The Dodge Challenger Message Board

Hi: This is Amy again from Virginia. I cannot figure out why my Challenger is not charging. The lat time I wrote was Aug. 2, 2003 and I am getting back into the project. The car sat for a while, then I had the problem that it wouldn't start. I replaced the battery, alternater, voltage regulator, electronic ignition control box, and ballast resistor. I cleaned up the grounds from the battery to the frame, the voltage regulator, and control module. I can't find my service manual and am at a total loss. I did run a direct jumper from the alternator output screw to the battery and it started charging. Please, can anyone help me? (I'm ready to throw in the towel.) Dave - I will give you the voltage readings (1) battery (car off) (2) car running/warm ~ 1500 rpm (3) engine off/turn on lights for 3 seconds then turn off (battery reading). I did see the diagram. I also bypassed the ammeter completely so it has a direct hot connection there. Will be back with some reading. Please try to help. Thanks.

I have had similar problems with my Challenger. With all the items you have replaced I would start looking at connections. The first would be the in the engine harness and the connection at the fire wall. You may see some signs of an over heated wire. Also check the harness from the steering column. Sometimes a bad connection can not supply enough power to keep the battery up but the car runs ok.

Yes I too had a similar problem when I first bought my car. All of a sudden it just stopped one evening. Completely dead - and in the middle of a major intersection in Sydney! It took me 2 hours to discover that I had a faulty connection at the harness under the steering column. It was quite dark and with my trusty mini-mag light I located the harness, had the key turned-on with one hand, wiggled the wiring harness around and saw a small 'flash' from the poor connection, then she started up no problem. The following morning in day light I discovered melted wire insulation at the junction and by-passed the harness with a BSB connector for this wire. Problem solved. Prior to this I had noticed that the battery sounded sad and the starter was winding-over slowly.
As Douglas suggested - look for evidence of an overheated wire or melted insulation at all junction points.

Dave:

I followed your instructions on the charging problem and got the following results:

Fully charged battery installed 13.0 volts across the terminals.

Started engine, warmed up and increased rpm to 1500-2000. Put voltmeter across battery. Reading 12.3 volts

Switched everything off, put the headlights on for about 7 seconds and then turned them off. Reading 12.0 volts

Reading after a few seconds: 12.3-12.4 volts

Another person said that the blue alternator field wire should have a full 12 volts. I tried to take a reading from the terminal to the wire, but did not get a reading. Shouldn't this be in amps? So my question is 12 volts from where to where? The field terminal to ground? The field terminal to the blue wire? I didn't get anything but did get a spark during connect/reconnect of the field wire. Also, should the car be running?

Does anyone think I should try another voltage regulator - even though the one I installed was new? Or one for another Mopar that allows more voltage to go through?

Thanks to those who responded about the connections. I have really looked. They are hard to trace and I must admit, a car this age does show signs of fatigue in the wiring. But I have moved the wires around with the voltmeter attached and have not seen any change. Could the fusable links be the culprits?

Someone else suggested a jumper wire from the output to the negative side of the battery. I am afraid to do this as according to the diagram supplied herein, the output runs through the positive side. I don't want to burn anything up and really need specifics when it comes to hooking up meters and performing tests.

Please help.

If you have been able to charge the battery by running a jumper from the alternator output to the battery it would seem unlikely that the problem is in the voltage regulator or the alternator. You should show a larger than battery voltage on your meter at this point. The problem must be in getting the power from the alternator to the battery.

I realize that checking connections is difficult but there seems little else to do. I would start by checking at the firewall the line from the alternator to the dash harness. This should be done with a thin metal probe. This should be done without disconnection of the harness. A voltage test here to ground should show a higher voltage reading than at the battery (as at the alternator). If not, follow the wire back to the alternator. If it does show a charging voltage then check the connection at the inside of the fire wall at the same place as well as the amp guage connections and the connections to the steering harness would be next. If the amp guage reads a discharge when under a load you could check it last. Using a probe and meter will make the job easier. I doubt fuseable links as they are on the battery side of the system. You can trick the alternator by suppling power and ground to the field of the alternator but if there is charging voltage at the alternator I would not do it.

In short, if you have charging voltage at the alternator, then follow the wire back to the battery untill it falls off. Make sure all fuses and their connections are good.

I agree with Doug. You seem to have proved that everything is working except the stock wiring connection from the output of the alt to the battery.

The 12-13 volts you measured is just the normal output from a just charged battery in good condition. When the engine is running (and you have fixed the connection from the alt to the battery) you will have about 14.4-15 volts accross the battery.