I just bought this car a few weeks back and never noticed any light on, then the other day I noticed it very dim. Later on, I got on it a bit and the light got brighter so I thought to myself alternator or voltage reg. is gone out.

On another note a previous owner had butchered the factory harness and had done away with the external voltage regulator and bought a internal unit and had spliced and taped wire's everywhere with bright blue tape and wirenuts.

The engine bay was a wreck, it drove me crazy. Well thank God, I kept my old harness's from some part's cars. I had two nice one's with no cut/splices in them. So last Saturday I pull the booster/master cyl. together and pull the engine harness. Replace every single wire, rewire the coil, starter, tranny sending unit, etc. Buy a brand new alternator and a external voltage regulator.

I go for a small drive today and no lights. So I'm thinking I fixed it. Just when I start to think so, I give it some gas and low and behold the light got bright. Then I backed off and it got dim again. I get home and pull the hot wire from the positive side of the battery while it's running and the car is still running. So I'm assuming it's charging since it didn't die.

I'm switching every thing over to guage's and tic-toc-tach next week, so then there won't be no light. But I'm wondering what the problem is here?

Also another problem is I have all my lights working, tail lights, brake lights, turn signals, etc. Head lights work on bright, but when I dim them no lights (none of the 4 work) I changed them and still no dice.

The front bumper parking lights and fender marker lights both don't work either when the headlight switch is pulled, but when I give the signal's they work? Everything is hooked up, bulbs are good. I don't know what's going on here with these electrical issues.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

 

On the headlight issue, check the dimmer switch, things happen there that get missed... my kid's car has the dim charge light problem and it is due to loose pins on the cct board ('68 Cutlass)

 

What year is this car?
Most likely, the GEN light will still be on the Rally Pac - it was in 72...
Do you have a voltmeter? It should read around 13.7 to 14.4V with any given driving RPM or loading (Headlights on, heater fan on high.)
The turn signals and parking lights are different filaments in each bulb. Doublecheck the wiring to them, including the grounds. If the tail lights work, then the light switch should be good. It is always possible for a terminal in the dash bulkhead to have come loose, so doublecheck that also (a pain I know...)

 

Ive had this happen when Alt belt is loose or slipping under high rpm (wet) other head light issue sounds like a ground/wiring problem.

 

Good point - check the belt for tightness, glazing, and quality of fit. Squealing is not always present during slippage.

 

Check all your grounds Batt to body & engine to body & your belt which pulley does it run off of ? some early Olds relied on the PS belt to keep tension on everything

 

71' Olds 442. The belt is brand new and is plenty tight. All the grounds are good.

 

Make sure reg has a good ground. Is there a capacitor on the reg? If so try it with the capacitor unpluged.