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Speed control drops out after a feww sec when headlights are on.

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    #16
    I don't think there's any reset procedure for the voltage regulator, your caddy has some wonky 50's tech lol.
    All I can say for testing the regulator is to check battery voltage especially on startup and higher revs.

    Now that you mentioned the lights flickering even with the engine OFF, I would suspect a short even more.
    Is there any constant behaviour with the flickering? Can you stop it in any way, shutting off the car, toggling lights on/off. Does the flickering last as long every time? If you disconnect the battery during the flickering and reconnect it, does it contiinue?
    1985 Mercury Grand Marquis LS, "Maisa"
    1995 Chevrolet Caprice Classic STW, "Sally"

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      #17
      No reset procedure. It's super stupid regulator. It should just work or not. Cleaning contacts might be a good idea. Checking chassis ground, cables are tight in the terminals, wires are not green/damaged, etc.

      Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. -- Albert Einstein
      rides: 93 Crown Vic LX (The Red Velvet Cake), 2000 Crown Vic base model (Sandy), 2003 Expedition (the vacation beast)
      Originally posted by gadget73
      ... and it should all work like magic and unicorns and stuff.
      Originally posted by dmccaig
      Overhead, some poor bastards are flying in airplanes.

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        #18
        Generators need to be polarized before they work, the usual method is to apply battery voltage to the field coil, which can be done by jumping the regulator. This typically only needs to happen when the generator is new, they don't de-polarize from being unhooked. There isn't a "reset" function in any of this stuff. No computer, no memory, etc.

        If you're getting flickering lights without the engine running you have some wiring gremlin. Was this modified for EU lighting standards? If so I'd probably have a look at what exactly they did because its possible something is wrong.

        Voltage reg related stuff is a pulsing voltage while the engine is running only. The regulator only controls alternator output, if the engine isn't running there is nothing to control.
        86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
        5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

        91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

        1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

        Originally posted by phayzer5
        I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

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          #19
          Lights flickering with key off to me says headlight switch. Headlight switch gets 12v all the time.
          I know you said you cleaned it but headlight switches get used a lot and they do wear out. I went through this in my fox, and used a multimeter to test the switch, and the switch was worn. Was not carrying the proper voltage through all of the circuits.
          Since other lights on the same circuit are responding the same way, i would suspect the power feed to the headlight switch, or the switch itself. Not sure if your headlight switch has its own separate ground.
          Chances of every other power wire going from the headlight switch to all of the other lights going bad simultaneously is not high, which is why grounds were suggested.
          Chances of every ground associated with the lights being bad is also not high. Plus you checked them so that should be fine.
          What is the common denominator?
          The headlight switch.
          Plus you said the cruise works with headlights off.
          Either the switch is bad or the wiring to the switch is bad in my opinion.
          I would start there and test out the headlight switch.

          You said someone else was in there and modified the wiring already, so it might be worthwhile to test everything out.
          Those era Fords get headlight power from the starter solenoid but i might be wrong.
          ..

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            #20
            I had suspected the headlight switch, too since it´s the common denominator. That´s why I cleaned the connector and flooded the switch with radio tuner spray. Will have to test the terminals like the troubleshooting manuals shows.

            Yes. the rear brake/turn wiring was modified to meet EU lighting standards.
            I.e.:
            The double bulb rear lights with both top and bottom bulbs acting simultanely as tail and brake/turn lights was separated into the upper being turn only (tail light wire clipped) and the bottom being tail and brake only. They had run new turn and brake wires from the front to the rear. This makes no sense to me. They could´ve kept the stock turn wires and ran one new brake wire only. Anyway. I had to resolder both green and green/red hash wires to the brake switch to get working cruise. They had clipped these, too and ran the new brake wire directly from power to the brake switch, omitting the whole multifunction switch and cruise amplifier system. That´s why speed control didn´t work in the beginning at all.
            I have restored the wiring up front back to stock. I have kept the two new wires (brake and turn) and the separate bulb housings circuits for turn /brake/tail.

