Battery Not Charging

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Buckeye440

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As the title states my battery isn't charging at all. Have had both the battery, which is only 8 months old, and the alternator tested numerous places all saying they're both fine. Had the voltage regulator tested and replaced, and STILL not charging. Any ideas??
 
Please read the bottom of my post. And answer the question:

"What the hell" are we workin on here? Of course it matters.

Year make, model. And do you have factory wiring? and do you have a factory charging system, or a Delco / Denso, etc
 
70 Dart, 440 obviously non-original, not factory wiring. Have checked battery ground, alternator, alternator belt slippage, voltage regulator, battery, all good. Have used multimeter to check voltage at the battery in the trunk when sitting and it's roughly 12.7. Started the car and it remained the same or dropped slightly.
 
Buckeye440 said:
70 Dart, 440 obviously non-original, not factory wiring. .
Click to expand...

OK, thanks you answered part of the question. What are you running for an alternator and regulator, and did it ever work, or is this a new build?

Also, non-factory wiring makes things difficult, how are we to realize how it is wired?

Your voltage measurements show only that it is not charging.


So once again is this a Mopar alternator or what? What regulator? you run the flat 70/ later or something else?

We cannot help you do anything except drink beer until we know what you are dealing with.
 
Post a photo of your alternator and voltage regulator. There were 2 types of both. You can mix & match a later alternator with an earlier Vreg/wiring (with simple mod), but not vice-versa. Some mixes give "no charging", some give "full-field output" and some give "smoked field wires & fried Vreg".
 
You mean, like the first Hyundai Ponies and some Mazda 323s. They had to be reved up a little to get the relay to kick in,and then it would charge at idle. It was just so the alt was shut off, right at cranking, and just til the first time it reved up.
No Mopars aren't that sophisticated.
But then,as yet, we don't have a clue what's on there, or how it's wired..... So... I'll have a Bud please.I mean it's five o'clock somewhere, right?
 
AJ/FormS said:
You mean, like the first Hyundai Ponies and some Mazda 323s. They had to be reved up a little to get the relay to kick in,and then it would charge at idle. It was just so the alt was shut off, right at cranking, and just til the first time it reved up.
No Mopars aren't that sophisticated.
But then,as yet, we don't have a clue what's on there, or how it's wired..... So... I'll have a Bud please.I mean it's five o'clock somewhere, right?
Click to expand...

Is it 16:20 hrs. military time? :D
 
Well there certainly is a "kick in" RPM, that is whatever RPM the alternator is able to overcome battery voltage. Until we know what the OP has, "it's only a guess"
 
This car was purchased with all these parts and unfortunately I don't know much of part specifics. Alternator and voltage regulator below. Alternator no idea where it's from, regulator from Napa.
 

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!!GREAT!! That is the 70/ later Chrysler built system. Here's the basic diagram:

Dual_Field_Alternator_Wiring.jpg


Follow along from the top of the ballast resistor. That is switched 12V "ignition run" supplied by the ignition switch.

It feeds off to one field connection "BLUE"

It also feeds to the center "IGN" terminal of the VR

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The green wire on your alternator only goes one place.........from the remaining field terminal back up to the VR

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The VR MUST be grounded. I would remove, scrape around the bolt holes, and remount. "Work" the VR connector in/ out several times, inspect inside for corrosion, and feel for tightness.

You can...........turn the key on in subdued lighting. Remove the easiest to reach field wire from the alternator and touch / unhook it from the field terminal more than once if needed, see if you can see or hear a spark each time.

(In your photo that appears to be the green wire)

If so, take our meter, key on, and measure voltage at the two. The blue should measure "same as battery" and the green should measure quite low, perhaps 1 volt. If the green measures "same as battery" or zero, either one. Something is wrong.

Disconnect the green. Connect an alligator clip lead to that exposed alternator terminal, and to ground. Recheck the blue, should be "same as battery" Disconnect / reconnect your clip lead, listen, look for a small spark.

Start and run, slowly bring up RPM and look for a charge. If it charges, alternator is LIKELY OK. If not

Move your multimeter to the alternator large output stud. Again bring up RPM. IF voltage goes quite high--16--18 volts and yet shows no increase at the battery, you have a problem in the output circuit

If voltage stays down below 13V 'same as battery' the alternator is NOT charging

===========================================

If the test above showed a charge, now determine if the VR wiring is OK. Reconnect wiring "normal." This time, remove the BLUE wire at the alternator and ground that field terminal.

