[Dolt]

I was sitting in my Jeepster jamming to some tunes from the radio with the key in the "on" position, engine not running. The alternator light was on and I noticed that it was pulsing, sort of like when you have the turn signal on with the engine not running. I thought it might be the radio causing it and turned it off. Pulsing continued with no accesories running. I did a 80 amp one wire alternator upgrade about a year ago and have had no problems. I find this quirk puzzling though. Any ideas anybody?

 

[294]

Ah yes, the flashing amp light..... This is still a mystery, I can remember a thread about it, it got pretty technical, and I do not remember any simple answer. Rrich mught shed some light on this, I just cannot remember why it did it. One question though, if it is a one wire alt, how do you have an amp light? /wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gif My buddy had this same amp light problem in his 68, it would only happen between 55-65 MPH.

John
48 CJ-2A, 49 Willys truck, 70 Jeepster Commando, 89 Wrangler, 98 4x4 Tacoma

 

[Dolt]

The 80 amp alt does have the two wire pigtail plug on it. One wire to the positive post on the batt. and the other to the alt lamp (as I recall, but I installed it as per the instructions on this website) has charged like a champ ever since.

 

[294]

That is not a one wire alt then, it is just a regular 80 amp delco, they do work great! Sounds wired correctly to me. Do you have a volt meter? You can test to see if the alternator is working properly, if it is 2+ years old it might be ready to give up and stop working. That might be your whole problem with the amp light, but there is a Jeepster virus going around with flashing amp light problems.

John
48 CJ-2A, 49 Willys truck, 70 Jeepster Commando, 89 Wrangler, 98 4x4 Tacoma

 

[Guest]

I had the pulsing light with the original alternator and after my 12si upgrade. It's very faint. I could make a guess that it has something to do with the testing/sensing portion of the amp-circuit. I was going to ask the same question, though..

Dionys

 

[645]

just think of it as a disco light. if you don't like that idea, heres a diagram.

toad
3-72' commando wagons
72' half-cab
01' f-250 4x4, super cab, longbed, V-10
artic cat 300 4x4
01' kawasaki KLX 300R
92' kawasaki X-2

 

[RRich]

-- "I was sitting in my Jeepster jamming to some tunes from the radio with the key in the "on" position, engine not running. The alternator light was on and I noticed that it was pulsing, sort of like when you have the turn signal on with the engine not running." --

Keywords here are "key on, engine not running".

The CVR, Constant Voltage Regulator was causing the slight flicker. One side of the light gets it's voltage from the instrument cluster's regulated voltage.
Not a problem, don't "fix" it.


98% is Understanding it
"Don't Fix Unless Broke"

 

[Dolt]

Thanks! You da Man!

 

[clffhnger]

The key should be in the Accessories position, not the ON position when jammin to the tunes. I've heard people say you can burn out the coil by leaving it in the ON position for a long time. But I have no proof of that. That may just be an old wives tale.

Tom
69 Jeepster
89 Suburban 4wd
00 Expedition 4wd

 

[RRich]

Yes, it's possible to overheat the coil, and/or fry the points. Normally they are carrying current only intermittantly - about 66% of the time, so constantly on they will overheat.



98% is Understanding it
"Don't Fix Unless Broke"

 

[Dolt]

Damn, I am continually trying to kill my Jeepster in one way or another and the poor bugger refuses to die. Thanks for the tip. Accessory position only from now on.

 

[RRich]

Jeepsters never die, they just rust away.

98% is Understanding it
"Don't Fix Unless Broke"