1987 Dodge Aries Charging System

LAKOTAWOLF14

MEMBER
1987 DODGE ARIES
4 CYL
FWD
AUTOMATIC
157,000 MILES

Hi I have an 87 aries, just put a new engine in it, I am having charging issues, the car the lights flicker headlights dome light all of them. The amp meter shows that it is over charging, then when the fan comes on, the car runs like crap like power drain real bad, just replaced battery and altenator. I do remember my son arcing the starter while putting in the new engine, he didn't have the battery cable disconnected, but any way I have checked most of the wires, still cannot figrue out what it is. I am an old car mechenic 70's that sort of thing but for the life of me this has got me puzzeled, any thoughts?

1 Reply

CH112063

MECHANIC
1,320 POSTS

Hi. I thank you for bring this to everyone's attention. If you worked with cars in the 70's your no new comer to alternator field control regulation. After 82 or so, the regulation of the field circuit was internally regulated in the engine control module, called a SMEC at the time(87), or power module, it and another module called a logic module were needed, to do the same job the PCM's are doing today. One job was field ground control. See if when your starter red wire(large) hit ground, a fuse(especially number 13(4amp) inside, or a fusible link took a circuit(wire) out. The gray, white, or orange wires just halfway from the battery to the bulkhead connector are called fusible links. You alternator may be finding field ground right through the fan relay. Get back to me. Alt has 12 volts at dark green wire, and field ground is blue wire. With key on. So you now have an idea of where to check first, with a test light or meter. Check both sides of everyfuse and every fuse link. Their hidden, and you can tell they are bad by pulling them each seperately. They will come apart if one is bad. Or a test light on each side works better.
There is only two more possibilities, and yes, I've done them also. The same way.
Have safe car. Good.