Charging Problems on 68 Barracuda

-
68Darthawaii

68Darthawaii

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 16, 2006
Messages
292
Reaction score
5
Location
Waianae, Hawaii
I just got my 68 Barracuda Notchback with LA360 two weeks ago and there is a charging problem. First day I got it, battery died. Replaced it and about a week later, got stuck at the gas station. Found out car is not charging properly. It had a cracked ballast resistor, replaced it, still not charging. Car has been in the shop for the whole week. My mechanic checked the alternator which is still good, new MSD blaster 2 coil, and new Mopar ECU Orange box. Still a draw on the charging system. Previous owner converted to electronic ignition, and voltage regulator is the black electromechanical unit. When you convert to electronic ignition, are you suppose to use an electronic voltage regulator????? Can anyone please help me out??? This is getting very frustrating!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks in advance!!!
 
It should not take a decent mechanic a freekin' week to troubleshoot a Mopar charging system. It shouldn't take him, in fact, over an hour.

Learn to fix it yourself. You can download "alternative" electrical diagrams at "Mymopar":

http://www.mymopar.com/index.php?pid=31

http://www.mymopar.com/downloads/1968/68BarracudaA.jpg

http://www.mymopar.com/downloads/1968/68BarracudaB.jpg

Or download a free Mopar shop manual right here:

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=132309&highlight=manual,+download

Get a meter and a test light. No excuses, either. Today, you can buy a good digital meter for 20-25 bucks. Hell, "back in the day" there WAS NO SUCH THING. We used Jap and Chineseo imported meters, and (gag) Radio Shack.

Either that, or we paid a LOT of money for a US built meter. Google "Simpson 260."

First, key in "run" engine off, measure the voltage at the ignition supply "dark blue." This is what hooks to the "key" side of your ballast, resistor, AND ALSO supplies the regulator IGN terminal.

On the old style regulator, this is the "push on" connector.

DO SO by putting one probe on the battery POSITIVE post, the other probe on the IGN supply at the ballast. You are measuring voltage drop, the less the better. Anything over 1/2 volt means you have a LOT of drop from the battery, into the ign switch, and back out through the bulkhead to the "dark blue" IGN supply line.

If this voltage is less than 1/2 volt drop, OK for now.

Now get a clip lead, go down to the alternator, and pull off the green "push on" connector. Take your clip lead and hook to the exposed alternator terminal, and hook the other to the big output stud. A small spark should occur when you do so.

Start the engine, watching the ammeter, and bring up RPM. The ammeter should come right up, and the faster you run the engine the more it should charge. Don't go nuts here.

If this is not so, take your meter and with the clip lead still attached, measure the voltage to ground at the alternator output stud. If this is very high when running the engine very fast, go to the battery and see if that voltage is also high.

If the two are vastly different, you have a problem in the "charging line" from the alternator, in through the bulkhead and the ammeter circuit, and back out through the bulkhead to the battery.

If this voltage is LOW, no higher than the battery or less, remove the clip lead from the big stud, and "rig" the clip lead over to the battery and recheck the output voltage. If it is now high at the stud but low at the battery, this confirms a problem in the charging lead. (Alternator was not "self exciting")

Now, if this clip lead test DID CAUSE a big charge rate, you have a problem, either with the regulator, or the regulator wiring.

Hook the field lead back up to the "push on" terminal at the alternator. Remove the regulator, if necessary, to get at the connections, but remove both wires from the regulator. Clip lead them together, and test again for charge. If the thing charges, then replace the regulator.

Oh, yeah, and fire your mechanic
 
67Dart273 said:
It should not take a decent mechanic a freekin' week to troubleshoot a Mopar charging system. It shouldn't take him, in fact, over an hour.

Learn to fix it yourself. You can download "alternative" electrical diagrams at "Mymopar":

http://www.mymopar.com/index.php?pid=31

http://www.mymopar.com/downloads/1968/68BarracudaA.jpg

http://www.mymopar.com/downloads/1968/68BarracudaB.jpg

Or download a free Mopar shop manual right here:

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=132309&highlight=manual,+download

Get a meter and a test light. No excuses, either. Today, you can buy a good digital meter for 20-25 bucks. Hell, "back in the day" there WAS NO SUCH THING. We used Jap and Chineseo imported meters, and (gag) Radio Shack.

Either that, or we paid a LOT of money for a US built meter. Google "Simpson 260."

First, key in "run" engine off, measure the voltage at the ignition supply "dark blue." This is what hooks to the "key" side of your ballast, resistor, AND ALSO supplies the regulator IGN terminal.

On the old style regulator, this is the "push on" connector.

DO SO by putting one probe on the battery POSITIVE post, the other probe on the IGN supply at the ballast. You are measuring voltage drop, the less the better. Anything over 1/2 volt means you have a LOT of drop from the battery, into the ign switch, and back out through the bulkhead to the "dark blue" IGN supply line.

If this voltage is less than 1/2 volt drop, OK for now.

Now get a clip lead, go down to the alternator, and pull off the green "push on" connector. Take your clip lead and hook to the exposed alternator terminal, and hook the other to the big output stud. A small spark should occur when you do so.

Start the engine, watching the ammeter, and bring up RPM. The ammeter should come right up, and the faster you run the engine the more it should charge. Don't go nuts here.

If this is not so, take your meter and with the clip lead still attached, measure the voltage to ground at the alternator output stud. If this is very high when running the engine very fast, go to the battery and see if that voltage is also high.

If the two are vastly different, you have a problem in the "charging line" from the alternator, in through the bulkhead and the ammeter circuit, and back out through the bulkhead to the battery.

If this voltage is LOW, no higher than the battery or less, remove the clip lead from the big stud, and "rig" the clip lead over to the battery and recheck the output voltage. If it is now high at the stud but low at the battery, this confirms a problem in the charging lead. (Alternator was not "self exciting")

Now, if this clip lead test DID CAUSE a big charge rate, you have a problem, either with the regulator, or the regulator wiring.

Hook the field lead back up to the "push on" terminal at the alternator. Remove the regulator, if necessary, to get at the connections, but remove both wires from the regulator. Clip lead them together, and test again for charge. If the thing charges, then replace the regulator.

Oh, yeah, and fire your mechanic
Click to expand...


Hey man!! I really, really appreciate the tip!!!! I will do it!!!!! Thank you!!!
 
cudajim said:
I used to have a Simpson 260. Now I have 2 digital Fluke meters and one old cherished VTVM.
Click to expand...

I don't like Simpsons for 12V work. Seems to me the only scale they have is 0-50V in that range.

I can't remember the nomenclature, we had a meter in the Navy, "buckled together" with the case, was much better thought out for troubleshooting.

First digital meter I ever used was a rack mount special field change for the GCA to set glide slope and courseline curser levels. The old meter was a fancy huge mirrored scale monster. As I recall, it came out around '72


gcappi.jpg
 
Problem solved!!! Took out the electromechanical voltage regulator and converted to a electronic one. Followed the diagram from mymopar to properly install wiring etc... Made sure I have a 70 and up alternator, which it does have-whew!!! We have power!!!!! Previous owner who converted to electronic ignition still used the black elecromechanical VR. Mymopar states that when you convert to electronic ignition you would need to convert to a electronic VR. Thanks 67Dart273 for your advice and help!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top