Not Charging

[rugbyjon112]

Hello all,

For some reason my ‘69 Fury isn’t charging. I’ve replaced the voltage regulator and the alternator but still not working. The wire circled is VERY loose because the person that owned the car before me swapped out the circled bolt with a larger one. When I swapped out the regulator, it went back in very loose. The top bolt is pretty loose too so I can’t use that one either. When I disconnect the battery with the car running, it instantly dies so I know it’s something to do with the charging system. Any help/idea would be greatly appreciated. Also, if anyone can provide any pictures/diagrams of their system, I would appreciate it. Thank you in advance.

 

[SIPLOWGUY]

Try metric bolts. They will be slightly larger and that might be enough. Did you put a meter on it to confirm it is not charging? I know disconnecting the battery is an old trick. DON'T EVER DO THAT ON MODERN VEHICLES!

 

[SIPLOWGUY]

From Google:
Diagnosing a 1969 Plymouth charging system involves a systematic check: visually inspect the belt and cables, perform a battery voltage check (around 12.6V off, 13.5-14.5V running), then test the alternator by applying electrical loads (headlights, blower) to see if voltage stays above 13V; if voltage is low (no charge), test the voltage regulator and field circuit by momentarily jumping the field terminal to the battery positive to see if the alternator kicks in, confirming if the regulator or wiring is the issue.

 

[SIPLOWGUY]

 

[Big_John]

The wire circled is VERY loose because the person that owned the car before me swapped out the circled bolt with a larger one. When I swapped out the regulator, it went back in very loose. The top bolt is pretty loose too so I can’t use that one either.

I have no idea what the yellow wire is. I assume it's for something else unrelated. The regulator should be grounded to work properly and if the bolts are loose, it's not going to have a good ground. You're gonna have to fi that even if the problem turns out to be something else.

When I disconnect the battery with the car running, it instantly dies so I know it’s something to do with the charging system.

Not a good way to check and may do more harm than good.