OK, here's the skinny...

Last week I sold my 1930 Ford Model A Hot Rod... The guy who bought it (ebay) was from Japan, and his friend was coming to pick it up from California over the weekend down in my home town of Corpus Christi, TX.

I live in Waco, which is about 300 miles north, so I fueled up and hit the road Friday evening. I was hauling tail most of the way, made a drink stop, a pee stop, and got stuck in traffic in Austin and in San Antonio.

During my trip I noticed that my headlights would "flicker"... They'd only do it every once in a while. I never had enough time to check the ammeter to see if it would flutter as well, but I think my gauge lights and dash lights would brighten during the "flicker". It seems like they got slightly brighter, but not as bright as highbeams. Like I said, they'd only do it occaisionally.

I jacked with the Headlight Switch while driving to see if I could make it happen, but I got nothing. I check my fuses the next day and found nothing, I check the connections at the lights and came up with nothing....

I know that in the past, I've pulled the switch and my headlights would come on, but not my dash lights. Also during my drive back to Waco on Sunday evening, after the fierce thunderstorms that left me sleeping on the bench seat inside my truck at a rest area for 5 hours "waiting out the storm", my headlights turned off completely. But before I reacted and hit the brakes they had already turned back on.

I know my ammeter was reading a little lower than normal on Saturday during the day, but I didn't have A/C on or lights...just my stereo...I don't understand that.

I'm guessing that my problem lurks in the headlights switch, but I'd like to run it by you guys to see if you've ran into problems like this on your 1st gens....

Thanks in advance, I know I'll get some helpful replies as always...

 

A regulator going south will do that also. Could also be in the alternator.

 

regulator?


I'm planning to run the truck to the closest autozone and have them check the alternator...since they do it for free and on the truck, lol.

 

Hey Bud,

So,how's the weather down there in beautiful Texas?

The voltage regulator is on the firewall,in the middle,just under the cowl.
Little rectagular box with 2 wires goin'to it...has a little triangular plug towards the bottom middle.
Unless it's really old,it'll be sorta'shiney.

My truck was doing the same flickering light thang... and really bad too...

Pastor Bob was kind enough to relate to me that these trucks have a weak ground problem sometimes...especially now that they're gettin'older.

The ground wire goes from the battery to the core support...and it's not very big either.

First,I ran a larger wire from the battery to the core support,and cleaned where it hooks-up.

Second,I drilled a tiny hole in my battery terminal,then secured a ring terminal to it with a small sheet metal screw. I ran that wire from my battery to the regulator and hooked it up under the reg by loosening the bolt,and sandwiching it between the reg and the truck.

Third(I'm into overkill),I hooked-up a new ground wire from the core support to the alternator bracket.

I'd like to say it completely cured it,but I think I might(I say MIGHT!) have seen a slight flicker in the months since then...
I will say it went from an annoying strobe effect to my not being sure if I have seen it since.

Hope that helps,
Vinny

 

Vinny, thanks...I was planning on re-doing the ground wires as well, and I'm into "overkill" also, heh.

I'll try that after the Alternator test...and I'll see whats up with the prices on a new switch & regulator...just incase...

 

Clean or replace your headlight switch. I only had to clean mine. They get corroded and the wire connections are close together making it easy to contact each other. Just about all the connections mix metals and are prone to corrosion.

 

I don't know if this is your problem or not, but it's happened to me on 2 different trucks, a 93 and a 98.

The plug that connects to the back of the headlite switch was the problem on both trucks. The metal connectors inside that plastic connector become hot, and in so doing, melt the plastic connector. The melted plastic gets between the metal of the headlite switch terminals and the wire connectors, making a resitance which then starts to melt the switch itself.

I cured the problem on both trucks by eliminating the factory connector and using regular crimp style connectors on each individual wire that runs to the switch. This has cured the problem on both trucks.

I was having the same symptoms as you are having and they showed up when I was pulling a trailer. The wires that feed the switch, in my opinion, are too small for the loads they are handling, especially with the added load of trailer lighting, but short of re-wiring the whole truck, I don't see a cure for that. Since I replaced the terminal ends I haven't had any problems with the lights or the switches. You will probably have to replace the switch however, as the heat from the melting connector loosens the spade terminals in the headlite switch itself, also creating a connection problem.

Hope this helps!

chaikwa.

 

I had simular problems and they were associated with my hi-low beam switch on the directional lever!

 

All good stuff -- though I am pretty sure that '92's have the voltage regulator built inot the computer, not separate as on earlier trucks . . .

 

sometimes bad brushes in the alt will cause stuff to get brighter as well, at least on the old stuff. I think the old point style regulator is easy to overload.

My truck has the strobe effect, always has. You don't notice it unless you're stopped behind a semi or against a garage door or something, can't tell when driving.

 

If the regulator is not in the PCM, it is only about $7.00 to change. Cheap insurance. If it is in the PCM try running a ground wire from the alternator to the PCM. If it turns out that the PCM is bad, just add a seperate regulator. Mine runs that way, works better than the original did. When I added the regulator, the system would not work right until I added a ground from the alternator to the regulator.

 

You are correct as far as I know. My brothers 92 has the regulator with the computer, and my 90 it's on the fire wall.

 

All this talk about the regulator in the computer reminded me... I have a 'spare' computer for a 93 w/ an automatic if anyone needs one. I bought it in error and it's still brand new in the box. (Yeah, I know. Mistakes are expensive!) All I'd have to do is FIND it in the barn!

chaikwa.

 

What does our computer control? Why aren't there "chips" for our trucks?

I'll be working on the headlight problems next week, after the brake system headaches...thanks for all the helpful tips & info everyone!

 

Because the computer does not contral anything having to do with fuel delivery. The VE, and even the P, pumps are totally mechanical. You don't even need a battery to run that engine (once you get it started and pull the plunder out of the shut off solenoid). Which is how I like it . . .