LUVTruck.com

OK on my 80. All stock except for a recently installed electronic dist. set up. Well in stalled a couple times on my daughter today on her way to school. When she went to leave, it wouldn't start. I went out there, and it was not making spark to the plugs. I just had it towed home, pushed it in the garage, and it fired right up! It is idling just a slightly rough. I have the battery tester on it, It is only putting out about 12.5 volts.
My question is, can a bad regulator or bad alt. kill the ignition even with a good battery? (battery not dead)

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OK, I'm over it. Where's the beer?

I ordered a new regulator. I'll get it tomorrow. The needle bounces around a bit, but the best it got was 13.5.

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OK, I'm over it. Where's the beer?

Check your chassis grounds too.Double check all your connections for the new distributor.

Labman's universal answer for all electrical problems: LUV's have a weak link in the electrical system, the fusebox. The terminals the wires connect are riveted to the fuse holders. A little age and corrosion, and you get electrical intermittents. I solved mine by taking it apart and soldering the joints. Others have cleaned it with lemon juice, and others a new fuse box.

mine was giving me bad proformance, stalls, random not wanting to start, because my points were closed. just another maybe tho you've probably already checked. .... wait... you said new electronic dist.... i'm an idiot.

oh and labman, on the 80's, they use one solid piece of metal inside the fusebox to connect the fuseholders to the wiring harness, no rivets.

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1980 Chevy Luv 4x4 mikado factory Black.

1.8L 4spd

Glad to hear they eventually fixed the problem.

The regulator is different too. It has a round plug on it not a rectangle, like my 78 and 79.

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OK, I'm over it. Where's the beer?

To the question in your first post the answer is yes. The charging system should be putting out 13.8-14.8 volts. I think the relay/fuel pump setup demands higher than battery voltage to operate properly. When we turn the key the relay is bypassed and the fuel pump works let the key go from start to run and all you have is a bowl full of gas and no more gas being pumped in on battery voltage 12.5 volts or less or so. The regulator can be adjusted I wouldnt throw it out if its running good now.

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1980 4x4

Regarding they solved the fusebox issue on the 80: Not on mine. I solved it by dremeling out the rivets and replacing with new copper pop rivets. I'm with Labman on this. I had gremlins on mine and got very lucky with figuring out the fusebox connection. Many of the issues that come up do not logically lead to the fusebox. I think many LUVs have been discarded over issues that in fact are caused by poor contacts in the fusebox.

Yeah, I am afraid you are right about many LUV"s being junked over an easily fixed electrical problem. A PITA to find. It took me a loooooooooong time. I have always believed problems need to have the cause identified to make a reliable fix. I moved my fuse box inside and cleaned the fuse holders many times. I never fixed the problem for good until I soldered the connections.

Helmet may be right too, a midyear upgrade.