Now remove the VR connector and (using screws, etc) figure a way to jumper across the two VR terminals. You can also make the test while handholding a piece of wire in there

Again run the engine, monitoring battery voltage. Jumper the VR connector terminals, bring up RPM some and see if it charges.

If not, replace the alternator. DEMAND the parts jock gives you one with a "squareback" diode setup like you have now. Do NOT accept the older "roundback"

============================================

If the last test above ALSO shows charge, confirm that the VR is grounded. If it is, replace the VR

=============================================

Also drop by MyMopar which is where the diagram came from above. You can download free shop manuals for some years (some of which came from the guys here at FABO) as well as other information. No, LOL, I do not work there

http://www.mymopar.com/index.php?pid=31
 
Well then... Looks like I have some investigating to do haha Will touch base once I've tried all these possible solutions. Here's hoping I find the right needle in the haystack!
 
Don't overthink. I'm trying to cover "possibilities." I tend to divide things into sections in no particular order

1...Parts bad IE the alternator and regulator While it's difficult to test the regulator, you can test the alternator on the car, and eliminate or confirm

2....The output wiring, that is the black output wire, goes through the bulkhead, through the ammeter, back out the bulkhead, to the battery. You need to confirm that is OK, part of which is done above

3....The field wireing, the blue, green going from the ignition switch and from the VR

Basically you are feeding full 12V through the field (the two small connectors) in these tests. This SHOULD cause the alternator to go "full output" depending on RPM, and "if it works."

One last thing I forgot........make sure the belt is tight!!!
 
Is it just me or in the alt pic is that blue wire with the yellow crimp on terminal on the "batt" output stud WAY undersized. I'd think a person would want a 1/0 at least for a trunk batt app..
 
That's a 78 and later alternator, it's good for close to 80 amps. The output wire is way too small for any alternator. I would start with grounding the voltage regulator. It looks like it isn't even touching the firewall. There's a screw head stuck under the lower left corner.
 
The voltage regulator picture was taken when I was trying a few "fixes" so it wasn't completely mounted for the picture but it is touching the firewall normally. And the screw head under the bottom left as well as the bolt in the top left that's holding that side of the regulator is where the wiper motor used to be. Again, this was all done by a previous owner.
 
In post #14, take a look at the VR. Notice the little black arrow on the bottom left corner. That arrow is a symbol thats used to indicate a ground circuit back to the battery.Notice at the battery, the same symbol appears. If the VR is not grounded back to the battery, the charge system CANNOT work! This means the VR needs to be more than touching the body, and more than bolted on. The back of the VR, where it is bolted on has to be bare,shiney, metal AND the place where it touches the body has also to be bare shiney metal, AND somewhere the body needs to be grounded back to the battery; also with bare, unpainted, shiney surfaces.
But I think you already knew that.
 
skykeith said:
That's a 78 and later alternator, it's good for close to 80 amps. .
Click to expand...

Explain to me how you reached that conclusion? What I'm saying is, how did you "just look" at that alternator and "know" that it's 80A?
 
80 amps x 13.5 volts = 1080 watts. That would be a whopping pile of watts!
Hey, Do you know how many headlights I could run off that? I'll guess, after the ignition system, and assuming the bulbs are 65 watt Halogens, oh maybe , 15! Yeah, 15 Halogens . That outta be as bright as the sun!

Point is; for a guy that hasn't even got(nor want one) a working radio/stereo/whatever, in the dash(me), what would I do with the extra 60 or 70 watts. Guess the VR will have it's work "cut-out" for it,Heehee..... Sorry, I couldn't help myself.
 
67Dart273 said:
Explain to me how you reached that conclusion? What I'm saying is, how did you "just look" at that alternator and "know" that it's 80A?
Click to expand...
I'm an absolute genius. I can look at alternators and tell the output. Actually, I've worked part time at a friends alternator shop for forty years. Look at the pictures of these cases. Mopar changed to a heavier casting with thicker cooling fins, added ground lug, and beefed up bearing support. Also look at the gap between the case halves in his picture. It has a 1/4 inch gap and the older ones had about a 1/2 inch. I don't know for sure what the claimed rating was, but I've been told it was 73 amps. We've run them on a "real" tester with a load bank and seen close to 80 amps. The testers in the auto parts stores aren't capable of testing one under load. It takes a tester with a 5 horse motor to really load test one.
 

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