voltage regulator/gen light

[nailr65]

My voltage regulator started to make some kind of clucking noise. replaced it with a new one now my generater light is is on.  Put the old one back in gen light goes of but the clucking is still there. Anyone know why the gen light stays on and is there a fix?  Thanks Dave
Just wanted to add that it does not effect the performance of the vehicle.  Or could something happen over time?

[nailr65]

Just read another post regarding the possibility of a faulty regulator.  I know this could be possible but are these things that cheap that faulty ones are that common?

[Brian]

Sounds to me like you have a shorted diode in the alternator.   The original regulator is mechanical and the point will start clicking trying to deal with the shorted diode.  If the new one you got is electronic, the shorted diode may have fried the electronics in it.  I would put the original regulator back on and take the alternator and have it tested/rebuilt by an alternator/starter rebuild shop. 

[nailr65]

Hey Brian thank you for the response.  I have a brand new alternator.  When I got the alternator a got the regulator.  When I figured out that the regulartor was causing the gen light to come on I put the old one back on.  Then just the other day it started clucking so I put the new one back on knowing that the gen light was going to come on.  Could it just be a bad regulator and could there be the possibility of more electrical damage if I continue to run the car?  Like I said it doesn't seem to effect the performance at all.