VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1949-1954 electrical problem

1953 210 hardtop
I am having problems with my electrical system. My battery is continuely going dead. It is an eight volt. The meter never shows that it is charging. I have changed the regulator three times. It seem like something is simply draining my battery but I can't find what it is. I have checked all the wires under the hood and did a check on the generator but everthing seems to be fine.
T :confused:

When you changed out the regulator did you polorize it? (momentarily touch a jumper from the bat terminal to the gen terminal on the regulator) this needs to be done any time you change either the regulator or the generator.How many volts are at the gen terminal on the regulator? same question at the bat terminal. Does the battery keep a charge when you remove the negative cable from the battery ? like over a weekend? You may have a bad battery. I don't know how well a six volt regulator will work with a eight volt battery, you should not need a eight volt battery with a well maintained and correctly equipted 53 car unless you have added a lot of extra electrical equiptment like A/C and TV.
:confused: :confused: :rolleyes:

The battery in brand new and I did polarize the regulator each time.There was an 8 volt in it when I got but it had a bad cell. I replaced it with a 6 but it didn't have the zip I was use too so I bouhgt an 8. I haven't check the bat without the neg.
Thanks :eek:

Well after that clutch rod experience i thought I would be back on the road. Sadly not however. This electrical problem has me and my friend pretty baffled. I disconected the brake light switch and cranked it up. The meter didn't move. I turned the lights on and the meter showed discharge, when i reved the engine the needle moved back to the center. I don't know if that is good or not. So I thought i had the beginings of a solution. So I charged the battery all night, and cranked it the next day. All I got was a feeble attempt and clicking. I made myself a cup of coffee and tried once more and it cranked right up. I let it idle for a bit and killed it. Later that day I was going to drive it to my parents but all I got was clicking.
53 210 4Door
:confused: :confused: :confused:
I would like to thank everyone again for all their help with my clutch rod dilema.

MrMack, I wonder if there could be more than one problem going on with thbass's '53. the ammeter should show at least some + charge unless the battery is fully charged. But that doesn't explain why it wouldn't start after charging the battery all night. Maybe there's a short in the starter that would pull a lot of current from the battery very quickly. Can you measure the volts while it's cranking and while it's running to check generator output? Do you know how to "full field" the generator? I don't know enough about newer cars to tell you how to do that on a '53.

Hi thbass,

It is my prediction that as long as you are attempting to operate on the 8 volt battery you will continue to have less than favorable results. :(

At least borrow a good 6 volt, charge it up fully, install it and give it a try. With a 6 volt unit you can now adjust the voltage regulator to maintain the battery as the system was designed. If the regulator can't be adjusted a new one may be in order. Also check the voltage and amps that the current generator is producing.

A well maintained and tuned 6 volt system will perform in more than a satisfactory manner.

6v works great but you must have clean very clean connections and proper size cables. I had a 01 guage built for my 52 and every thing works like a charm. I would agree with the earlier comment that there may be more than one problem, also if you have a glove compartment light, under hood light or trunk light pull the bulbs one at a time to make sure that the mercury switch is funtioning.

Hey Mr. thbass, what's happening with the electrical problem on that '53?

Guys maybe he is tired of the same answers from us, about how he should be satisfied with a 6 volt system. Maybe that isn't the answer he was looking for? I don't think he will get the six volt regulator and the 8 volt battery to cooperate.
Maybe he wants us to reccomend he get a one wire 6 volt alternator from J.C. Whitney or someone! I have seen some of them but never heard much about how they really work. 6 VDC! :cool2: VAROOOOM!

