Hey guys,

So I noticed something strange in my '84 300D. Before I get into it, I should mention I have a Bosh AL129X upgraded alt in there. I put it in about a year ago and it's worked fine since then with no issue. Anyways, I noticed at idle, the volt meter needle was flicking back and forth lightly, nothing major, but it usually just sat still around 13v. Then at random it would go crazy and jump between what looks like about 11-15 volts, and it would jump back and forth and the lights would dim and brighten until I applied a bit of throttle, then it would smooth out.

It would operate fine at any speed besides idle, and sat steady between 13.5-14v. But as soon as I got to a stop and was idling, it would sit there flickering lightly, and then with no prompting, would start doing the major flickering. I was reading up on causes of this and was already suspecting a failing voltage regulator.

Then today I got in to go to work, and I noticed that as soon as I started the car, the volt meter was pretty much pegged at 14v, from idle to operating speed, it was at 14v. I can only imagine it's not good to run like that.


Do these sound like the symptoms of a failed Voltage Regulator? I've already checked all of my cables, cleaned connections, tightened all connections, etc. There is no cable that was overlooked. All connections are tight and cables are secure and appear to be functioning. All grounds have been checked and cleaned to verify proper grounding. I checked to make sure the volt meter isn't faulty, which it's not.

Also, I have one of the smaller stock Bosch alternators that I had bought just a couple months before I bought the AL129X unit. It's still sitting in my garage and has hardly any miles on it. After looking at these 2 units, it looks like they might use the same Voltage Regulator. Would anyone know anything about that?

Thanks!

-Tony

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1984 Mercedes-Benz 300D