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              #21
              Oh i see what you're saying. The MFS was bypassed which i agree is a weird way to do it.
              Maybe you can rewire it with the stock turn wires and just add the brake circuit and maybe that will help?
              ..

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                #22
                kinda have to bypass the multifinction for EU standards. Stock you get power to the brake switch, output from the brake switch to the MF switch, and from there it goes to left, right, or both depending where the turn signal is set. EU lighting requires the brake light to be on even when the turn signal is flashing. Only way to do that would be to pull the connection from brake to turn signal switch and run it straight to the brake lights.

                Easier if you have a third brake light car. The required wire is already run to the trunk, just have to extend it a bit.

                Anyway I wouldn't be at all surprised if that modification is why the cruise control doesn't work right. I don't know where the stock connection from the brake light circuit to the cruise is, but if they didn't keep it connected to the brake light circuit it won't work correctly. If you have LED bulbs it also won't work right since there isn't a proper path to ground to make the cruise control happy.
                86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
                5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

                91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

                1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

                Originally posted by phayzer5
                I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

                Comment


                  #23
                  Well, I mentioned that sometimes the dash lights flicker up after starting the engine. This is only when depressing the brake pedal and includes dash, front and rear parking and brake lights. Press the brake and the lights come on, release it and they dim out. About 10 seconds then the whole issue is gone and stays gone until car sat for a few hours. This must have something to do with my speed control dropout.
                  And it doesn´t matter if I turn on and off either head or parking lamps during this wierd behaviour. The brake switch is the only thing that controls the lights during these weird seconds.

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                    #24
                    Hello all,

                    I think I´ve solved it. It was alternator related. The universal replacement alternator PO had installed was wiggling at it´s base pivot mounting. Found this out while I flushed the PS. After inserting a few shim spacers the wiggle is minimized, as well as the screaching I had when cold. And all of a sudden there´s no flickering lights anymore. Speed control stays on for hours during night cruises now.
                    I´m happy.

                    Comment


                      #25
                      That would do it. Bad power causes all sorts of crap.

                      I'm still amazed that alternator in my 93 that was rubbing internally and would drop out at lower RPM didn't cause any bad issues. Guess the battery was strong enough in my case. New alternator in my case fixed it (warranty replaced - freebie!).

                      Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. -- Albert Einstein
                      rides: 93 Crown Vic LX (The Red Velvet Cake), 2000 Crown Vic base model (Sandy), 2003 Expedition (the vacation beast)
                      Originally posted by gadget73
                      ... and it should all work like magic and unicorns and stuff.
                      Originally posted by dmccaig
                      Overhead, some poor bastards are flying in airplanes.

                      Comment


                        #26
                        yeah I've seen low / dirty voltage do strange things. One of the cute tricks that the Mark VII's are prone to with alternator problems is the speedo will act like a tachometer when not moving and you can make it climb by revving the engine. The digital dash cars will sometimes do stupid things like that too.
                        86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
                        5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

                        91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

                        1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

                        Originally posted by phayzer5
                        I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

                        Comment


                          #27
                          Glad you found the probem!
                          ..

                          Comment


                            #28
                            Originally posted by gadget73 View Post
                            ...One of the cute tricks that the Mark VII's are prone to with alternator problems is the speedo will act like a tachometer when not moving and you can make it climb by revving the engine. The digital dash cars will sometimes do stupid things like that too.
                            That's weird, please describe sir. The '94 Grand Am I had would do similar things when stopped. If you revved the engine in park or neutralis you could get the speedo to read 10 or 15mph.
                            1985 LTD Crown Victoria - SOLD
                            1988 Town Car Signature - Current Party Barge

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                              #29
                              yeah thats about what the Mark speedo would do. Sometimes the 90s Towncar digitals would do the same thing. Usually bad diodes in the alternator, and replacing the alt would fix it. Sometimes you could get lucky and it was just crusty connections though.
                              86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
                              5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

                              91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

                              1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

                              Originally posted by phayzer5
                              I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

                              Comment


                                #30
                                Ah, interesting. Never knew that.
                                1985 LTD Crown Victoria - SOLD
                                1988 Town Car Signature - Current Party Barge

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