Smoking voltage regulator need help ASAP

[BlueB302 10]

I have the book, but thanks anyway!:cool2:

 

 

 

Exactly what happened to me, but I noticed it within probably 30 seconds of it happening (I constantly check gauges especially when the car comes out of storage) and when I saw it I pulled over and just unplugged the alternator. I ran the car home off the battery as to not toast anything further. But I hooked up another regulator and then it toasted that one too.

 

 

 

This alternator only has 5k miles on it, if it's bad I'm going to be pissed, it was pretty expensive. It's a 100 amp alternator though, could that be my issue? My repo chinese regulator worked fine for 5k miles, then I redid the wiring in the car and now it's toasting regulators.

 

 

 

No problem, any help is really appreciated. The poor girl has been off the road for 2 years and has some hope of seeing asphalt this summer, but not if I can't get this fixed:thumbdown:

 

What type of alternator Factory GEN1 with high output mod or is it a gen 3 latemodel conversion as they are typically 1 wire alternators and require a dummy wire kit that bypasses the factory regulator but looks stock. I have this setup on my 67 which also has the battery in the trunk. If it is a 1 wire type alternator then you are trying to regulate the current with 2 regulator and it wont work it will back feed thru the stock regulator and smoke it . Don't ask how I know this. I got the solution from PA performance in Boyertown Pa. have not had any problmes since and have over 120 amps available for electric fans fuel pumps and anything else I will ever need.

Tom

[1BAD351 21]

What type of alternator Factory GEN1 with high output mod or is it a gen 3 latemodel conversion as they are typically 1 wire alternators and require a dummy wire kit that bypasses the factory regulator but looks stock. I have this setup on my 67 which also has the battery in the trunk. If it is a 1 wire type alternator then you are trying to regulate the current with 2 regulator and it wont work it will back feed thru the stock regulator and smoke it . Don't ask how I know this. I got the solution from PA performance in Boyertown Pa. have not had any problmes since and have over 120 amps available for electric fans fuel pumps and anything else I will ever need.

Tom

 

I have 3 or 4 wires going to it. I ran this setup for 5-10k miles and haven't had issues until I rewired everything.

[1BAD351 21]

What type of alternator Factory GEN1 with high output mod or is it a gen 3 latemodel conversion as they are typically 1 wire alternators and require a dummy wire kit that bypasses the factory regulator but looks stock. I have this setup on my 67 which also has the battery in the trunk. If it is a 1 wire type alternator then you are trying to regulate the current with 2 regulator and it wont work it will back feed thru the stock regulator and smoke it . Don't ask how I know this. I got the solution from PA performance in Boyertown Pa. have not had any problmes since and have over 120 amps available for electric fans fuel pumps and anything else I will ever need.

Tom

 

I have 3 or 4 wires going to it. I ran this setup for 5-10k miles and haven't had issues until I rewired everything.

[Fordrevhead 29]

What type of alternator Factory GEN1 with high output mod or is it a gen 3 latemodel conversion as they are typically 1 wire alternators and require a dummy wire kit that bypasses the factory regulator but looks stock. I have this setup on my 67 which also has the battery in the trunk. If it is a 1 wire type alternator then you are trying to regulate the current with 2 regulator and it wont work it will back feed thru the stock regulator and smoke it . Don't ask how I know this. I got the solution from PA performance in Boyertown Pa. have not had any problmes since and have over 120 amps available for electric fans fuel pumps and anything else I will ever need.

Tom

 

Good point... Depends on harness intent... Should have reg and alt to match harness. I will be going through something similar soon converting a generator to alt on a 64.5.

[Fordrevhead 29]

What type of alternator Factory GEN1 with high output mod or is it a gen 3 latemodel conversion as they are typically 1 wire alternators and require a dummy wire kit that bypasses the factory regulator but looks stock. I have this setup on my 67 which also has the battery in the trunk. If it is a 1 wire type alternator then you are trying to regulate the current with 2 regulator and it wont work it will back feed thru the stock regulator and smoke it . Don't ask how I know this. I got the solution from PA performance in Boyertown Pa. have not had any problmes since and have over 120 amps available for electric fans fuel pumps and anything else I will ever need.

Tom

 

Good point... Depends on harness intent... Should have reg and alt to match harness. I will be going through something similar soon converting a generator to alt on a 64.5.

[1BAD351 21]

Good point... Depends on harness intent... Should have reg and alt to match harness. I will be going through something similar soon converting a generator to alt on a 64.5.

 

I bought a direct replacement harness to what I had. Everything was exactly the same as far as plugging everything in. Now the wires being crossed from the chinese factory or me doing something stupid is not out of the question haha.

[1BAD351 21]

Good point... Depends on harness intent... Should have reg and alt to match harness. I will be going through something similar soon converting a generator to alt on a 64.5.

 

I bought a direct replacement harness to what I had. Everything was exactly the same as far as plugging everything in. Now the wires being crossed from the chinese factory or me doing something stupid is not out of the question haha.

[1BAD351 21]

Ok I think I figured out why I am having this problem now (sort of), and wasn't before.

 

Here's the reference thread if anyone remembers it:

 

http://www.1969stang.com/mustang/forum/showthread.php?t=9047

 

 

I had a shop fix the car and they took the green/red stripe wire and connected it to the ignition coil to get everything working. Everyone here said that was a bad idea so I didn't put that back on with my new wiring. Now guess what, that wire is GROUNDED!!!

