98 V70 NA voltage regulator

[98v70dad]

My voltage is all over the place. Usually heat make it worse. 13.4 On the high side, 12.6 on the low side. Very common on these cars.

Have you checked it directly off the back of the alternator with a digital volt meter when the Ultra Gauge says it's low?

I haven't checked it directly but my extremes are the same as yours. It is lowest when its hot.

[rspi]

Also drops in very humid conditions, like when it's raining.

[98v70dad]

Which VR do you need? You have to open up the alternator to know. E.g., https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums ... hp?t=61610.

Dont know. I just started thinking about it seriously yesterday. I'll check it out. Today I repaired my passenger side headlight housing with a number 8 bolt and washer and a couple of nuts along with about 2 feet of SS wire. Its the last of the non-OEM parts left in my car. Much of the aftermarket stuff I've bought for the Volvo is just junk. My zero cost headlight repair will probably buy me 6 months or maybe a few years if the wire doesn't break from heat cycling. I think I would have been better off with used OEM headlight housings or cleaning up my originals ... live and learn. ALL of the cheap aftermarket parts I've bought have failed within 5 years or so. Oddly aftermarket I've bought for my Toyota or Honda were all fine.

[98v70dad]

Also drops in very humid conditions, like when it's raining.

Its always humid in Atlanta in the Summer. My car seems OK but I just like to take care of stuff BEFORE it fails.

[E Showell]

I've got a good used OEM headlight. I just harvested it last weekend, so I haven't plugged it into the wiring to see if the bulb lights, but the housing and lens are in fine condition. Let me know if you're interested if your McGyver repair craps out on you.

[polskamafia mjl]

What's wrong with ebay? Ebay sellers have ratings for a reason.

I bought one for $35 from eEuroparts last fall. -> http://www.eeuroparts.com/Parts/5034/Vo ... r-4737151/

Can you look at a part and tell if it's counterfeit or not? If a price is too good to be true it's probably counterfeit. There are lots of very good fakes out there.

Sellers who sell junk don't have good ratings though...

[98v70dad]

I've got a good used OEM headlight. I just harvested it last weekend, so I haven't plugged it into the wiring to see if the bulb lights, but the housing and lens are in fine condition. Let me know if you're interested if your McGyver repair craps out on you.

Thanks. There is a little white plastic clip inside the housing that holds on to the reflector. It just snapped off. I drilled a hole in the reflector and put a few wraps of SS wire through it to hold it tight in place of the plastic clip. To add insult to injury the big gear on top snapped the pin that holds it AND one of the brass inserts came loose and rotates when you try to tighten it. I got it all fixed up for no money but it just irritates that the aftermarket parts are such junk. I am a professional who works (worked) in machine maintenance and repair and I don't push the parts beyond what should be reasonable.

[98v70dad]

What's wrong with ebay? Ebay sellers have ratings for a reason.

I bought one for $35 from eEuroparts last fall. -> http://www.eeuroparts.com/Parts/5034/Vo ... r-4737151/

Can you look at a part and tell if it's counterfeit or not? If a price is too good to be true it's probably counterfeit. There are lots of very good fakes out there.

Sellers who sell junk don't have good ratings though...

I can't agree with that. Car parts are an exception. Good Volvo parts last for 15-20 years. junk parts last about 1 or 2 years. ebay ratings are required about 5 days after ordering. Anyone who has bought junk is still happy with it when they rate it. I buy lots of stuff on eBay, but I am very careful about buying car parts.

[98v70dad]

I've got a good used OEM headlight. I just harvested it last weekend, so I haven't plugged it into the wiring to see if the bulb lights, but the housing and lens are in fine condition. Let me know if you're interested if your McGyver repair craps out on you.

Both of my headlight housings are bad. The left side had the door break off for the high beam on about the 3rd use. The right side has all the problems I noted yesterday. I haven't replaced them because its a minor problem and I don't want to have to seal with aiming the lights. I've aimed headlights before ... big pain - mediocre results. I've paid people to aim headlights before....big charge - mediocre results.

Anyhow, please PM me what price you'll sell the right headlight for. I may just get it to have on hand. I replaced the originals because hey were very dim. I didn't know you could clean them.

[sleddriver]

I dug into this issue many years ago when my alt failed, I installed a new Bosch and it was Tango Uniform, straight out-of-the-box. I was a bit surprised at the low Voltage "headroom". Then remembered reading somewhere that it was a characteristic of Bosch alts.

The other issue I also figured out was that the Interstate batteries recommended by one indy & on I.S.'s site were TOO SMALL, both physically and ratings wise. I'd go through a new battery every 3 or 4 years. That's just nuts. I was also puzzled why the batteries were also about 75% of the battery tray size. Then another Volvo guy noticed the same thing and also investigated.

Down here, we don't start cars during the "Winter" at -15°F on a regular basis. We're lucky if it even freezes, much less we get a HARD freeze. Down here we need a battery with a higher amp-hour rating. So I bought a full-size battery in the next class size up that completely fills the battery tray. It was about another $20 or so, but it also has a longer warranty, more capacity, better construction, etc. and I don't have to worry if I play the car radio while working on the car. It may also help the alt to last longer. Time will tell.