1987 Dodge Volt. Regulator
From : pink floyd
Q: mike simmons wrote yabbut a bad ground in the lighting circuit will not increase the current draw thru the filament of the bulb. presumably the circuit has a zero resistance thru the ground thus zero resistance cannot be improved upon. what is likely happening is that there is a bad ground that intermittently and rapidly causes a power loss thru the circuit and cause the bulb to flicker. the resulting rapid thermal cycling of the filament will cause it to burn out more quickly. without knowing more about the problem that would be my best guess. i think the op just said the break light keeps going out not really identifying whether the bulb or fuse was blown each time or what. if the ground is near the bulb wouldnt/couldnt the ground cause a surge that would/could blow the bulb not hard for me to get in over my head on electrical components so im learning here. jerry .
Replies:
From : neil nelson
roy aka p w for one more day g i caught those couple o times you slipped up but im being a nice guy. you know tis the season...... i think youre being overly reasonable... i dont remember anything in the original bet where it was stated he could abbreviate his signature. imo p.w. just doesnt cut it .
From : aarcuda69062
hi all if this is showing up twice i apologize. i posted it a few days ago and it appears to my reader to have never shown up. anyway i recently picked up a real cherry of an 89 dodge van http//www.befumo.com/newvan.htm which i fully intend to keep for a while. its equipped with the 5.9 l tbi engine 727 torque flite transmission and im pretty sure 3.55 gearing posi. it has 120k miles on it and has been very well maintained. right now its getting the 13mpg highway that was advertised for it when new. i trive it pretty conservatively and my main interests are fuel economy and low-mid rpm torque and nice crisp throttle response. my main usage will be for long day trips to cross-country voyages local runs to the lumber yard occasionally pulling a 13 utility trailer and possibly pulling a 2-horse stock trailer from time to time. my immediate plan is to replace the 727 with an a-518 overdrive unit shortening the driveshaft as necessary. first question its my understanding that setting up the 518 to work with a dash-mounted toggle it will essentially work as a 2-speed rear axle. that is when in od my trans will still shift through the same 3 main gears but each one will be 31% or whatever higher in ration as if i had a 2.xx rear. conversely when the overdrive is off ill basically have the same 3 ratios i have now. correct im not sure whether im going to go for the one that supports the lock-up torque converter or not. i know there are ways to fool it into working correctly without the guidance of a computer but im thinking i might just hook it up to one of those old-style toe-tap dimmer switches and have the equivalent of an electronic clutch. id probably hook up a status led in the dash. hell itll make the vehicle harder to steal. my second question ill probably replace the timing chain sometime in the next year or so mainly as preventative maintenance but also to tighten things up. would it be worth it being this far into the engine as it is to install an rv/economy cam and new lifters my final question is what would you do next i thinking of the following in the order i would probably do them 1. msd ignition plus a high-output coil & 8.0 or 8.5 mm ignition wires. 2. headers with a crossover tube and dual exhaust. 3. aftermarket port fuel injection system. my gut feeling is that ill probably get the best bang for the buck stopping after #1 and that the next two will probably increase power & performance possibly at the expense of mpg. also im reluctant to boost the power too much on a 120k engine lest something else break. at some point in the future ill consider building up a replacement for it pushing the compression up to 9.5 or so . . . but thats a question for another day. thanks. joe .
From : Annonymous
on sat 18 dec 2004 030548 gmt jerry jlrice1655@earthlink.net wrote denny wrote well dont shoot a damned bowling ball itll just piss ya off....... vbg and cost ya a couple of lunches... ill keep that in mind. speaking of cost ya you see rugers new super redhawk in 454 casull with only a 2 1/2 inch barrel. says it packs a wallop and im sure it does but to whom or what...... check it out. http//www.shootingtimes.com/handgunreviews/rgrrh/ jerry umm... anything you point it at... within 5 feet would be my guess.. after 5 or 6 feet you might as well just close your eyes and shoot.. *g* that sucker looks like fun!! bg and im guessing you got the range accuracy about right too. i did notice they were only comparing it to other ..44/.45 caliber rounds and not the .50 s&w. if you want another handful check out the model 500 in the 4 or 8 3/8 barrel on the s&w site. i think both will bring a grin to your teeth. denny .
