Took the Charger out for a short drive ( bout 10 miles round trip ) and noticed on the way home the ammeter was jumping a little ( positive). Didn't think too much of it as I hadn't driven the car for a while and figured the battery needed charging.

Took the car out for a longer drive ( about 30 miles mostly highway) and on the way up the ammeter read +20 the whole way up.

On the way back it was still around +20 then about 15 or 20 miles in started to go higher about +40 (almost pegged).

The car ran fine but concerned about overcharging.

Today I started the car and after warm up and the car idling the ammeter read just slightly positive ( normal ).

I checked the voltage at the battery before starting it was about 12.75V . While idling the battery voltage was 17.50 - 17.62 volts ( seems high to me ) .

I checked the voltage at the regulator at idle and it was 6.8-7.5 volts.
I checked the alternator at idle and it was about 7.8- 8.2 volts

I checked the ground to the voltage regulator ( using the bracket holding the regulator as one side and an open hole in the radiator support on the other side with the ohmmeter ) and got a good connection.

The car runs with a Petronix electronic ignition system, does this effect the type of voltage regulator I need for an otherwise stock 69 set up?
I've seen solid state replacement voltage regulators for sale, but not sure what's in the stock 69 regulator.

Thoughts?
Overcharging or not?
TIA

DO NOT run it anymore (not even 10 seconds) till you swap the reg. I'm assuming you have an OE type electromechanical type reg? Your parts house has a Wells VR 706 (iirc) electronic replacemnt reg (does not look identical to OE) and mrrandyj at aol dot com has an electronic version with an black cover that does look identical to the OE electromechanical ones for $29 to your door. Reportedly you can swap your current cover to an electronic parts house replacement reg but I ain't sure which one that is.

Thanks for the reply Robert.
This is the VR I saw on Ebay Motors - is this the type I should get :

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dodge-Charger-Ch...0ce&vxp=mtr

Yes! dirt cheap/no tax/free shipping/USA made/good seller/expedited shipping. that's as good as it gets

Ok thanks .

So are those readings not right?
Was thinking that VR and battery should be about same , but is Ammeter reading the voltage being created at the battery or from voltage regulator or where?

Without further testing, I wouldn't assume the problem is the regulator. A high current draw or direct short somewhere in the system will cause a perfectly good alternator and regulator to charge at the max rate.

Something funky going on.
Voltage at battery before start 12.7
Voltage at battery while idling 17.7
Voltage at alternator while idling 7.8-8.2
Voltage at voltage regulator idling 6.8-7.5
Seems bad ground when checking voltages at alternator and regulator?? Makes me think clean your grounds and any contact points between alt and vr. Also loosen and tighten alternator bracket and VR to fire wall to ensure a good ground. ohm the wires between alt and vr check resistance from alt to AMP guage to battery clean bulk head connector. MY THOUGHTS ARE voltage at alt and vr should be the same as or close to battery. If not why? faulty meter? Just sounds like ground problem to me.
Im off to fallon for tires for daughter cant stay and help more.

Don't be surprised if you have a bad connection at either the bulkhead connector or the connector on the steering column. Look at the heavy red wire at both connections. Look for discoloration of the plastic. Pull them apart if possible and check them. I had the same problem on my 71 Challenger and I changed everything out. Regulators, alternators, had it to two different shops, nothing. I was under the dash one day just looking around and saw a brown streak in the connection for the steering column to the main harness. I bypassed the connector and that took care of the overcharging problem. Remember, these connectors are 45 alomost 50 yrs. old.

I did look at the bulk head connections from the firewall side and the inside and I didn't notice any discoloration or corrosion. It's harder on the b-bodies to get up that far underneath the column so I couldn't get any farther than that.
The connection looked good at the ammeter itself, will doubled check the column harness connection - thanks for the reminder.

Quote:

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I checked the voltage at the battery before starting it was about 12.75V . While idling the battery voltage was 17.50 - 17.62 volts ( seems high to me ) .

I checked the voltage at the regulator at idle and it was 6.8-7.5 volts.
I checked the alternator at idle and it was about 7.8- 8.2 volts

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Double check your readings.

It is impossible to have 17.5 at the battery with 7.8-8.2 at the alternator.

Oh OK I see what you are sayin cuz he does state that his batt voltage is 17+ at (normal/slow?) idle

I'm going to try and recheck my readings tomorrow as well as check the connections again from the bulkhead connector to the ammeter itself.

I've found that those stock early voltage regulators don't seem to handle the cold all too well. Anyone else experience that? Not sure if that's a good explanation.

Never had a weather related problem with my points type regulators that I recall. But the farthest north I ever was running this system during the winter was Memphis in 90-91. Yeah, it snowed there.

This may help

http://www.highimpactperformance.org/files/mopar001_1_.pdf
Keep us posted