Electrical "gremlin" in my 91,,,

[trwp72]

OK, my 1991 is doing stupid things when cold....(Well, as cold as it can get in 100 degree heat!)

When I first start the car, and go to drive it, for about the first 3-4 blocks, it is intermittently not charging. it will stop charging for about 5 seconds, the battery light will come on, then start charging, the battery light will go off, and be fine for about a block or so, then it does it again... once I drive about 5 blocks, it will not do it again. Like it heats up, then it is fine? Sort of hard to trouble shoot! It almost acts like a main circuit breaker is getting weak and intermittenly kicking out... Maybe there is a big breaker in the underhood box I should look at? Other possibilities I am looking at is maybe a bad battery cable, voltage regulator, or alternator?

I thought maybe someone here had the same problem and solved it, saving me some time. It only does this after sitting longer than 8 hours... (It never really gets "cool" here due to the 100 degree heat right now!) after it has been run, it never does it again, until it sits for at least 8 hours...

Tom

[1990LTD]

Stock or 3G alternator?

[trwp72]

100 amp with external regulator, ala copcar!!!

[sly]

1G !!!

check the connections to the external regulator as well as the charge stud and battery. might be corrosion. The alt may also just need brushes.

[trwp72]

Well, before i could figure out what was causing the problem, it quit doing it.... So now I can't diagnose it! I will probably put all the new parts in it anyway, just to make sure....

[88grandmarq]

I would still double check all the regulator connections. also check all the grounds, mainly the battery ground cable that goes to the block.