From : Annonymous
on fri 17 dec 2004 224159 -0700 big al nospamsal1@qwest.net wrote on 17 dec 2004 163755 gmt ninebal310@aol.committed ninebal310 wrote from mac davis they told her that the alternator was bad.. it was putting out about 13.5 volts and should be putting out at least 14.5... wouldnt 14.5 burn up the battery i am no electrical engineer but 13.5 volts should have been enough output under a load condition to sustain a charge in the batt. 14.5 would be the high end of alt. output and not damage the batt. 13.8 is usually normal as far as i know. - hope this helps. hank thanks hank... that gives me some middle ground to take back to the shop she bought the battery at.. dont forget. the battery voltage is temperature related. the colder the battery is the higher the voltage has to be to charge it. 14.9 is normal when the battery is cold. 13.6 is normal when its hot. most older car service manuals will have a temperature/voltage chart. in the old days regulator testers had a well inside to heat the regulator. seems weird now when some cars have the regulator inside the alternator. al remember also that charging voltage is to some extent dictated by battery state of charge and condition. a dead battery on charge will draw a lot of current keeping the charging voltage lower than a fully charged battery which accepts very little charge. also a battery with a high internal resistance will exhibit a higher charging voltage than a healthy battery with a low internal resistance. the battery on my pontiac van was giving me problems - on a cold morning it was either dead or would crank the engine nice and fast for one crank then die if the van did not start on the first crank. i noticed the charging voltage went to a full 14.+ volts immediately after starting the engine using a booster i had checked the battery with a midtronics transconductance tester and it showed dead - so i pulled it for replacement. the dealer tested it with the same tester and it showed good - he blamed it on bad terminal connections. i said i thought it was an intermittent internal connection based on the charging voltage behaviour. i cleaned the connectors and reinstalled the miserable battery - which refused to start the van the next morning. dealer tested the battery again and found it totally dead. put in a new battery and after draining it part way leaving on the headlights for a while the charging voltage started at 13.6 and rose as the state of charge improved untill at full charge the voltage output was 14.+ 14.4 or 14.6 .
From : mike simmons
mike simmons wrote i assumed that op meant that the bulbs keep burning out else why the need to replace em as far as a ground near the bulb causing it to burn out no. consider that the voltage supply is 12vdc nominal max on the supply side of the circuit. the bulb filament introduces a resistance into the circuit. any ground intentional or not introduced downstream of the bulb will just complete the circuit causng the bulb to illuminate. unless something else is going on in the circuit that i am unaware of an unintentional ground cannot cause an overcurrnt condition causing the bulb to burn out. a poor ground on the other hand near the bulb i.e corroded socket can cause an overheating condition due to internal resistance i2r and cause a circuit failure. well here is what i know about electricity ................ when i walk into a room and throw the wall switch this glass thing in the ceiling dumps all this bright light into the room so i can see. i flip the switch again and the glass thing sucks all the light back out of the room. pretty neat thing that bulb. wish i had of thought of that ........... jerry really electrical stuff is pretty simple. everything works ok til the smoke leaks out. once the smoke leaks out of an electrical gizmo there is no way of putting the smoke back in it.... you just gotta buy a new one! ;^ mike .
From : budd cochran
i meant if we change the bulb it still doesnt work but the bulb is not burning out each time and i noticed when i go over really bumpy areas the lamp out light starts flashing... i also noticed that if i press the brake it stops flashing ok so you have a brake lamp that doesnt illuminate even with a new bulb right if so thats a whole nuther story. the best way to check that is with a 12v test light or a voltmeter. take the bulb out of the socket and probe the contacts with a test lamp or voltmeter probe. have someone step on the brakes. if the test lamp illuminates the circuit is ok. if it doesnt illuminate then you have no supply voltage to the socket. also if you have a volt meter set the meter to the resistance setting ohms and check to see if you have a good ground. if the meter reads 1 ohm or less then your ground is good. make sure when using the meter you have it set on the ohms scale not kohms or mohms. it sounds like a bad socket or bad ground but to be sure you have to do a a little testing. look inside the socket and see if any corrosion has formed usually a greenish granular material. if my test procedure is greek to you then you need to take your truck to a pro. hope this helps... if you have any other questions post em or email me. mike mike simmons wrote yabbut a bad ground in the lighting circuit will not increase the current draw thru the filament of the bulb. presumably the circuit has a zero resistance thru the ground thus zero resistance cannot be improved upon. what is likely happening is that there is a bad ground that intermittently and rapidly causes a power loss thru the circuit and cause the bulb to flicker. the resulting rapid thermal cycling of the filament will cause it to burn out more quickly. without knowing more about the problem that would be my best guess. i think the op just said the break light keeps going out not really identifying whether the bulb or fuse was blown each time or what. if the ground is near the bulb wouldnt/couldnt the ground cause a surge that would/could blow the bulb not hard for me to get in over my head on electrical components so im learning here. jerry jerry i assumed that op meant that the bulbs keep burning out else why the need to replace em as far as a ground near the bulb causing it to burn out no. consider that the voltage supply is 12vdc nominal max on the supply side of the circuit. the bulb filament introduces a resistance into the circuit. any ground intentional or not introduced downstream of the bulb will just complete the circuit causng the bulb to illuminate. unless something else is going on in the circuit that i am unaware of an unintentional ground cannot cause an overcurrnt condition causing the bulb to burn out. a poor ground on the other hand near the bulb i.e corroded socket can cause an overheating condition due to internal resistance i2r and cause a circuit failure. mike .
