69 Charger strange Starting/Ammeter problem?

[dodgcharg]

Hi, I have a 69 Charger r/t 440, 727 the parts and car are near a stock set up , but it does have the electronic orange box ignition and a yearone 69 electronic voltage regulator disguised inside the old mechanical black box.
One time after a long drive 3 months ago i stopped the charger and came back 1/2 hour later when i tried to start the car it cranked over but did not start up, then i noticed the ammeter gauge pointing hard left on the dash gauge which is the negative - i immediately pulled the pos lead off the battery.
The old wire between voltage regulator and bulk head connector was melted, i replaced this wire and the spade connector, thinking the bad spade connection caused this. The under dash loom is a new yearone loom, i have ordered new looms for the rest of the car but yearone has not delivered yet so they are the originals. The car has been running good now until a couple of days ago.
Same story after a long drive i parked the car when i got back in the car 1 hour later the engine cranked but did not start i noticed the ammeter gauge again hard over to the left, this time i pulled the pos lead off the battery quicker than last time.
The problem did not melt the same wire this time but it was very hot i also i felt the under dash loom that was hot but no wires are melted. After leaving the car to sit for 24 hours it has cranked and has started up straight away and i have driven it around again for the day, but am now expecting this to happen again sometime soon.
Any idea's where to look appreciated.
Thanks Darryl.

[nascarxx29]

First off I havent had much luck with the orange mopar box.But be sure it is well grounded.Another trouble area is the amp gauge.It is insulated by thin cardboard inside a metal instrument cluster frame.Where either the connections to it get loose.Or it works its way day down and shorts to the dash frame.A causes fusible link to blow ,If  someone hasnt already done that and hard wired it.Then leaving the bulkhead connector and its connections to be clean and tight.Or you get extreme resistance . Which causes wires to get hot and a plastic smell

[moparnutty]

I had the same setup you have on my 69 Charger 500. Mine did the same thing yours did but it melted the blue wire with white tracer from the starter switch to the firewall.I had to replace the whole wiring harness. I still have the same problem after replacing the starter switch.I just found out that my year one regulator has a dead short.Anyone know where to buy a new one. I don't trust the ones at year one.

[dodgcharg]

I had the same setup you have on my 69 Charger 500. Mine did the same thing yours did but it melted the blue wire with white tracer from the starter switch to the firewall.I had to replace the whole wiring harness. I still have the same problem after replacing the starter switch.I just found out that my year one regulator has a dead short.Anyone know where to buy a new one. I don't trust the ones at year one.

Hey Moparnutty,
My thread was not really clear but the wire that melted was the blue wire with the white tracer but the other end to yours. The melted wire in my charger runs from the bulk head connector in the engine compartment to the voltage regulator (from memory?)
The reason now i think this side melted only was this is old brittle wiring and the starter switch to the firewall is new wiring (the new yearone loom) i guess this was able to take more heat for longer with out melting?
How did you test your voltage regulator?
Is it possible for these new electronic regulators to somehow self heel as it seems this one does this somehow when either the voltage is removed over a period of time or the device cools down?

[dodgcharg]

First off I havent had much luck with the orange mopar box.But be sure it is well grounded.Another trouble area is the amp gauge.It is insulated by thin cardboard inside a metal instrument cluster frame.Where either the connections to it get loose.Or it works its way day down and shorts to the dash frame.A causes fusible link to blow ,If  someone hasnt already done that and hard wired it.Then leaving the bulkhead connector and its connections to be clean and tight.Or you get extreme resistance . Which causes wires to get hot and a plastic smell

Hey nascarxx29,
I have rebuilt the dash on my charger maybe 4 years ago now and i am confident the ammeter gauge is well insulated from the frame/ground. Its a new loom under dash which means the female bulk head connector is new - all other wiring is old at the moment but soon to be upgraded to yearone looms. Orange box is well grounded i have mounted it with 2 star washers. The car runs great every gauge and light works on the car its just this weird thing its started to do?

[nascarxx29]

Thats good you taken care of those trouble prone areas.Amp gauge and all gauges all good :2thumbs:You still getting warm to hot wires still? .But nothing is shorting out or melting wires?.Thats usually resistance from a loose or coroded wire some where.Does the battery cable spark when you put it on or off .And has battery died from car just sitting?And you got new wiring underdash .But rest of harness is old underhood.Is it still original alternator battery cables and starter.Anything that has non keyed on stationary voltage should be looked at.A chance. + pos Battery cable rubbed through and grounding out intermittantly?.Alt or starter and its connections

http://www.1969chargerregistry.com/wiring.html

[moparnutty]

I took off the regulator and hooked a 12 volt battery wire to the ign side of the regulator and grounded the regulator. It poped the inline fuse on the 12 volt wire.I'm going to order a new regulator and try that. I'll let you know how it turns out.The way it is now as soon as I turn on the key the wires start to heat up.I have all new wires inside and outside.Be sure and check where the ign wire hooks up to the reguator. The blade the wire hooked to is loose on mine and if you move it that is when you get the short.

[dodgcharg]

I have also ordered another voltage regulator from another supplier.
Though it may be that its made by the same after market manufacturer - i will compare it when i get it?
I will also let you know what the out come is but it may be a while off though.

[2Gunz]

I would try getting a DC clamp meter and see what its pulling.

[moparnutty]

Hey dodgcharg, I received the new regulator today and installed it. No more blue wire heating up. I started the car and it runs great witout the blue wire heating up. Now for the bad news. The new regulator is made by the same manufacture as the year one regulator. So I installed a 10 amp inline fuse on the blue wire with the white tracer. I can't spend another 500.00 on a new dash harness.