'59 Plymouth Forum

Probably simple for someone to answer.

My "amp" light is on in my 59 SF. Just got it started for the first time the other day and am fixing all the electrical "gremlins" and tell you , there was/is a lot.

I tested the generator and it's only putting out 6.3 volts....I think they are suppose to be around 13.5?...or so...if someone can chime in and let me know for sure.

Thanks.< Guy

With a fully charged battery and no electrical loads on, the charging system should produce 13.5-14.5 volts. The voltage regulator may also be the culprit.

Curious though, how does your car keep running with that low of a voltage?

---John

Hey john....well, the battery keeps dying....so I was charging it up, letting it run, and then when trying to restart, would drag and eventually not start...I tested the generator twice at 6.5 volts and the regulator is new...so probably good guess that it's the generator., but will test the volt. Reg. to make sure.

Guyman - Did you polarize the Regulator.
Dick.

My generator was toast...so it should be rebuilt and back to me tomorrow...only $75 to rebuild it....cheap cheap.

On the regulator question....how do you polarize a regulator?

Guyman - I'm not exactly sure how its done but I know it has to be done. A short piece of wire with bare ends is needed to touch two of the terminals on the regulator after the wire are on it. I'm not sure which ones, I always have to ask someone which two. You hold the wire on one and scrape the wire over the other to produce a spark and it's done. Maybe someone like John Fowlie can help out. I would wait until you have the generator in before you do it. You can probable google it to find out how.
Dick.

Thanks., there are vidoes up on you tube for general generators so that will work., basically just have to go from the battery feed that goes into the regulator to the field wire that is connected to the generator...use a jumber wire., connect one side to the battery feed wire on the voltage regulator, the other end just need to "tap" a few time to the field wire that goes to the generator.

You are suppose to do this EVERYTIME you disconnect the battery...who knew?...I have been disconnecting and reconnecting the battery a ton of time to test electrical issues...so I may have fried either the gen. or the volt reg.

Will polorize it for now on...when I get my gen. back today., hopefully everything is good when I polorize and start it up and I didn't fry my volt. reg. too.....My gen. had bad brushes and some more wrong., so wasn't making full contact and making voltage.

Thanks.., Guy

Got my generator rebuilt and put on today.

I polarized the generator at the voltage regulator.
I tested the generator directly to the battery and did a field test a few times...and it works perfect.

Doing some more testing with the voltage output and here is what I got:
With car off, tested volts at charged battery and got 13 volts
With the car at idle, with a volt meter on poss and neg. battery terminals, I got 12.6 volts constant.
With my lights on at idle, got 12.4 volts constant for three or so minutes.
Turned car off, battery then at 12.7,then 12.8 after a minute or so...and stayed constant at 12.8 volts for five minutes, then up to 12.9.

My amp light is constantly on during this whole process from when I start the car till I turn it off. So not sure what is up with that unless the volts should be higher like in the 13.6 range ?

Chime in and diagnose if you got any answers...thanks, Guy

So is the system working properly?..or do I need a new regulator?

Guyman - I bought a amp meter at walmart that you plug into the cigarette lighter and it gives you the generator amp output all the time. I'll start off at 12.5 to 13.6 and as the battery charges it reads 14.0 to 14.4 at speed.
Dick.