Guest ray_turk Posted August 26, 2012 Share Posted August 26, 2012 i bought a 1939 buick i installed new battery amp meter shows it is discharging all the time any ideas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest prs519 Posted August 26, 2012 Share Posted August 26, 2012 Ray, I was thinking vintage cars, pre-alternator, will invariably discharge at an idle (which is why alternators took over, since they can keep up at an idle). If yourun your rpms up to 1200 or so, you should see a positive charge indication. Oldtimers depended upon the fact that people would be going down the road at a higher rpmoften enough to catch up with the discharge which occurs whenever the car is idling. Perry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Huston Posted August 26, 2012 Share Posted August 26, 2012 Another possibility is the battery is connected backwards. Some pre 50s cars had a positive ground unlike all of the cars of today. I do not know if a 1939 Buick is positive or negative ground. However, a battery connected backwards will cause the amp meter to constantly register a discharge until the battery terminals are reversed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Grant Magrath Posted August 27, 2012 Share Posted August 27, 2012 Could be a faulty voltage regulator. Or a dirty generator comutator and brushes. Either way, see you over at the Pre-War forum!CheersGrant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest clare30 Posted August 27, 2012 Share Posted August 27, 2012 You may have to polarise the generator to the correct positive or neg earth if it has just been rebuilt.Clare30 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted August 27, 2012 Share Posted August 27, 2012 Another possibility is the battery is connected backwards. Some pre 50s cars had a positive ground unlike all of the cars of today. I do not know if a 1939 Buick is positive or negative ground. However, a battery connected backwards will cause the amp meter to constantly register a discharge until the battery terminals are reversed. NEG GROUND. Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curti Posted August 27, 2012 Share Posted August 27, 2012 OR, the wires are reversed on the amp gage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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