Charging ok?

[carguy300]

Quick question, single wire alt on my 68 300. I did buy one of the solid state oem looking regulator from member. Voltage at battery at high RPM, but the gauge will peg and pulse from normal to mid at idle. Alt was rebuilt, new battery. Starts and runs ok, no over heating wires. I do have the load wires bypassing the bulk head. I have only driven it 3-4 times so Im not sure if it was always like this or new. Should I check what is at the alt gauge or will be ok. I have driven it several miles couple times, nothing seems wrong.

 

[carguy300]

Forgot pics.

 

[CBODY67]

When was the battery last fully charged?

Just curious,
CBODY67

 

[carguy300]

When was the battery last fully charged?

Just curious,
CBODY67

It had been fully charged, kept it on a trickle charge. I was always unhooking the pos terminal when not running, last few times I left it hooked, seems like it started doing this afterward. I did notice today I ckecked battery before cranking and it showed 11.9 volts. I wonder if there is a drain on battery when left hooked up?

 

[FURYGT]

It had been fully charged, kept it on a trickle charge. I was always unhooking the pos terminal when not running, last few times I left it hooked, seems like it started doing this afterward. I did notice today I ckecked battery before cranking and it showed 11.9 volts. I wonder if there is a drain on battery when left hooked up?

14.4 volts is normal after starting the car at 11.9 volts. Keep in mind that a fully charged battery should be in the mid 13 volt range.

 

[Big_John]

It had been fully charged, kept it on a trickle charge. I was always unhooking the pos terminal when not running, last few times I left it hooked, seems like it started doing this afterward. I did notice today I ckecked battery before cranking and it showed 11.9 volts. I wonder if there is a drain on battery when left hooked up?

If that battery was supposed to be fully charged, it should be ~12.6 volts without the engine running. If it's dropping overnight, it's either the battery or you have a parasitic drain.

So, how old is the battery? Has the battery been discharged badly a bunch of times?

 

[carguy300]

If that battery was supposed to be fully charged, it should be ~12.6 volts without the engine running. If it's dropping overnight, it's either the battery or you have a parasitic drain.

So, how old is the battery? Has the battery been discharged badly a bunch of times?

The battery was bought maybe 6 months ago and I kept on charger. It has been 12.5 all along until I left it hooked up last couple weeks, today it was 11.97. I think there must some kind of drain. Ill start unhooking it again and see if it stays up. I do start it once a week and have been driving it a little every week end now.

 

[1970FuryConv]

The battery was bought maybe 6 months ago and I kept on charger. It has been 12.5 all along until I left it hooked up last couple weeks, today it was 11.97. I think there must some kind of drain. Ill start unhooking it again and see if it stays up. I do start it once a week and have been driving it a little every week end now.

IOD is Ignition of Draw. Generally, you can remove the positive battery cable from the positive batttery post. Then hook up an ammeter between the positive battery post and positive battery cable clamp. With the ignition key off, on a classic car, you should have 0.0 (or nearly 0.0) Amp draw. If you have a factory clock or an aftermarket computer that requires constant amperage, you need to account for that.

 

[Big_John]

If you have a factory clock or an aftermarket computer that requires constant amperage

The factory clocks only needed current when they wound themselves every couple of minutes.