Charging question

[66furywagon]

On my 66 fury wagon
Its not charging.
The gauge reads discharge .
I am still working on the car undoing cobbeled up stuff.
The battery is good .
The alt is good .
I drove it yesterday for the first time.
And the battery was drained when i got home.

 

[stubs300]

How do you know the Alt. is good, have you had it tested? Check your wiring and your Regulator. Check rusty connections, etc.
Read, refresh, and learn. Good Luck
charging system overview
Imperial and Chrysler Electrical System Repair Information

 

[66furywagon]

How do you know the Alt. is good, have you had it tested? Check your wiring and your Regulator. Check rusty connections, etc.
Read, refresh, and learn. Good Luck
charging system overview
Imperial and Chrysler Electrical System Repair Information

Took battery and alt and had them tested both tested good

 

[BLUPORT]

Sounds like the cable from the alternator isn't connected.

 

[Triple Pickle]

Voltage regulator?

 

[Davea Lux]

Disconnect the wire from field terminal on the alternator and run a lead from the positive terminal on the battery to the alternator field terminal. Does the amp gauge show a charge? If so you either have a bad regulator (common) or a wiring issue from the regulator to the alternator or a wiring issue from the ignition switch to the regulator. You will often find that the bulk head connector on these cars is corroded to where you do not have a completed circuit from the ignition. The regulator also requires a good ground to operate.

Dave

 

[413]

Disconnect the field wire from the alternator and run a lead from the positive terminal on the battery to the alternator field wire. Does the amp gauge show a charge? If so you either have a bad regulator (common) or a wiring issue from the regulator to the alternator or a wiring issue from the ignition switch to the regulator. You will often find that the bulk head connector on these cars is corroded to where you do not have a completed circuit from the ignition. The regulator also requires a good ground to operate.

Dave

You don’t connect the jumper wire to the field wire, you connect it to the field terminal on the back of the alternator. When you do this have a helper in the car watching the gauge. Connect the wire for a few seconds. Don’t connect the word and leave it like that, you might not have a good alternator any longer.

 

[Davea Lux]

You don’t connect the jumper wire to the field wire, you connect it to the field terminal on the back of the alternator. When you do this have a helper in the car watching the gauge. Connect the wire for a few seconds. Don’t connect the word and leave it like that, you might not have a good alternator any longer.

That is correct, the field terminal, should have been more clear. Edited post to make it so.

Dave

 

[Davea Lux]

Also correct, you can smoke the alternator field with wire left connected, especially with the engine off. Be sure to use this as an alternator test not for continued use.

Dave

 

[CBODY67]

The bulkhead connector is a forgotten-about connection that must be "in play" for the circuits (under hood to car interior, and back) to work right.

Was the "good" alternator just producing voltage and amps, OR was in-spec for the rated output? Similar with the battery, did it still have voltage and amps, with all cells working, OR did it test within spec for its size/capacity? Key things. "Good" isn't always as good as it needs to be, sometimes.

CBODY67

 

[Davea Lux]

On my 66 fury wagon
Its not charging.
The gauge reads discharge .
I am still working on the car undoing cobbeled up stuff.
The battery is good .
The alt is good .
I drove it yesterday for the first time.
And the battery was drained when i got home.

Another thing that sometimes happens.. The Bozos at Blottozone or similar low quality auto parts will supply the wrong alternator. Your '66 should have a single terminal on the back of it for the field connection. Check the alternator to be sure there is only one field connector. The '70 and later alternators have two leads, one is a hot lead to energize the alternator field, the other is supposed to go to ground. If the field is not grounded, the alternator will not charge. You can still use that type of alternator, you just need to connect one of the field terminals to the alternator case for a ground.

Dave

 

[66furywagon]

Ok i will double check these things.
Thanks so much for the help.
Is there any chance the gauge to be the problem.

 

[Davea Lux]

Ok i will double check these things.
Thanks so much for the help.
Is there any chance the gauge to be the problem.

These gauges were what is called full amperage units, all the power ran thru them and they were always "hot". If the needle on your gauge still works, the gauge has probably not failed 'yet'. You can cut the load to the gauge by running a second #10 wire from the battery terminal on the alternator to the battery lead on the starter solenoid. The will bypass about one half the amperage from the amp gauge so that it does not over heat and fail. Overloaded amp gauges were a big problem on A/C equipped cars.

Dave

 

[Davea Lux]

If you are going to run the second lead from the alternator to the starter solenoid, it would be a good idea to also install a second, properly sized fusible link in that lead for added protection in case the new lead were to ever short out.

Dave

 

[413]

On my 66 fury wagon
The battery is good .
The alt is good .
I drove it yesterday for the first time.
And the battery was drained when i got home.

Your last sentence tells us you have a charging problem
The gauge sounds like it is acting normal.

 

[66furywagon]

These gauges were what is called full amperage units, all the power ran thru them and they were always "hot". If the needle on your gauge still works, the gauge has probably not failed 'yet'. You can cut the load to the gauge by running a second #10 wire from the battery terminal on the alternator to the battery lead on the starter solenoid. The will bypass about one half the amperage from the amp gauge so that it does not over heat and fail. Overloaded amp gauges were a big problem on A/C equipped cars.

Dave

 

[66furywagon]

Ok so i run a wire from the pos side of battery and to the field term on the alt.
The gauge never moved.

 

[Davea Lux]

Ok so i run a wire from the pos side of battery and to the field term on the alt.
The gauge never moved.

You have an open connection between the alternator and the battery, or the unit is not charging. Try running a lead from the hot lead on the alternator to the positive battery cable (disconnect the lead currently on the alternator) Reattach the lead to the alternator field and check the battery with a voltmeter, you should be reading about 13v if the unit is charging if you get 12.6 or less the alternator is shot.

Dave

 

[66furywagon]

You have an open connection between the alternator and the battery, or the unit is not charging. Try running a lead from the hot lead on the alternator to the positive battery cable (disconnect the lead currently on the alternator) Reattach the lead to the alternator field and check the battery with a voltmeter, you should be reading about 13v if the unit is charging if you get 12.6 or less the alternator is shot.

Dave

 

[Davea Lux]

Also, does you amp gauge move when a load is applied, such as turning on the lights? If the gauge does not move at all, it may have bit the dust and could be the cause of the open circuit in the charging system. Gauge failures were fairly common on these cars.

Dave