Sonar 8

n-Track Studio Discussion Forum
21
Quote:

I thought I was the only one to drive 15-20 year old cars-and-trucks..


No, I have a '96 Ford Escort wagon and a '92 Dodge pickup. Add to that my dsl internet connection, and I'm ready to roll. :laugh:
22
Quote:

Is that a bad regulator I got?


Could be... the thing is, the regulator is usually built-in the alternator these days. I remember my dads old '73 Dodge pickup. 318 engine. The voltage regulator was a black box mounted on the outside fire wall and even had an external bleeder resistor. A feller could work on his vehicles back in those days. Now you can barely raise the hood without hooking the thing up to a computer.

D
23
Quote:

the thing is, the regulator is usually built-in the alternator

Yeh - this one is in the alternaor - It's a brand new Delco (not a rebuild) - so any good shop should be able to tell if it's deffective - right?
24

I would think so. I’ve seen the droopy volt meter thing with a weak battery. I think someone has already mentioned that. Keep in mind that depending on HOW an alternator fails, the alternator can do nasty things to a battery before it dies completely. I have been bitten by this myself in the past. Now if I have an alternator go tits up, I replace the battery too… specially if it’s over a year or so old…

D

25

OK thanks - maybe it went like this - The first (alternator) replacement did fail on the way home. The charge light came on. So it was a nogo. Took it back to get it replaced. So maybe when the first one failed it messed the battery. The battery is probably about 5 years old. I’ll replace the battery and see.

Wonder if I get PW to change the thread name to ‘Sonar 8 + Battery Replacement’

26

Out of my department seven :laugh:

27
Quote: (sevenOfeleven @ Mar. 23 2009, 8:59 AM)

Wonder if I get PW to change the thread name to 'Sonar 8 + Battery Replacement'

It has kind of wandered off the Sonar screen eh? :p

D
28

Don’t care as long as I get my truck fixed :laugh:
See if I had posted in the Sonar forum - nobody there knows doodley-sqat about things automotive. Anyway the more I read about it, (sonar) - it’s like so many others, needs more time. Sometimes I feel like these proggies are like INTEL. They got the next four or five versions already done, and roll them out as the complaint ratio reaches critical mass. And of course charge you for the fixes/updates.