From : mike simmons
this is an engineering problem... what did the assembly worker do to cause this rec.bicycles.marketplace .
From : john kunkel
a v-8 does have secondary vibrations which cause the harmonic torsions in the crank. you should have studied automotive engineering if you want to argue engine design. btw ford screwed around with what would work until it didnt . .really sound engineering. for the other readers of this thread. budd like many misunderstands the difference between tortional vibration and secondary vibration. tortional vibration is rotational by definition. it is the coiling and uncoiling of the crankshaft like a spring while rotating. this is caused by the crank wanting to accellerate at clyinder ignition time and decelerating upon compression. the resonance point is where the torsional deflection and reflection speed is at the same frequency as crank speed. this creates a sypathetic pumping action on the crankshaft that causes metal fatigue and ultimately fracture. a harmonic balancer does not eliminate this tendency. instead it shifts the point of resonance outside of the operating speed of the engine. where did i deny this as true i said the ford engineers a loose terminology screwed around with a design till is was scewed up the 72 degree v-6. theres no way to balance it without a balance shaft. on the other hand secondary vibration is a vibration that occurs at 1/2 or double the crankshaft speed by definition. these vibrations are caused by the reciprocating components in an engine. in the case of v6 and inline 3 cylinder engines there are 3 clyinders operating in a common plane in which 2 pistons are traveling in one direction and 1 piston is traveling in the other direction which is a clear imbalance. this imbalance imparts a rocking motion to the whole engine assembly at 1/2 crank speed. only the use of a balance shaft running at 1/2 crank speed which is out of balance in the opposite direction will cancel out this vibration to the external observer. however the stresses of these vibrations still exist internally to the engine assembly and take their toll. a 90 degree v-6 has its throws arrainged at 120 degree intervals also a balanced arraingement. the counterwerights reduce or elminate the secondary vibrations. torsional vibration can cause engine vibration as well. i had an engine brought to me that shook like mad until it was found the owner instead of replacing the harmonic balancer had the outer ring welded to the inner hub. you goofed again. a v8 is inherently balanced because 2 pistons are moving in one direction within the reciprocating plane and 2 others are moving in the opposite direction in a balanced state. i hope this tidbit of automotive engineering clears up this misunderstanding. so explain why any v-8 engine is so much smoother after a blueprint and balance if its so naturally balanced as you state what is the formula for balancing an engine the only misunderstanding is yours. btw your inflated ego is showing. budd .
From : noname
well i did check the battery connection to the started and it was corroded. i cleaned that up and the truck started. unfortunately this morning it popped the fuse again. it is good to know though they have a bad design with that boot and the angle it sets. any moisture kicked up on the started can run into that boot. over time i can definitely see how thatd be an issue. on a related note. as i was looking at the starter it appeared you could unbolt the solenoid from it. is that true could i replace just the solenoid or is it a part of the overall starter unit .
From : budd cochran
your claim was that all bypasses went into the intake in parallel to the thermostat. on the slant sixes it goes into the head in parallel. you are wrong. pay up or shut up. -- budd whats the difference between a bad golfer and a bad skydiver one goes whack darn and the other goes darn whack. really budd perhaps you had better look again. -- if at first you dont succeed youre not cut out for skydiving slant sixes. -- budd whats the difference between a bad golfer and a bad skydiver one goes whack darn and the other goes darn whack. once again you show your ignorance. all three are in parallel since they all leave from the same place on the intake and all return directly to the water pump. you do know the definition of parallel dont you that depends on design and varies from vehicle to vehicle. really name one modern vehicle where this is not the case. better yet name one chrysler product where this is the casr since the op is talking about a dodge. the only thing the bypass is directly in parallel with is the thermostat. the bypass hose is not to provide an alternate route for coolant to bypass the heater core it is to provide for circulation when the thermostat is closed. no shit sherlock. try telling that to your buddy budd. but the heater circuit is still in parallel with the radiator and the bypass. sorry to dissapoint you moron ooops the name calling in leiu of facts defense. you are done. lol no but you are and once again you had better talk to your buddy budd. -- if at first you dont succeed youre not cut out for skydiving .
