gauges bouncing around????????????????
 

So I drove my truck to pick up my daughter tonight ,everything seemed fine,we stoped at the store for a min.I shut the truck off but left my running lights on,cab lights etc.Came out and the truck wouldnt start,turned over but wouldnt start.I shut the lights off and just sat there for a few,hit the key again and after rolling over once or twice fired up.My volt gauge and my temp gauge are bouncing around though and my oil pressure gauge is running higher than normal.And..when I turn the lights on and off the volt gauge moves,Whats goin on here?I have been behind the dash messing around latley could I have somehow messed something up???????????

Bad alt and or dead batteries.

Alright ,well check this out ,I just went out there again just to fiddle with it and when I pull my lights on ,my temp gauge needle goes up!WHAT THE ????????????????

Voltage regultor. Thats exactly what mine did 2 years ago.

Alright dude,awesome!Where exactly is it located?Yeah I know I should know these things............

center of the firewall, just below the cowl. silver do dad, with a three prong plug...(i think it's a three prong plug).

Roger that dude,much appreciated.This is a pretty easy fix ,No

Mine is doing the same thing, in fact shutting the radio down and the gear vendor intermitently. I put a auto zone regulator in tonight as it was all I could get, same thing.

Cost me a trip today to. I am bummed.

On the way home I got to thinking, I stopped and ran a wire from the neg side of the battery to the voltage reg. When I touched the ground wire to the voltage regulator I got a blue spark.

Everything seems normal now.

I have noticed after swapping the engine out last week that these trucks only have a ground fom the battery to the engine and one small one fom the battery terminal to the core support.

I think I am going to run a ground from the engine to the Voltage regulator/cowl, one more from the neg battery terminal to the inner fender and one from the engine to the frame.

I can't see how it would hurt.

Any Input???

I dont see how it could hurt but then again Im probably not the best one on here to ask either,I did however put a new voltage reg. on today and it seems to have taken care of my problem for now anyway.

Do it. The grounds on these trucks were barely adequate when they were new.

I know this is an old thread that I am inquiring about, but I have a 93 that is doing this exact same thing. I have replaced my grounds, my regulator is charging. Good battery and had the diodes checked in the alternator also. My radio looses power also. I was following someone the other day and they said my headlights would intermittently light up dimly. Any ideas? I am afraid if I don't get this fixed soon I will have an electrical meltdown.