The culprit is a 1995 E150 Conversion Van w/5.8L and E4OD showing 187k miles. While driving at night I noticed my lights flare up and the battery gauge needle peg out to the right (max). It only stays like this for a few seconds and then everything goes back to normal. It's intermittant and may not happen again for a couple of days. It just happens all of a sudden out of the blue! No other symptoms. Any ideas appreciated! Thanks.

 

Sounds to be a regulator problem. It's going and can overcharge the battery.

 

I believe this may be the original alternator so I'm leaning toward just putting a new one in it. Do new alternators come with a new regulator as a rule? Whats a good price on one? I think it is a 135 amp unit. Thanks!

 

According to my "Haynes" manual, the alternator/regulator is one unit. I live in a rural area of Canada so prices unlikely relevent to where you are. I believe the 135 amp is standard. Check out the battery while your at it. I could have been damaged if overcharged.

 

New alternator/regulator fixed it. Thanks all!