Heres the history of the problem:

about 2 weeks ago I was driving along, my music got louder, my headlights got brighter, my heater fan got louder, electric temp all of a sudden went to nothing, oil pressure went really high(this is the electric switch oil pressure gauge, oil pressure has been verified normal with a mech gauge). voltmeter went to about 20 volts, and amp light came on. I pushed in the clutch, car idled down, and everything went back to normal.

My car never had a constant voltage after(and possibly before that) every time i started up i would get a slightly different base voltage(between 12-14.5) and oil pressure. I started using my voltage to predict the weather(12 volts meant rain, 12.5 clouds, 14 really bloody hot the next day). While driving the voltage stayed more or less constant, but always at a slightly different value then the last time i drove the car. Oil pressure would be a different value each time, some times would freak out between on and off at idle, and would stay constant to about 2.5-3 grand then shoot up a bit and stay constant there until rpm dropped again. Clicking on the panel lights made my voltage drop a little, my temp gauge read a little higher, and my oil pressure a little lower.

On sunday I was driving at work, and all of a sudden my voltage went really high, accompanied by all of the symptoms from before. This time i would get normal voltage at idle, but anything faster and the voltage would climb. I disconnected my voltage regulator and drove it home on the battery.

I rebuilt the alternator, new Voltage regulator, Brushes, Rectifier, bearings, assuming my voltage regulator had gone out. Put the rebuilt alternator in yesterday and it actually made the problem worse and better at the same time. I get constant voltage until 1500rpm, then by 2000rpm my voltage is pegged beyond 20 and at about 2500rpm my amp light comes on. Voltage has been varified as being unregulated with a voltmeter, aswell as the fact that the lights in the car get brighter, fan faster, ect. My oil pressure guage now twitches at idle, and reads higher with rising rpm/voltage.

My only guess is a bad ground somewhere? Maybe the block ground? Beyond that I'm a little stumped I've never heard of anyone having similar problems...

 

Have you checked the battery cables? From one end to the other. check the fuse box and make sure there is no jerry rigging there. check the plug wires and make sure they are good and not grounding out somehow. look at the starter silonoid (how ever it is spelled) just suggestions. I was going to say the alternator but you said you rebuilt that. So I would start with all the big wires and check them, if you can ohm them out.

 

Like said, look at all you're wires to see if they are unplugged, shorted out, cut, burn, etc and also it might be time for better grounds

 

can't find any issues with wiring, will start checking grounds

 

If stuff was getting brighter and louder I would say the alternator / voltage regulator is on it's way out.

I don't see how a bad ground / shorted wire would do that....

 

i replaced the reg, with a brand new one, which i tested, I also tested the stator and rotor, both of which are good, so i don't see how it could be the alternator, and has to be an issue in the alternator wiring

 

guess you never traced down an electric prob. he replaced those so something is jumping around to feed itself back to them to make it act up. alternator is bolted to motor if something is grounding out on the motor it can effect the alternator or other components. there is something messing with the sensors.

 

my car is also running rich and not idling at a constant rpm, making me think a bad ground somewhere