I reconnected the battery last night after returning from a trip, and after the car started, most of the important warning lights stayed on, like "overheat exhaust system", "add coolant", "charge", "oil level", and "fuel", and some of the lesser ones like "door", and "hatch". Knowing the hatch, door, fuel, oil, and coolant were ok, I figured the lights were a glitch, and I drove home, but the voltmeter was showing high, between 15 and 16v, which fluctuated depending on the accessories I had turned on at the time. Also, when I hit the brakes, the lights would extinguish, the voltmeter would show normal (14v, right?), and then when I hit the accelerator again, they would illuminate and go back to 15-16v. I don't know if I have a voltage regulator problem, or an electrical connection problem, but this morning I tried to push all the electrical connectors together, with no change.

If it's a voltage regulator problem, do I have to change the alternator, or can I just change the voltage regulator?
Or is this a connector problem, and if so, which connector (where, physically, is it located on the engine)?


Thanks for your time.....

Jim

 

Blew the regulator or the CPU needs re-soldering.

When you disconnected the battery, you disconnected ground first and hooked it back up last right?

Disconnecting 12V+ first or hooking the + side up last blows out alt regulators in many german cars. I wouldn't rule it out on a FC either.

 

when I disconnected the battery, all I did was disconnect the negative (black, ground) lead. Would that blow the voltage regulator, or mess up the CPU?

Can I get just a voltage regulator, or will I need a new alternator?
Alternately, what is involved in resoldering the CPU?

Thanks
Jim