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Generator Light...

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AmbassVair View Drop Down
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    Posted: Apr/12/2012 at 3:34pm
So, recently my Gen. light came on in my 63 Ambassador. The rebuilt alternator went bad, but I replaced it. I also replaced the Volt Regulator.Someone at one point put on a 64 version volt regulator, but it didn't have problems when I first got it. The volt regulator does have one wire not connected, but the old one worked fine without it. The gen light is still on. I redid the connectors that plug into the alternator too. Any tips to why the alternator is still not charging?

The light is not simply just stuck on, my battery is completely dead about a day later, after driving it around.

Engine is a 327.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SEdmonds Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr/14/2012 at 12:14am
Hello - and welcome to the forum.
 
Is the glow faint or very bright?  If it's faint, you might have the infamous "Rambler Glow", which is fairly common in these cars when something causes the diodes get old and leak. Here's a informational page on this. (Thanks to Billd)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AmbassVair Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr/16/2012 at 1:23am
I'll be honest, I'm not sure if it's "bright" or not, it was never on until whatever this problem was, I can't see it too well when it turns on, I have to cup my hand over it to see it, but then again I'm colorblind. I know very little about wiring, but looking at the link, you're thinking it's the alternator again? This is the second one I've got, and both were a rebuilt from Napa.

I'm once again hoping it's something simple and not a short somewhere. I just want to know where the power is getting drained from, or a lack of not charging at all.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote billd Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr/16/2012 at 8:17am
Any way you can give a model number of the alternator and regulator?

Have you seen my pages SEdmonds posted a link to - and then there's this one right here on the forum about regulators?
http://theamcforum.com/forum/alternator-and-regulator-id-and-connectors_topic13346.html

The info on the link I gave is not yet complete. There was also a R2-AM2 that was used - much like the R2AM1 but it has the black tag instead of the teal tag as shown in the page in the forum.
It's a bit confusing at times, as Motorola also had an R2-1, which was their version of the R2AM1 they sold to AMC, but it has 3 connectors - the typical 3 wire bullet connector like the TVR series, then 2 yellow wires that take the place of the external resistor that was used with some models.
I'd have to dig back into my old stuff and see if I have the specifics on the 1963 year vehicles - to see what was correct and proper, but if you have pictures, or can refer to the link I gave in this post and tell me if the regulator matches any of those, it would help.
If there's a bit of a glow, it can be multiple things - bad diode, or, maybe in this case, it's not wired correctly for the alternator and regulator that's on the car.
NAPA rebuilts - or ANY rebuilt, I have very little faith and confidence in ESPECIALLY after going through a couple I'm doing for a fellow  - one was "rebuilt" by someone who had to label the diodes, meaning they were not able to tell them apart, or didn't have a meter where they could simply test them and see which was which, the other was a "remanufactured" unit - and it was rather scary inside.....and it took a lot longer to disassemble due to the crap methods they used to throw it together. I had to make a puller to get the rear bearing out of the case, it's supposed to be a slip-fit into the o-ring retainer back there, and the front one was held in with a funky snap ring that had no ends - I thought I was going to break the front frame getting it apart enough to get in there and get that snap ring out. What fools.
Those, along with a couple of other "remanufactured" units I've received as cores make me shudder when I think of how some of those things are done. I can't and won't say they are all that way, but I've seen enough of them----- where I even doubt any more if a person is getting what they think they are getting with a reman. If it's like they do carburetors, all the pieces are tossed into buckets, and cleaned in batches, then they pull parts and start building.... and you hope they all match and you get what you are supposed to have for your year and model.

If I am correct, your year will have a 3 wire regulator - orange, green and black wires. The BLACK wire is the ground to the alternator. That must be connected. The green goes to the spade connector at the brushes, and the orange goes to the aux or regulator terminal on the alternator. If any of those are left off, it won't function.
I believe then that there's a yellow wire that connects to the same terminal the regulator orange wire connects to - the yellow comes from ignition and goes through a resistor. At least that's how I seem to remember it.
Any of that sound familiar? If you are color blind - can you tell any of those colors? (my understanding is that there are different types, a co-worker at work, a programmer/developer, can see certain colors, but others are shades of grey or something like that...) Or can you get a picture for us?

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ruby loye Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul/30/2012 at 7:07am
I think the output diode is the culprit, and if you had a rebuilt alt, and did something like oh I don't know jump start the car....say bye bye to your rebuild, those things are crap I would rather take my chances with a 45-50 OEM alt than a rebuild, those never seem to die.
 
Mark
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