

 

Mine puts out 13V at idle and a 25% underdrive pulley. Before the pulley or when I rev it, the voltage goes up to about 14.4V. That is normal. 12.5V is about right at the terminals with the car off.

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1984 z28 w/ a 357 cu in. monster engine which is looking like the posterchild for Edelbrock with the exception of the Holley 750vac... all the suspension stuff... 9-bolt posi disk is in...

-=ICON Motorsports=-

 

I've always read to get around 12 volts when the car's off, and 13.8 when it's idling.


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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards
---Think your car could be pic of the week? Visit http://www.f-body.net for details!

 

Theoretically the system tries to stay at 14.4V when the car is on (RPM doesnt matter) and 12V when off. The voltage regulator can only compensate so much, though. At low RPM or high power drain, or both, you may see your voltage drop to almost 12.0V. This means the alternator is just barely able to keep up with the power demand. If voltage drops below 12.0V then the alternator is fighting a losing battle, and your battery is being drained. On the other hand, at high rpm or low power drain, or both, your voltage may jump up to 15 or 16V. This won't really hurt anything, its just that the alternator is making so much power and nothing is using it, so the battery will just charge up. However anythin over about 16 could blow fuses.

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1983 Firebird
TH700R4 Auto
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"A four cylinder is half an engine."

 

Well, it could be a bridge going out (I don't know if this is part of the v-reg or not) but the alternator produces AC, car electronics need DC, Bridge Rectifier converts AC-DC but it comes out in spikes, at 2x the frequency the AC was. VReg Plus capacitors + battery help to smooth this out. If half the bridge was shot, you would get a spike then nothing, then a spike, then nothing. But generally this would cause a lower voltage since VDC is the RMS of the spikes. Now the alternator output could be fine, and you could read 14+V at the alternator, but all that 14+ V may not be getting delivered.

Quick check, find the Reg/Bridge tap it so see if it is REALLY hot (just tap it or it'll burn you! If it seems good and hot, go down to your local CompUSA or other computer store, and buy one of those Cans of air. Now be carefull, hold the can upside down (against what the directions tell you to do) and spray that liquid on the reg. If you start to see condensation, slow down the spray, have a freind see if the gauges come on. I used to do this in Computer tech shops all the time to diagnose *Near* death processors, freeze 'em while they boot, if it corrects the Windows Protection Error, you get yourself a frying processor. The reg will work the same way. If it is *Near* death, this will cause it to function properly for a short period of time.



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Corry Lazarowitz
clazarow@voicenet.com
clazarowitz@hotmail.com
SLP 1 3/4" headers, 3" cat back (stock cat )MSD ignition. MSD Blaster SS coil. More soon when funds are avail...