Re: [AMC-List] Javelin electrical problems

["John Elle" <johnelle@xxxxxxxxx>]

Jonathan
SNIP 
Problem not solved though, as soon it's the same thing where it won't
want to restart after driving for a while.  Putting a battery booster on
when it's acting up makes it fire right up, and I took apart and cleaned
up the starter and put in new cables, which leads me to think it's an
alternator problem.  Then when I'm driving it at night for the first
time, I notice the alt light is glowing dimly with the headlights on.
SNIP
In the for what it is worth department, I have owned my 1970 Javelin
since 1979 and my Dad owned 
It since 1971 and it too had a starter that ran poopy when hot. Right
from the get go. Of course the 
story at the time was that the high compression engine was hard to start
when hot thus the starter
would of course run poopy. As it was not the only car in the world at
the time that did that most every
one and myself bought into it. Eventually the starter went and surprise,
the replacement did the same 
thing. Until it went and then whatduyuh know! The next replacement never
gave a bit of trouble. I really 
do not know why so many cars of the time had the same problem unless the
starters of the time were 
one step removed from basic junk. Since then I have gone through the odd
starter here and there and 
have lost them when I did not think that I should (I currently have 3
AMC cars registered plus 2 drivers)
but I have never had a starter act like that again. Sorry I can not help
you here except give some 
sympathy but to tell the truth my feeling is the starters are faulty. 
 
Continuing on, the Motorola Alternator system has always left the idiot
light on glowing dimly at night. 
Some times more so than others. My 68 Rambler Rebel 290 did it when it
was a late model used car 
and my 70 Javelin still does it and has been doing it as long as I can
remember, which is since 1971. 
Never had a problem keeping the battery charged. Irritating as it might
be the system works. Why 
have I not changed it? The basic reason, it keeps the battery charged
and if it ain't broke there is no 
sense in fixing it. 
 
However trouble shooting is easy. Harbor freight sells a $3.00 digital
voltmeter on sale. I always buy 
a couple of them as they make good gifts, I can keep one in every tool
kit I own and they work just 
as well as the $350.00 DVM I also have. 
 
To trouble shoot. 
Key off, motor off. DVM reading of battery equals 12.4 volts DC.
Indicates fully charged. 
Key On Motor running, DVM reading of the battery equals 14.3 Volts DC.
Indicates alternator is working. 
 
There are  few other types of tests that you can do also to indicate a
nuance or two, such as read the
battery voltage with the key off and then turn on the headlights. The
reading should not drop by much,
 a volt or less is normal. However if the lights do not come on and the
batter voltage changes very 
little that says you have a defective connection on one of the big wires
from the battery. (usually) 
Take them off of the posts and the terminals and the engine block and
clean and re-assemble will usually 
fix things up.  If the battery voltage drops considerably down to
something less than 8 volts and the lights 
do not come on that is a good indication that your battery is toast,
make it go away. 
Just keep in mind, if the battery voltage is 12.4 volts with the engine
off, the alternator is probably getting the
job done. 'Specaily if it reads 14.3 with the engine running. 
 
Don't know if this helps any, but been there, done that and managed to
live through it. 
John. 
 
 
 
 
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