MarkVIIIMarc
New member
What method did you use to see the spike?
Wtf?????????????????
- Thread starter tonybrooklyn
- Start date
tonybrooklyn
New member
You know i got the car to do it again the other afternoon.
The black out only lasted about ten seconds or so.
Today i am sitting there scratching my head.
Was gonna buy a gauge and hook it up.
But i thought suppose i disconnect the wires going to the regulator.
That pretty much is like have no alternator at all.
So i did it made a half dozen passes shifting at close to 6500 R.P.M.
Nothing no black out.
I plugged the alternator back in after charging the battery fully with a sears battery charger at the shop.
Took my just one try and boom there it is black out dash again.
Next step Voltmeter hooked up while making a pass stay tuned.
SCTBIRD1173
Mark my Bird!
Great to hear you found the issue Tony. I know these types of problems can definitely make you pull your hair out sometimes...
tonybrooklyn
New member
Put the old voltmeter on her last night.
Used one of these. http://www.amazon.com/DROK-Digital-..._3?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1463579078&sr=1-3
17.9 volts at between 6300- 6500 R.P.M them bam the lights went out.
tonybrooklyn
New member
You know i had my doubts when purchasing an alternator. That was modified to put out more amperage than stock.
The case is exactly the same size as the stock alternator. Lord knows we have very little clearance to the intake manifold.
But you know for most that would drive normally lol. This alternator is a nice up grade i think. Especially if one still has the air ride intact.
Guess i am going to call the company. As my guess is that is not a stock regulator.
The case is exactly the same size as the stock alternator. Lord knows we have very little clearance to the intake manifold.
But you know for most that would drive normally lol. This alternator is a nice up grade i think. Especially if one still has the air ride intact.
Guess i am going to call the company. As my guess is that is not a stock regulator.
1998MarkVIII
New member
Hi Tony,
Higher Amperage is not a problem. Electrical systems will not take more than they need.
The problem you are describing is a too high voltage. That would normally point to a faulty voltage regulator. I am too new to my M8 to know if this is a separate device or if it part of the alternator.
Y.
Higher Amperage is not a problem. Electrical systems will not take more than they need.
The problem you are describing is a too high voltage. That would normally point to a faulty voltage regulator. I am too new to my M8 to know if this is a separate device or if it part of the alternator.
Y.
MarkVIIIMarc
New member
Glad you got to the bottom of it.
Higher amperage output had little effect on the voltage regulator. Let us know what the manufacturer says. There is a chance it just has a bum voltage regulator.
I will preach for a moment, I can think of few hot rod items which have the long term 100,000 mile reliability of factory pieces. Perhaps it is how we treat them, perhaps that is why the factory limits this to that output, maybe its just the pressure of Ford's supplier having to live up to a Ford warranty.
Higher amperage output had little effect on the voltage regulator. Let us know what the manufacturer says. There is a chance it just has a bum voltage regulator.
I will preach for a moment, I can think of few hot rod items which have the long term 100,000 mile reliability of factory pieces. Perhaps it is how we treat them, perhaps that is why the factory limits this to that output, maybe its just the pressure of Ford's supplier having to live up to a Ford warranty.
tonybrooklyn
New member
An update on this i thought it was a D.B electrical product it is not. I had to search for the receipt. i found it it was purchased May 19th 2015 it has roughly 5,000 miles on it. It was purchased from eagle auto electric out in California. It is a modified 200 amp alternator with a one year guarantee. When i found the receipt i remembered i wanted the D.B unit but they where out of stock. I just contact them lets see what they do. Should have contacted them a month ago when this all started. Just out of warranty lets see how good a company they are.
Symptoms: The dash lights and other lights go out when the headlights come on.
Description of problem: The problem seems to start intermittently. When the headlights turn on the HVAC unit, System Information Display and the dash lights switch power sources to the voltage supplied by the dimmer unit. Normally the the HVAC and System info unit are powered by a 12v source until the lights are activated. The dimmer unit has a resistor that may be going bad.
I am not sure this what is happening with your car but I figured I would put it out there anyway
Description of problem: The problem seems to start intermittently. When the headlights turn on the HVAC unit, System Information Display and the dash lights switch power sources to the voltage supplied by the dimmer unit. Normally the the HVAC and System info unit are powered by a 12v source until the lights are activated. The dimmer unit has a resistor that may be going bad.
I am not sure this what is happening with your car but I figured I would put it out there anyway
Last edited:
tonybrooklyn
New member
tonybrooklyn
New member
Contacted Eagle Auto Electric two e-mails no response.
Called got the run around.
Should have waited for the D.B Electrical part.
On the bright side turns out a friend of a friend has a rebuilding shop.
He said you can bring it by be about $20.
I said i wouldn't feel right about him working on it for free.
As i know he sells the regulator for more than that.
So i went by his shop and bought the regulator for you guessed it 20 dollars.
Cheap lesson learned.
Gonna pop it in tomorrow i'll let you know how it goes.
Regards
Tony
Called got the run around.
Should have waited for the D.B Electrical part.
On the bright side turns out a friend of a friend has a rebuilding shop.
He said you can bring it by be about $20.
I said i wouldn't feel right about him working on it for free.
As i know he sells the regulator for more than that.
So i went by his shop and bought the regulator for you guessed it 20 dollars.
Cheap lesson learned.
Gonna pop it in tomorrow i'll let you know how it goes.
Regards
Tony
MarkVIIIMarc
New member
aw man, it is good to have friends. You seem properly appreciative, I'm sure someday he'll need help moving or mowing or something.
Let us know how it the repair goes. At least the alternator on the MarkVIII's is on top. It is an adventure on my Aurora.
tonybrooklyn
New member
The repair went well Alternator charges between 13.5 and 14.5 volts.
More disconcerting is the fact that after the repair was done.
I took a ride over to Pauls shop to thank him once again for the help.
He put an Amp gauge on it as i told him its supposed to be a 200 Amp Alt.
Which i always found strange as it looks like a regular size case.
He agreed and the Amp meter proved that it is indeed a 130 Amp alternator that did manage to peak at 150 Amps for a few seconds here and there.
So obviously this Eagle Auto Electric sells bogus alternators they rate at 200 Amps.
I sent them an E-mail to let them know of course no reply.
But what can one expect from a crook that has been caught.
More disconcerting is the fact that after the repair was done.
I took a ride over to Pauls shop to thank him once again for the help.
He put an Amp gauge on it as i told him its supposed to be a 200 Amp Alt.
Which i always found strange as it looks like a regular size case.
He agreed and the Amp meter proved that it is indeed a 130 Amp alternator that did manage to peak at 150 Amps for a few seconds here and there.
So obviously this Eagle Auto Electric sells bogus alternators they rate at 200 Amps.
I sent them an E-mail to let them know of course no reply.
But what can one expect from a crook that has been caught.
tonybrooklyn
New member
Paul has been rebuilding alternators at the same place.
His business for 35 years.
So if he concurs with me that its a stock 130 AMP alternator :thumbsup:
Now to answer your question 3,500 R.P.M.
He then removed the alternator from the vehicle and tested it on his professional equipment.
It actually did better in the car reaching 150 briefly.
On the equipment it never topped 125.
You see even after getting robbed i still posted the higher number.
My purpose is not to trash a companies name.
But to warn those to be careful of what they purchase and from whom.
He also said due to the size of the case without an external rectifier AKA External Bridge Rectifier System 200 AMPS is a pipe dream.
As the alternator would burn itself up quickly.
MarkVIIIMarc
New member
Purely academic but I wonder why the difference? Belt slippage?