73 Dodge Van Charging system question
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73 Dodge Van Charging system question
Hi -The handle is Mike. I have a 1973 Dodge B30 KaryVan. Yes its an unusual model. Maybe the first ever Box Van? Possibly the only one running here in NW Oregon. Ugly as a bag-o-hammers but has run perfectly for the last 5 years...until now! Has a 318 V8 & automatic trans.
Motor a good runner & doesn't use a drop of oil.
Now it has charging problems. First found out the hard way that I was running on battery only. So (like a fool!) I got a new battery. OK..still running on battery, so (like a fool again) I got a new alternator. Still running on battery! Found that out the hard way when I had to be pushed out of the pump island after driving it 9 miles to get gas! Mechanic checked the alt. output with a meter. Whatdya know? 16 volts and change! Said gotta be wiring open between alt. & batt. And that I could run a straight wire from the alt. output to plus side of battery and just parallel the old circuit. But before I did that I realized that the wire from the alt. goes right to a gadget on the firewall the I have a big question about, the wire tested good with ohmmeter between each end so why run another wire?
So my question is: what is that device on the firewall that the alt. wire runs to? It has 3 terminals and is mounted on a finned thing like an electronic heat sink. 2 wires come out of the top connection and duck thru the firewall. I suspect it is toast and why my alt. is not seeing the battery but what do I know? And here is proof that I am a bigger fool than ever. I shoulda noticed that the amp gauge needle was never pointed over in the + side of the gauge ! :/
Motor a good runner & doesn't use a drop of oil.
Now it has charging problems. First found out the hard way that I was running on battery only. So (like a fool!) I got a new battery. OK..still running on battery, so (like a fool again) I got a new alternator. Still running on battery! Found that out the hard way when I had to be pushed out of the pump island after driving it 9 miles to get gas! Mechanic checked the alt. output with a meter. Whatdya know? 16 volts and change! Said gotta be wiring open between alt. & batt. And that I could run a straight wire from the alt. output to plus side of battery and just parallel the old circuit. But before I did that I realized that the wire from the alt. goes right to a gadget on the firewall the I have a big question about, the wire tested good with ohmmeter between each end so why run another wire?
So my question is: what is that device on the firewall that the alt. wire runs to? It has 3 terminals and is mounted on a finned thing like an electronic heat sink. 2 wires come out of the top connection and duck thru the firewall. I suspect it is toast and why my alt. is not seeing the battery but what do I know? And here is proof that I am a bigger fool than ever. I shoulda noticed that the amp gauge needle was never pointed over in the + side of the gauge ! :/
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Joined: Sep 2011
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Thanks for the welcome! I ran the wire (heavy 10 ga. stranded) from the alternator output terminal to the + side of the battery. Voila, it is charging @ 14 to 15 volts. I just don't know if I am damaging something by running the jumper like that or not. Apparently not since if have not seen any heat, sparks or smoke and everything seems to work. So I will leave it that way and play it by ear! If anyone thinks this is the wrong thing to do. PLEASE let me know...Thanks! Nice Dodgem site!
Welcome aboard KaryVan27!