ThBass...Put your volt meter on batt with engine off read voltage,,start engine and run on fast idle read voltage if no change charging sys not working..You can bypass reg by grounding the field post on gen I think look it up in your repair manual if still no charge gen is bad if you get a charge by doing this reg is bad..It sounds like you have a problem in starting sys,bad cable,poor ground,starter sol bad,if car is auto look at neutral sw..If you think you have batt discharge while sitting remove pos cable and put test light from batt to cable with all ele off and you get a light you have ele drain in sys unhook ele sys one at a time until light goes out that will be sys that is trouble..doc

Thanks for the replys. I am still having problems but I am going to get a 6v battery. I think there is something drwaing on the batt when sitting still, so I am going to try the last idea posted. Thank you. Also, I am interested in the 6v regulator. Does anyone have any more information about that?
Thanks,
Thomas :p

THbass, there is a lengthy article in the 49-54 Chevrolet Shop Manual. Do you need a six volt regulator that has been redone and checked out? Also there are some new units (imports) for sale Email me and I will give you the address of someone in the DFW area, Chevychip may help you with someone in the Houston area.
mrmackc@msn.com

as to something running the battery down, The following circuits have power with the key off. the top of the starter solonoid ,the stop light switch, the horn, the light switch, the cigarette lighter and the dome light. There may be others that I am not aware of. Disconnecting the negative cable after the battery is fully charged should prove that theory about something dragging the power out when the car is parked one way or the other

I am sorry I mispoke. I am interested in the 6v ALTERNATOR not the 6v regulator. I am using a brand new regulator.

Put on the alternator, do away with the regulator and make sure you have a good battery. When I have had cars in the past 50 years, usually running down that battery has been a bad voltage regulator.

That is a good point Sue, sticking points in the regulator are a source of currenr drain in a battery.

There is an article somewhere on the www, about useing all-thread and nuts and washers to mount an alternator on the inline six, it may be on the Stovebolt site or the Inliner site. also Patricks' of Casa Grande Az. sells a bracket for mounting an alternator on your six. I would reccommend useing a "single wire alternator", that has the built in regulator, the only electrical hook-up required is to connect the 10 gauge wire to Battery (6vdc+) and I have been told to leave the old regulator mounted, disconnect the leads from the old generator (Gen) and (field) and connect the alternator to the Batt terminal on the regulator, that lead that is connected there goes to the input side of the ampmeter, and then to the + side of the battery via the post on top of the starter switch or solonoid. I am sure Patricks can supply a single wire 6 volt alternator, if not J.C. Whitney lists one in their catalog and they take orders online.

Installing an alternator will not correct the battery going dead when not in use.If the cutout portion of the regulator is bad it will kill the battery when notin use.I believe the generator will get warm if this is the problem.The other thing to check for a draw will be to disconnect things at their source one by one.You could pull the main light feed wire off from the light switch as this would eleliminate a lot of things.I believe its the wire to the front of the switch on the left side.May be easy if you just drop the switch.If all eletrical things are working there should be no problems with the original equipment.Don't give up,we are still out here waiting to confuse you.

I haven't changed anything but I had the generator checked out. Since I put it back in I have had no problems. The battery shows fully charged at all times. Seems odd. I will keep you informed.

It shows that the battery is fully charged because The volt. reg. will be set to maintain 7.2 volts and it is getting the signal that the battery is at or above that level. As the battery drops below that level it should recharge the battery but only up to the voltage the regulator is set for.The volt reg setting is always above the 6 volt mark, like 7.2 to 7.4 although when you test the voltage on a 6 volt battery,engine not running, it will be just over 6 volts.In otherwords the 8 volt battery will never be fully charged with a factory spec. adjusted regulator.

When the battery is "run down" and will barely turn the engine over what is the voltage reading (starter engaged?) I think you may find it gets quite low when the starter loads it, then when there is no current flowing the battery will bounce back to above 7 volts if it is an 8 volt battery and the generator will not kick in and charge, That is my theory anyway, CAUTION some of my theorys have not panned out lately either!

I had exactly the same problem and went the same route you did to an 8V battery. Things didn't really improve much until I cleaned up the starter contacts however. From then on I went through three or four regulators and getting them to balance was tough. I finally went back to a 6 volt which, with all contact kept clean, works fine and I don't burn out as many bulbs and head lights as with the 8v. Plenty of cranking speed.

Clive