Voltage Regulator?

[PeteA216]

Silicon, very coincidental that we were discussing altenators going bad just recently. My battery light came on today in my Caprice, but it was very dim. I used a digital multi-meter to test how much volatge was coming out of the altenator and it read 14.45 Volts at idle. Shorly afterwards while driving I used me windshield washer fluid and the wipers were whipping across the windshield faster than when they're on high. I stopped driving for now so I don't burn things out with that much power running through the system and I'll replace the altenator with one of the many spares in my garage. I'm just curious what went... voltage regulator? When I've seen them go though it was usually not enough power, as opposed to too much.

[silicon212]

HAHAHAHAHAHA!

Fate works in mysterious ways, don't it?

The voltage regulator is inside the alternator. It is a triangular piece with two blade terminals on it, mostly ceramic with an aluminum bottom. It is these two blade terminals that your wires plug into. You can obtain a replacement regulator from Autozone for around $10 or so.

You may want to consider a "rebuild kit" which includes the regulator, rear bearing, brushes and a diode trio and go ahead and rebuild that thing while you're in there. Last time I had such a failure it was a combination of both the regulator and the diode trio.

[PeteA216]

I'll swap it out with another altenator for now and hold onto this one to rebuild when I have more time on my hands. I'm definately not gonna trash it. I didn't gain such a large collection of parts by throwing things away.