Built a 29 dodge 4 door, used a 73 dodge 360 and 727 in it with the Chrysler charging system just like it came out of the motorhome it was in. Parked all winter, flashed it up and the lights and voltmeter pulse like mad, it was a minor problem last year but manageable. The voltage regulator is a solid state unit, what I want to know is how to fix this problem. It seems to be fairly common on dodge car websites, I wired the car year before last, the charging system works fine except for this pulsing thing. And yes, that's my ugly face.
Be sure you have a good ground for the regulator. Over the years, I've learned to add a ground wire to every Mopar electrical component. The self tapping screws that hold the component onto sheet metal can deteriorate pretty quickly, painted components and mounting surfaces don't help either. Gene
Got a ten gauge ground on the regulator to the body, and a ten gauge ground on the alternator to the block, ten gauge block to battery via the frame, everything grounded. I should add that this is regulator number three, thanks Gene.
After checking all the normal stuff (connections, grounds and such), and seeing as how you've already had multiple regulators on the car, try a different battery. I've run into this a couple of times in the past where a battery that seems OK otherwise will cause the voltage to pulse like that.
Have you checked the brushes in the alternator? If they are hanging up in the brush holder or almost warn out it may pulse like that.
Have you tried taking out the voltmeter? How much voltage pulsing is there? is it going from 11v to 16v and back? or 13v to 14v? or what?
Alternator one season use, squirrel, the voltmeter reads 14.5, but pulses enough to show in the lights. It's almost like a tic in a person, when it's charging heavily, it's good, but when it's reached a float position the voltmeter shows a steady tic, like I said, everything new. I could just change it out to a gm 10 si, but that doesn't give me an understanding of why this is happening. The regulator is solid state, so, not controlled by mechanical means, shouldn't happen. It's almost like the battery is being overcharged, but it isn't, other than this pulse, everything normal. I'm lost.
Which lights are pulsing? The headlights, or the dash lights? or both? What kind of gauges do you have in the car?
All the lights, you can see the headlights pulse, it has year old autometer gauges, It could be the regulator, or the battery could be at fault, battery reads 14.5 running and 12.5 sitting no ignition on. I'm sure it has nothing to do with how it's wired, I've read a bunch on dodge truck forums and it seems to be a common problem that's mostly ignored. The alternator was replaced, a diode went bad and it kept killing the battery, but the battery wasn't replaced, after sitting outside in minus temps for three months, the battery had enough life to crank the car over but it required a boost to start it. I'm leaning to the battery, although, since the car has been on the road, it seems fine, never lags, car starts right up after sitting for days in 30-50 degree temps.
If the diode is bad, the "pulse" will be fast and regular. if it's the regulator, or something loose, it will probably be irregular, and slower.
i've owned 3 old diesel dodge trucks, they all pulsed at idle enough that you could see it on the garage wall with the head lights on. worked fine, and i kinda liked it. it was easy to see that it was charging
Do you have a ground from the engine to the body? With body isolators and engine mounts a good ideal is to add a braided ground strap from the engine to the body and batt negative directly to the engine.
I bought a regulator from AZ... Echlin. It didn't work. They sent another one to my shop... No workie. The parts guy checked them both on their tester... Dead. He check the other 4 they had in stock... All dead. I had OR send a Borg Warner... Worked perfect. Be cautious on the brand you use.
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