Resty

I recently swapped out a "04 Dodge Ram 1500 Hemi for a 12 valve cummins and am having battery charging issues. I set up a brand new dual battery system with new alternator and external charge controller and its still not charging my batteries. People I've talked to said that a one wire self exciting alternator would solve my problem, while others say that this option in no better than a jimmy rigged job. Im at a loss and am desperate for help as this rig is my daily driver and hauls my 18' light weight toy Hauler/home. I have a bunch of pics if it will help.
Can someone please throw me a bone!

Angry Johnny

What year engine did you put in it?

Resty

Its a '93 Cummins. I did all of the tuning upgrades you've mentioned aside from the muffled exhaust. Im currently searching for a 3.54 rear axle to help with freeway towing speeds. The biggest problem Im having is the charging system. Im half way tempted to install a couple 120 watt solar panels on the canopy with charge controller and inverter to keep my batteries charged. Not sure what else to do. Ive tried pretty much everything that Ive found online and nothing seems to resolve the charging issues.

Angry Johnny

Well it's pretty hard to determine why when we don't know what you've done. The charging circuit is really simple if you use a Mopar voltage regulator. I don't know what an external charge controller is or how you've wired it.

The large terminal on the alternator is battery hot. One field terminal is ignition hot. The other field terminal goes to the voltage regulator lower terminal. The centered terminal on the regulator is ignition hot. That should get it charging.

nonrev

I'm a little confused.. did he put a 93 12 valve in his 04 1500 or did he swap the 04 for a 93 cummins truck, if he did there is no external regulator, it is controlled by the computer I believe.




Never mind I just read his other post on axle ratios ..he put the cummins in the 1500.


Resty, did you use the alt. and the stock wiring from the 1500 in your swap, cuz it is definitely computer controlled in that year.

MrFusion

Look in the sticky for a write up on doing the external voltage regulator conversion. Spells it out really well.