87 Horizon charging prob

My boy has an 87 Horizon that has an intemittant charging problem - sometimes it does - sometimes it don't. Of course when he took it to the mechanic, it don't. Someone mentioned maybe the voltage regulator but he has no idea where it is hidden on these cars (He has a parts Omni but can't find it on either) Is it in the alternator or cleverly hidden somewhere else? Any body else have charging problems? (He has changed the brushes in the alternator already)

Thanks
Neil O

The regulator for the alternator is incorporated into the computor which is next to the battery. Check the computor terminals first.

im just guessing but if u have new brushes for the alternator and still have problems chargiung then maybe u need a new battery i have a 87 horizon

I would tend to agree that it is a bad battery, one that is not quite shot, but getting there. If you have a volt meter, set it for DC, and with the car off, see if you have 12 volts. If not, it should drop by sets of 2, 2 volts less for every bad cell. If you do have 12 volts, turn on the car, and watch your meter. Once the car starts, you should start showing about 14 volts if it is charging. If you have 12 off and 14 on, then it is something else...like a loose wire, an intermittent short, or something along those lines.

Honor
......use to drive a horizon/omni, have moved up to mini-vans

I thought the voltage regulator wasn't located by the battery, those relays are the starter relay and the fuel pump relay, the voltage regulator should be to the left of the air cleaner, hidden back behind all the vaccum hoses, If the alternator tests fine, the battery tests fine, chances are the voltage regulator is fried, not too expensive, easy to change once you find it, think is located behind all those vaccum lines to the carb, etc...

Most Horizons had their voltage regulators located on the firewall. It's a chrome plated box about the size of a deck of playing cards. It will have a three pin triangular plug. The regulator itself is not usually expensive at all.