look here, i really need help asap!!!

[rookie_LC2]

ok here is the deal. all the wiring is proper, new alternator and good battery, everything is narrowed down too the idiot lights. there is no charging at all. when i test drove the car 4 months ago all the lights worked. i have gone through damn near everything and i cant get the car too charge. any help is greatly appreciated!

thanks,
dave

 

[Russell Stover]

don't know if you did this or not but I have gotten a few bad brand new alternators before, have you had it tested?

 

[rookie_LC2]

i have tested this alternator at the store 3 times alredy and it tested fine. my problem must lie within the dummy light stuff. they dont come on at startup like they used too. and all the fuses are fine btw...

 

[arista5]

well if you do a search from years back, there was a tie to the CHARGE light, when that is burnt out then it doesnt charge.

HTH

 

[rookie_LC2]

charge light is fine. all the dummy lights are fine. and i wigglesd the harness behind the dash and still nothing. its coold here and i want too finish. lol

 

[kevans]

Here's a fix for it from Casper's.

102032 FieldFix Alternator Harness Add-In 1986-1989

Kev

 

[rookie_LC2]

you think that will work? i mean it sounds liek it would but there still might be an underlying problem with the car. i jsut dont want a bandaid that is gonna fail in a few weeks. but if this works thank you very much for pointing it out too me.

thanks,
dave

 

[kevans]

Electrical problems are the heardest to diagnose so knowing if this will work for sure is hard to say. Even if this doesn't address the problem probably still worth having so you don't have a problem in the future.

HTH,
Kev

 

[Lee Thompson]

Try this !!!!

Unplug the alt. There is a small brown wire in the plug. With the key turned on, you must have 12 volts at this wire. If not, you probably have a connection problem behind you speedo. If you don/t have 12 volts @ the brown wire, it will not charge. I had this same problem recently.

 

[John Larkin]

Like Lee said. There also is a fuse labelled "gauge". This is where the power comes from for that wire. Make sure the fuse is there (20 amp) and good.

 

[snodgrass]

If you NEED to use the car, you can run a hot wire directly from the battery to the connector that the brown wire goes to. If you want to play it safe, you can put a fuse in line. Don't leave it connected with the car off, or it will drain your battery. You can also do this to test the alternater. I agree with the other two posts. There is probaly a problem in the dash

 

[grey1]

My car was doing same thing last year. I replaced alt. and it still wasn't charging. My problem was the connector from the back of the speedo where it kinda plugs in to like a grid harness. The idiot lights were not coming on. I pushed on the dash, took it out loose, pushed some more and the lights were going on and off. After replacing some worn out screws to hold the dash & speedo tighter, the lights stayed on. No further problems.

 

[rookie_LC2]

yeah that small brown wire is only putting out .05 volts

i purchased that harness kit from Casper's today, express delivery.

We will also check out the dash lights. The only ones which check with the key on are the security light and seatbelt light.
btw car has the digital dash if that makes a difference.

thanks for everyone's help we've been at thsi for close to 6 days STRAIGHT...want to get this car on the road proper.

stay warm

 

[Lee Thompson]

Try this !!!!

Turn the key---does the volt lite come on? It will be dimmer than the other dash lites (this is normal). If not, use the flat of you hand and push the dash in. As someone mentioned in a prior post, it may be as simple as the screws not being tight.

 

[GNocide]

digital dash me too.not conected= no charge, there is the odometer cable, a single wire that has a screw that connects at an angle next to it, a harness for all the ilumination, and one foe the gauges(digital)

 

[rookie_LC2]

well we pulled the whole dash cluster *almost* all the way out.
we checked the bulbs and did a quick check of the connections, everything seemed fine...(started smelling raw fuel, decided not to pull the whole thing off blind...car has a mechanical fuel gauge?)

No dummy lights work. The only light which illuminates at startup or key on is the seatbelt light. The security light also comes on, but not sure upon startup...

 

[salvageV6]

There is a bulhead connector under the powermaster brake system in between it and the wiper motor area.

Look down there for the large harness.

See if you can push in or wiggle the large connector/harness that goes into the firewall there.

It may be an intermittant connection(s) at that point.

 

[sackracing]

i had the same problem, when the engine got hot the alternator quit working, i bought 3 alternators before i figured out the brown wire was dropping voltage. i never got a volt light on the dash. i just ran a wire from the alternator an ignition outlet in the fuse box.