Electrical issue again
 

My dash lights (power steering, battery, brake, brake light) light up only when:
1) the heat is on while idling (at park)
2) the heat is on at a stop (at drive)
3) they do go off while driving
4) they do go off while reving at idle.
I have a rebuilt Alternator done by an Alternator shop.
He repaced everything except the regulator.
Do these symptoms sound like a faulty regulator?
P.S. The belts are new and they are not loose.

i would be interested to know what happens when you turn the headlights on while experiencing this. Have you tried this?

Good question.

Actually any accessorie triggers the dash lights, some faster than others. The alternator works but only while driving or reving at idle. At start up and while driving voltage is 13-14, above 12 volts while at idle with no accessories. Once I put on any accessorie at idle, the voltage drops below 12volts and the alternator will not kick on.

Probably...
 

:(..............

My Alternator works great on idle.
 

on both my svx's. When I turn on an acessary the Idle speed simply increases to compensate. Keeps the voltage right for the load.
With an underdrive pulley it would not put out the correct voltage on lo rpm, so I dumped the underdrive pully and got a new sub dealer "bargain" pulley. :lol:

We park on the freeway a lot here in the Tacoma Seattle area :(

I have decided to...
 

To Stop trying to shortcut a problem on my SVX's We get such a bond with these cars!
I loved to spend every weekend working on SVX, bot my wife said, "get over it"

( I think that was what she was talking about) :lol:

I do have one of those aluminum under drive pulleys. You think I should change it? How much does the Sub pulley cost?

What you report indicates that the alternator does not charge at idle speed but is OK at higher RPM. An under drive pulley will have reduced alternator RPM as a ratio of engine RPM and this could very well be causing the problem.

However, when and under what circumstances did the fault develop, e.g. after the alternator rebuild, or subsequent to fitting the small pulley? Was all OK previously while using the small pulley? :confused:

The voltage regulator could be at fault but not likely. Surely the alternator output was checked after the rebuild. Have you put the problem to whoever was paid for the job?

Answers to these questions will prevent stabbing in the dark. ;)

The pulley was installed by the previous owner. I had the car for three years now, so we can count that out. When I had problems with my alternator, I bought a reman alternator and rebuilt the original. The original alternator is installed in the car and the reman alternator is stocked away for back up. I will switch the alternators tomorrow to see if the problem goes away. The alternator shop did mention they replaced everything except the regulator. I will contact them on Monday. I'll keep you updated. I'm sure all SVX owners feel the same as I do; When my baby is hurting, I'm hurting.:(

I installed the reman alternator and all seems fine. I drove around for about an hour with the lights and heater on. Even when I parked, the alternator kept up with the demand. One thing still bothers me: when I put on every accessorie, the voltage drops below 12 volts but the dash lights don't come on. With the other alternator, I would only put on one accessorie and it would drop below 12 volts and the dash lights would come on. Can anyone explain this? Also, can someone post voltage readings with different applications so I can compare mine to? Thanks to all.

yup.....
 

you replaced an alternator that wasn't working right with one that is working right!!
congrats on a job well done!!!
enjoy!
Keith

It appears certain that the rebuilt alternator, as opposed to the remanufactured alternator, is lacking in output at low RPM and is also imposing AC on line. This could be due to one sector of the diode pack being faulty or not properly installed, or any number of deficiencies relative to the rebuild. Did you do the rebuild yourself, or was it done for you?:confused:

What sort of voltmeter are you using and at what point are you taking your measurements, which should be directly at and from the battery.

Published figures covering static battery and charging voltage are not all that useful in practice. As long a you have say 13.5 volts or more at charge, be happy.:)

The rebuilt Alternator was bad! I have to confirm what some members have said before; Rebuilt or Reman Alternators can be faulty! I should know, I've changed 5 alternators to find one that worked!

Congratz!
 

After going through all that, maybe by now you ARE as smart as you think!! If so, need to change your profile! :)
.... you replaced an alternator that wasn't working right, again, with one that is working right!!
congrats on a job well done!!!
enjoy!
Keith

PS If you spend a lot of time parked on the interstate freeways like I do, you may have to rethink the aluminum underdrive pulley. I finally had to abandon mine but I run "all the stuff" all the time, bright lights and everything.:)

sorry, didn't see your question about the subaru pully. About $150.00 at Subaruparts.com