RE: [Chrysler300] Thanks for the memories...(related question)

["Blohm, Robert" <robert.blohm@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Ryan and all, Chrysler used a small ground wire from the engine to the car body. If this wire makes poor contact on either end due to not having a shiny metal connection or sometimes the crimped lug is corroded you get dim lights with a big change from idle to cruise speed.This wire is usually at the back of the engine. Make sure the ground is good at the alternator (mounting bolts). Some late 60's Chryslers had the main wire going from battery negative over to the engine block and a small wire that came off the negative lug at the battery and went to the car body. This tended to stabalize the lights. I assume on your charger you are talking about very dim dash lights. The 66 Charger had electroluminescent like the Chryslers and Imperials. I don't know what the 68 charger used. Also, think the the 68 Charger had the "rocker switches" with a separate rotating knob for the dash light dimming. A regular light switch is fairly easy to take out and clean up the variable resistor that controls dash lights. A lot of your problem can be caused by poor grounds at the alternator, regulator, engine ground, etc. Hope this helps. Regards, Bob

-----Original Message-----
From: Ryan Hill [mailto:ryan_hillc300@xxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Tuesday, April 21, 2009 2:09 PM
To: lettercars@xxxxxxx; c300@xxxxxxx; Blohm, Robert; 2hsandaheritage@xxxxxxxxxxx; Chrysler 300
Subject: RE: [Chrysler300] Thanks for the memories...(related question)


While on the subject, I've had quite a few '60's Mopars over the years and have always been frustrated by the dimming of the lights at idle. My '65 300 is not too bad but the worst yet is my '68 Charger. Even with a good battery and at cruising speed the interior lights are dim. At idle, you wouldn't even know they're on (at night!) Is there likely a problem with my electrical system? It doesn't seem to matter whether the headlights are on or not. Could there be a problem with the dimmer.....too much resistance?

Technically it's not a '300' question but relates to 300's with the same problem. Anyone have a simple fix?

Ryan Hill




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To: c300@xxxxxxx; robert.blohm@xxxxxxxxxxx; 2HsandaHeritage@xxxxxxxxxxx; Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
From: lettercars@xxxxxxx
Date: Sat, 18 Apr 2009 08:44:07 -0400
Subject: Re: [Chrysler300] Thanks for the memories...




Bob and All:
Yes, thanks for the great explanation.
I would add that the very rare Chrysler 300F Specials (400HP 4spds) were
the only other Chrysler products equipped with alternators in 1960.

I kind of prefer a generator myself, and certainly
prefer the ammeter over the voltmeter. (Maybe that is because I never
figured out how a voltmeter tells me anything!) I do, however immediately
understand the meaning of the ammeter needle going to the "discharge" side of
the gauge. If that happens at night, one better be close to home, or take
the next exit. Just a couple thoughts on a nice morning here in
Tallahassee, FL.
300ly, Gil C.


In a message dated 4/18/2009 2:19:35 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
c300@xxxxxxx<mailto:c300@xxxxxxx> writes:

Bob:

Thanks for sharing that specialized tidbit of knowledge from your long
years
with Exide. This club is fortunate to have so many members who have and are
willing to share their unique and valuable work experience from the
earlier
days of our brutes.

I recall Valiants had alternators in 1960, and I think Chrysler offered
them
across the board the next year. I think we rapidly learned to just ignore
the Ammeter for a while after starting and this led to "idiot lights" that
didn't require any interpretation.

My 2005 Durango has a Voltmeter as does my '86 Chrysler T&C Shelfpaper
woody. Computers manage current distribution now and Voltage probably
tells
us more than we need to know as to what's happening. In the '50's, it was
common to have short circuits, a bad battery and/or
generator/generator­-regulator problems, so watching and interpreting the
ammeter was a necessary skill to know when to have the electrical system
serviced. Drivers from those days retained a desire for "Ammeters"
although
the Ammeter gradually was changed to a Voltmeter to avoid the necessity of
carrying increasingly high current to and from the instrument panel. I do
notice that charging/running Voltage does tend to be slightly lower in warm
weather. I presume this is due to higher underhood temperatures affecting
diode performance.

C-300'ly,
Rich Barber
Brentwood, CA
1955 Chrysler C-300 (with a totally undamped instrument panel--fuel gauge
dances with generator regulator action and/or turn signal flasher operation
and lights dim at idle--just like the good old days)

-----Original Message-----
From: Chrysler300@­yahoogroups.­com<mailto:Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> [mailto: Chrysler300@­yahoogroups.­com<mailto:Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>] On
Behalf Of Blohm, Robert
Sent: Friday, April 17, 2009 7:15 PM
To: 2HsandaHeritage@­comcast.net<mailto:2HsandaHeritage@xxxxxxxxxxx>; Chrysler300@­yahoogroups.­com<mailto:Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: RE: [Chrysler300] 300H amp gauge

Doug, I have a 61 Imperial that does exactly the same thing. The alternator
was invented and first used by Chrysler in either 60 or 61. GM caught up in
63 and Ford in 64 for some models. When you start the car you take some
power out of the battery. This suppresses the battery voltage slightly.
With
the engine running the regulator now puts on full field excitation to the
alternator and the alternator puts out full power thus you see the ammeter
swing up to high rate of charge. Since the battery is only slightly
discharged it immediately responds by increasing its voltage. The regulator
immediately cuts back to low charge thus the ammeter drops back to center,
however, the battery voltage now drops back slightly lower than the
regulator would like and it responds by going back to the high rate of
charge. As soon as the battery has recieved enough power to replace that
which was removed during starting (a couple of minutes) the voltage will
hold up high enough that the regulator will not call for the high rate
charge and now the ammeter settles down in the center. Later cars had some
damping in the ammeter to suppress these swings and make them less
noticable. Late 60's went to solid state regulators which eliminated this
characteristic. The solid state regulator is continuously variable while
the
early mechanical (relay) regulators where more of an all or nothing
situation. I worked for Exide Battery for 44 years, all though I was in the
industrial division, but spent a lot of time working with charging methods
and response of a battery. Hope this helps explain it. Bob Blohm
-----Original Message-----
From: Chrysler300@­yahoogroups.­com<mailto:Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> [mailto: Chrysler300@­yahoogroups.­com<mailto:Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]On
Behalf Of 2HsandaHeritage@­comcast.net<mailto:2HsandaHeritage@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, April 15, 2009 1:32 PM
To: Chrysler300@­yahoogroups.­com<mailto:Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Chrysler300] 300H amp gauge

Hi Group,

My amp gauge needle rapidly moves back and forth when the engine is
started.

After driving a mile or so, the needle settles down and remains near the
center of the gauge.

Can anyone explain what the cause might be?

Doug Warrener

Fair Oaks, CA

300H

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