12 volt electrical issue

Cajunshoepic

New User
I’ve recently rebuilt a ford 8n tractor got it all wired up put a new one wire alternator , coil , wiring harness ,resistor , terminal block ,etc.. and when I put a digital volt meter on the battery while its running my meter fluctuates randomly between 13 to 18 volts an in between . I also put new headlight and after having them on for about a minute the bulbs burnt.please help ,any suggests?????
 
Check to be sure you have a GOOD clean tight ground from the battery to the tractor, also on the alternator. I've seen a loose ground cause similar issues because the alternator is trying to compensate for the bad ground connection.
 
Common problem with a digital meter it reads stray voltage from the spark plugs etc. so you do not get a good reading. You need a good digital meter or an analog meter to get a true reading
 
old has the answer. Modest cost digitals read voltage every 1/100 of a second and display what ever they find, Usually OK on a battery or on AC, but really not good on unshielded tractor systems. The headlight burned either from being defective (many are) or from being 6 volt. Be sure the replacement number is for 12v systems. Jim
 
What you say about my digital meter makes sense to me now , I turned the meter on not even connected to any part of the tractor just being by it and the volts fluctuate on the screen , however I bought 2 new 12volt headlights and they both burnt , is there any recommendations on where I should buy my next two ?? Thanks for advise
 
The problem you are talking about should not happen with a solid state regulator, check battery connections.
 
That 1 wire alternator could also be bad. The one wire are aftermarket jury rigged alternators that work when they want and not work at other times. Best if to install a true Delco 10SI like what was on a 1980 Chevy pickup and wire it up as a 3 wire and be done with it and have a good working system
 

One wire alternators appear simple however they can cause complex problems . Such as over charging and battery draining. Odds are the problems will go away with a proper three wire alternator .
 

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