UNUSUAL ALTERNATOR CHARGE

MAZDA RX7
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STORMCHASER1272
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I HAVE A 1982 MAZDA RX-7...385,500 MILES...THE ALTERNATOR HAS ALWAYS SEEMED TO BE A PROBLEM BUT WORSE AT TIMES....VOLTAGE REGULATOR SEEMS FINE...NOW HERE IS THE WEIRD THING....I WILL TRY TO DESCRIBE IT THE BEST I CAN....STEADY SPEED LETS SAY 2500 RPMS....VOLTAGE "FLICKERS" FROM 14 DOWN TO 13......AND AT NIGHT IT CAN BE SEEN IN THE HEAD LIGHTS...NOW WHEN I HIT THE GAS THE VOLTAGE DROPS DOWN AND STAYS THERE, BUT IF I LET UP ON IT IT WILL RETURN TO 14....NO MATTER WHAT RPMS THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS...ALL TERMINALS AND CONTACTS CLEANED...THIS IS ONE OF THE FEW PROBLEMS THAT HAS LEFT ME RUNNING INTO DEAD ENDS...WHAT ON THAT CAR COULD CAUSE THAT KIND OF POWER DRAIN OR WHATEVER...(AND ALSO IT DOESNT MATTER WHAT KIND OF LOAD IS ON THE ALTERNATOR)THANK YOU
May 1, 2007 at 7:17 AM
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RASMATAZ
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[quote:b2b707ba7a="stormchaser1272"]I HAVE A 1982 MAZDA RX-7...379,072 MILES...THE ALTERNATOR HAS ALWAYS SEEMED TO BE A PROBLEM BUT WORSE AT TIMES....EVEN A NEW ONE 10 YEARS AGO.......WHEN THERE IS NO LOAD ON THE ALTERNATOR VOLTAGE OUT PUT IS GENERALLY IN THE 13.5 VOLT RANGE.....AT NITE WITH LIGHTS ONLY ON THE VOLTS DROP INTO THE UPPER 12 RANGE AND WITH THE BLOWER MOTOR ON LOW THE VOLTS ARE ROUGHLY 12.3....MEASURED BY HAND...NOT THE DASHBOARD GUAGE...AT NIGHT ESPICALLY, WHEN I COME TO AN IDLE VOLTAGE DROPS DOWN TO THE LOW 11....UPPER 10 RANGE ....THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR, BUT IT SEEMS TO BE WORSE NOW THAN IN THE 13 YEARS IVE HAD IT......I DO KNOW QUITE A BIT ABOUT THE ROTARY AND UNDER THE HOOD....BUT ALL I CAN COME UP WITH IS A GROUND PROBLEM....CAN THE ALTERNATOR BE DISASSEMBLED AND SOMETHING CHANGED TO STRENGHTEN OUTPUT VOLTAGE OR CAN I JUST DISASSEMBLE THE MAIN PART AND CLEAN IT......AND BY THE WAY THIS HAS BEEN A VERY RELIABLE CAR.....AND I KNOW THE ANTI-AFTERBURN VALVES ARE A PROBLEM ON THESE CARS....AND THIS CAR IS ONE OF THEM.....ITS BEEN THIS WAY FOR WELL OVER 8 YEARS NOW AND DOESNT HURT ANYTHING....IT DOESNT AFFECT ANYTHING AND DOESNT SEEM TO SERVE ANY PURPOSE OTHER THAN WHAT IT WAS DESIGNED FOR..AND THE CAR IDLES AT NORMAL AND STEADY SPEEDS AND THE CAR RUNS GOOD........SO IF ANYTHING ISNT AFFECTING ANY KEY SYSTEMS I DONT MESS WITH IT....SURE I HAVE THE FLOODING PROBLEM RARELY BUT 3-4 OUNCES OF TRANNY OR ENGINE OIL DOWN THE CARB WORKS......I TAKE VERY GOOD CARE OF MAINTENCE WHICH IS WHY THE SAME ENGING HAS MADE IT THIS FAR......SORRY TO RAMBLE....THANK YOU FOR YOUR RESPONSE[/quote:b2b707ba7a]

Check the voltage regulator
May 1, 2007 at 2:55 PM