From : budd cochran
sorry jerry but his lack of knowledge on many points does not impress me. -- budd whats the difference between a bad golfer and a bad skydiver one goes whack darn and the other goes darn whack. steve lusardi wrote budd you have obviously taken my reply personally and for that i apologize. no insult was intended. however for your information i am a mechanical and an electronic engineer i have been building engines from the age of 15. i am now 60. i have owned 3 machine shops been partner is 2 race engine building concerns. my current passion is high performance diesels. i have built them mostly for marine use but i just completed a design in partnership with another of an aircraft diesel for light aircraft. the prototype is now undergoing certification tests. this particular shop that i frequent is owned by a friend who has been a racer for many years. i have been building his race engines for 15 years. i am more than qualified to have an opinion. you do not have to accept it but if you are wise you should pay attention. your example of the mopar la block amplifies my point that the advantage of the v6 is held by the manufacturer. yes the bearings are interchangable as are the rods pistons cam bearings cam drive etc. as far as secondary harmonics they are not an issue in any 90 degree v8. in point of fact they are smoothest of all designs. you never see a balance shaft in a v8 but you do for v6s lincoln/mercury for exactly that reason. the mopar slant 6 was one of weakest inlines ever made and they had 5 main bearings not 4 as opposed to 7 for most others. power was very low for their displacement for good reason just to straighten you out on harmonic balancers their reason for existance is for damping torsional vibration of the crank not secondary harmonics. in line engines do not suffer from this issue on offset rod journals they are used on all 90 degree v6 engines. take one apart and see for yourself. 60 degree v6 engines do not offset the rod journal but they really suffer from secondaries. that is why detroit changed to 90 degree engines. buick had many many lawsuits after they first introduced the v6 engine it was a 60 degree motor because of block crank and main web failures. that is why they now use 90 degree cranks. steve nice to see a sensible and well mannered post for a change. your credentials and experience sounds well qualified to assist all of those in this group. at this point im impressed........... jerry .
From : daniel j stern
this is my first 4x4 in 20 years. had it in 4 hi today on dry pavement. with the wheel cut hard to the right the truck was hopping. i think this is probably normal. id like to know for sure from some of the resident experts. with all the snow around here ive had in 4 hi more often than not. ed dowdy ed that is normal and is called crow-walking. i do not recommend the use of 4wd on dry pavement however as severe damage can result. the crow-walking is a warning sign that there is not enough slippage between the wheels. please refer to your owners manual for more info. mike .
From : transurgeon
years before a bulb burned out. is this an easy replacement or should i bite the bullet and pay someone else to replace it nah pretty simple. remove the two screws that hold the cluster bezel on. these are up underneath the front lip of the dash. remove the bezel then remove the four screws that hold the cluster in place be sure not to remove the screws that hold the clear plastic cover to the cluster. pull the cluster out a bit and disconnect the electrical connectors. once you have the cluster in your hands youll see the various bulb holders on the back side of the cluster. turn the appropriate holder counter-clockwise and you can remove it and the bulb. .
From : Annonymous
dan j.s. wrote budd cochran wrote what rpm do you want diesel locomotive engines and those enormous ship diesels have maximum speeds of only about 700-900 rpm yet the locomotive can be going 100+ mph. locomotives and ships are usually eletrical right the diesels just power the batteries... at least this is what i heard... dont know if they have much of a battery reserve but your on the right track. they have huge diesel generators then send the power to the electric motors. a lot like how a bobcat tractor works with a diesel engine and a hydrolic pump and motors. heres the quick version. the batteries on a loco are just for starting it. the diesel powers a generator or alternator at the flywheel. the juice produced is sent to a traction motor beteween the wheels which propel the loco. p w its late nobody tell the friggin rabbit .
From : nosey
on sat 18 dec 2004 030548 gmt jerry jlrice1655@earthlink.net wrote denny wrote well dont shoot a damned bowling ball itll just piss ya off....... vbg and cost ya a couple of lunches... ill keep that in mind. speaking of cost ya you see rugers new super redhawk in 454 casull with only a 2 1/2 inch barrel. says it packs a wallop and im sure it does but to whom or what...... check it out. http//www.shootingtimes.com/handgunreviews/rgrrh/ jerry umm... anything you point it at... within 5 feet would be my guess.. after 5 or 6 feet you might as well just close your eyes and shoot.. *g* that sucker looks like fun!! bg and im guessing you got the range accuracy about right too. i did notice they were only comparing it to other .44/.45 caliber rounds and not the .50 s&w. if you want another handful check out the model 500 in the 4 or 8 3/8 barrel on the s&w site. i think both will bring a grin to your teeth. that sucker looks like it might brake your friggin wrist!! but it would be fun to fire. to big for concealed carry though imho. puss..... bg roy aka p w for one more day g i caught those couple o times you slipped up but im being a nice guy. you know tis the season...... hey!! ya want miami straight up bfg ill take miame to loose....... denny .