Voltage Regulator Wire

[fnoti]

Hey everyone.  I am so excited because I was able to solve a problem I had with my 59 coupe.  I posted my first day diary with it in the general forum and told how it died on me and would not start.  I read the shop manual and talked with some people to narrow the issue down to the regulator.  I fixed a wire that was attached to the fuse and the car started right up.  My question now is that there is a wire coming off the regulator that is not attached to anything (was like this when I got the car).  I tested it and there is ampage coming off the wire. 

[Otto Skorzeny]

Can you post a clearer photo of the regulator and the wire in question? I can't tell a thing from that picture or even what wire you're talking about.Where on the regulator is the wire attached?

[J. Gomez]

one more

Frank,

Per the pictures color you posted; the color of the jacket looks like "dark blue”, and the gauge could be either 14 (old)/12 (new). According to the wiring diagram the dark blue should be going to the “F” field terminal at the generator, same terminal at the VR.

What terminal the clip wire at the VR label? Is the “F” terminal at the generator connected to the “F” on the VR?

[Dan LeBlanc]

The B terminal on the voltage regulator indeed goes to the positive post of the battery.  If it's not connected, then, yes, you are driving off the juice in the battery as you suspected.  If you get a good digital multimeter and connect it to the battery while the car is running, the output should be above 12.5 volts, even higher if you rev the car.  Any less than that you have nothing coming from the generator to the battery.

[J. Gomez]

Thank you for the reply Jose, I still feel stumped.  I took 2 more pics to see if it helps.  The wire is a tick black wire.  I saw the blue one and it is attached.  I looked in the shop manual and found a pic of some regulator test.  My regulator is put in so that there is the on bolt at the bottom and the two bolts at the top.  When I looked in the manual is shows a pic the other way around.  Everything seems to be correct but this mysterious black wire is coming off tab B according to the manual.  When I looked further it gives the impression that this wire should be hooked to the battery.  My thinking is this, when I drove the car on monday everything was ok, then this fuse wire came loose and I was basically driving off the juice of the battery.  The car died and wouldnt start and couldnt be jumped.  Today I replace the fuse housing and was able to jump the car and it ran great.  Gen light flickered a little but car ran smooth.  I am now charging the battery because it was completely dead.

So do you think this wire should be hooked to the battery and if so to which side?  we volt tested it with car running and the wire is putting out amps.  I am a novice and almost danced around the house after just getting it started lol so if Im way off on my assumptions please forgive me.

Frank,

I just realized the 1959 wiring diagram has a HUGE error, the VR “G” and “B” are in reversed order.  I’m posting a similar clip from the 1960 (should be identical connections), that shows the correct hock-up.

As Dan stated the Black wire from the VR should go straight to the positive side battery terminal.

[Otto Skorzeny]

It's also possible that the "new" regulator in the trunk was bad. These days you just never know. Most of this stuff is made in China nowadays.