 

So there is a dead short in that wire somewhere under my dash. With the wiring all new and lets say the same issue before and after new wiring, what could this be? Does this wire run through my instrument cluster? Meaning my printed circuit board is toast, or possibly the gauge is fried and shorted out? Because my alternator gauge on my factory cluster doesn't work.

 

I checked out the wiring diagram and it doesn't say, but maybe that was something left out for some reason on the one I was looking at and it actually does run through there?

[1BAD351 21]

Ok I think I figured out why I am having this problem now (sort of), and wasn't before.

 

Here's the reference thread if anyone remembers it:

 

http://www.1969stang.com/mustang/forum/showthread.php?t=9047

 

 

I had a shop fix the car and they took the green/red stripe wire and connected it to the ignition coil to get everything working. Everyone here said that was a bad idea so I didn't put that back on with my new wiring. Now guess what, that wire is GROUNDED!!!

 

So there is a dead short in that wire somewhere under my dash. With the wiring all new and lets say the same issue before and after new wiring, what could this be? Does this wire run through my instrument cluster? Meaning my printed circuit board is toast, or possibly the gauge is fried and shorted out? Because my alternator gauge on my factory cluster doesn't work.

 

I checked out the wiring diagram and it doesn't say, but maybe that was something left out for some reason on the one I was looking at and it actually does run through there?

[Fordrevhead 29]

Check your chassis to battery ground, engine to battery ground and then regulator to battery ground. If the regulator isnt grounded, and even worse if the alternator is also searching for ground, a regulator will fry instantly as you indicate. Other than that you'll have to retrace everthing. 2nd idea would be a short to ground in the harness.

 

 

I think you're on the right track!

[Fordrevhead 29]

Check your chassis to battery ground, engine to battery ground and then regulator to battery ground. If the regulator isnt grounded, and even worse if the alternator is also searching for ground, a regulator will fry instantly as you indicate. Other than that you'll have to retrace everthing. 2nd idea would be a short to ground in the harness.

 

 

I think you're on the right track!

[1BAD351 21]

Yeah but with everything new, and the same problem as with the old wiring, what can this be? I know it's inside the dash, because the old harness had the dash bypassed to make it work.

[1BAD351 21]

Yeah but with everything new, and the same problem as with the old wiring, what can this be? I know it's inside the dash, because the old harness had the dash bypassed to make it work.

[Fordrevhead 29]

Pull out the gauge cluster and unplug it then see what happens.

[Fordrevhead 29]

Pull out the gauge cluster and unplug it then see what happens.

[PaleRider 12]

Convert to 1 wire alternator internally regulated - easy and cleaner setup.

[PaleRider 12]

Convert to 1 wire alternator internally regulated - easy and cleaner setup.

[1BAD351 21]

Convert to 1 wire alternator internally regulated - easy and cleaner setup.

 

No need to spend the money, plus I would like to fix what's actually wrong with the car.

[1BAD351 21]

Convert to 1 wire alternator internally regulated - easy and cleaner setup.

 

No need to spend the money, plus I would like to fix what's actually wrong with the car.

[1BAD351 21]

No one knows how this wire is run or why this may be grounded with both new and old harnesses? :(

[Grabber70Mach 107]

Might want to ask this person.

 

http://midlife66.com/harnesses/welcome.html

[1BAD351 21]

Might want to ask this person.

 

http://midlife66.com/harnesses/welcome.html

 

 

Just asked. I hope I get something, I'm about to throw in the towel and just throw this thing back in storage again. It's been over 2 years and all this car does is sit, it's one problem after another every time I try to drive it.

[Lemon Owner 11]

I know what you mean, one thing after another. But you do learn to work through them and the car and your experience gets a little better every day.

 

Have you tried to follow it back through the wiring harness with a multimeter like others have said to see where the short is? Disconnecting things along the way to isolate the problem? Electrical problems are like this, annoying, but once you figure it out and start driving again all your troubles will be gone. :wub:

[1BAD351 21]

I know what you mean, one thing after another. But you do learn to work through them and the car and your experience gets a little better every day.

 

Have you tried to follow it back through the wiring harness with a multimeter like others have said to see where the short is? Disconnecting things along the way to isolate the problem? Electrical problems are like this, annoying, but once you figure it out and start driving again all your troubles will be gone. :wub:

 

Well along with replacing the wiring, I found literally 4 other major problems with my car, so it wont go away haha. Cracked shock tower, destroyed outer tie rod (rest of the suspension is thrashed too so it all has to go) some rotted to hell 40+ year old rubber brakes lines (lucky I didn't die) and a leaking rear end seal. But yes I pretty much know it's under the dash somewhere. I'm going to pull the cluster when I get some time and go from there. Thanks for all the help guys I'll keep you posted.

[1BAD351 21]

Ok I traced the ground problem to the brake pressure sensor. My shuttle is probably seized and it's tripping the sensor. But someone correct me if I'm wrong, this shouldn't cause anything to fry... because if there was a brake problem I'm sure ford wouldn't want it burning up the regulator.

 

that being said, the problem has to be coming from a source where there is power. I traced my wires for hours and came to the conclusion that maybe my alternator gauge is shorted and frying some stuff up. There are a multitude of things that are on that powered circuit, but I's hard to trace.

 

So does anyone know what has power when the key is off? It ha to be one of those constant hot wires that is causing my issue.

 

 

Just posted this thread btw:

 

http://www.1969stang.com/mustang/forum/showthread.php?t=10427