Charging Problem 87 5ktq

[DeWitt Harrison]

On Tuesday, December 05, 2000 6:15 AM, james accordino wrote
Subject: RE: Charging Problem 87 5ktq

 > --- JJK1204 at aol.com wrote:
 > > [ ... ] I checked the voltage at the HVAC head #11
 > > and found that the voltage was 14.1
 > > with everything off, but quickly dipped to ~12.2
 > > with only the blower and
 > > headlights on. If I increased the revs there was
 > > little or no change. [ ... ]
 >
 > I believe the low voltage is just a sign of the real
 > problem.  Is your blower motor original?  [ ... ]  I have seen
 > this on different makes/types of vehicles, where a
 > large current draw puts such a load on the alternator,
 > that it causes the vehicle to stall.  Switch these
 > items on and off and watch the voltmeter and tach.  I
 > think you'll find the culprit.

There may or may not be an electrical problem.
The A/C head voltage measurement can be misleading since
it is made at a point in the A/C wiring loom that is vulnerable
to blower motor induced voltage drops across small gauge
wire. The blower will drop this reading in a healthy 44 car.
Before getting too excited, measure the system
voltage at both the alternator or front battery access
terminal and at the battery itself as loads are applied.
If these readings are acceptable, the next critical
spot in the food chain is at the main fuse panel to
establish whether the primary battery feed back to the
electricals is in good order and so on downstream. The
alternator/regulator can only be blamed if the voltage sags
directly at the alternator. Voltage drops between that point
and any other part of the car are beyond it's control.

DeWitt Harrison
Boulder, CO
88 5kcstq