New Alky system, pump never runs...

[Turbo Negro]

I can't get my Alky system working properly. The pump never seems to turn on or run at all. Test light lights up red, as does the "turn-on" led, but it never goes green. I can hold the test button all day with the car running and the engine never stumbles, light never goes green, and no power injection bulb comes on. I had a buddy press the button while I was under the car & couldn't feel or hear the pump running. 1.6V are present on the green MAP wire in the car with ignition on, engine off. Any way to test the pump independently?

 

[DR BOOST]

what up Negro,

can you hit the power wire to the pump with a multimeter or test light? i had a similar situation and i had blown the fuse somehow.

 

[Turbo Negro]

Fuses look fine. Also PAC is at factory presets and gain is set at 6. Which wire at the pump(there are 3 excluding the ground)? And how much voltage should I be looking for?

 

[Turbo Negro]

OK here's what I found so far... Wiring all looks good, I have 12Vpower to the pump on the red wire, but no ground continuity on black wire at the plug going to the pump. Is this normal?

 

[Chuck Leeper]

ALKY CONTROL kit?? 1-800- ask-Julio.

 

[Turbo Negro]

Damn the luck. I'll just have to be patient & call Julio next week. He's closed for the Holidays. I was hoping to isolate the problem, & test the pump. It's a nice cool day here in South FL and I wanted to take the car out for a spin.

 

[Reggie West]

Run the ground off of the pump directly to the battery.

 

[Turbo Negro]

I jumped the ground wire from the pump to the negative battery terminal with the key on & it does run. Is the controller not relaying the required ground?

 

[Reggie West]

I have had that issue with grounds on the car. Run the pump ground to one of body bolts on the firewall, preferably one closest to the battery. Make sure you have good clean contact there. Run a decent size wire right off the negative terminal of the battery to the same body bolt. Turn the ignition on, motor not running. Test the pump using the test button on the controller. You should be able to hear it run. Use a buddy to check it. If you are still not hearing it, check the ground on the controller unit.

 

[Turbo Negro]

Won't the pump run continuously if grounded as dscribed above? It seems like this would be the same thing as jumping it directly to the negative terminal on the battery.

 

[Razor]

I can't get my Alky system working properly. The pump never seems to turn on or run at all. Test light lights up red, as does the "turn-on" led, but it never goes green. I can hold the test button all day with the car running and the engine never stumbles, light never goes green, and no power injection bulb comes on. I had a buddy press the button while I was under the car & couldn't feel or hear the pump running. 1.6V are present on the green MAP wire in the car with ignition on, engine off. Any way to test the pump independently?

Ok. first of all the MAP sensor would have nothing to do with the pump working using the test button. So that part of the car don't worry about, only worry about that if not activating under boost.

Then.. with the pump plugged in.. everything connected.. the red and black wires going to the pump will show +12 when the ignition is turned on. The power injection bulb on the Buick kit is wired across the red and black pump wires. So the PI bulb will show if power is sent to pump.

Now.. typical issue with pump drive is bad ground. The black wire on the controller with the blue o-ring has to get a solid ground. I use on the Buick the bolt that holds the dash above the emergency brake pedal 10mm head.

So if the ground is solid, your going to need a multimeter to make the next few tests. First put meter on DC volts, ground your black lead to chassis ground... and check the red wire to pump. It will show 12v with ignition on.. if so.. push the test button, it will still show 12v. Next.. put the red lead of your meter on the black wire.. it will show +12v as well. When you push the test button it will drop from 12 to 8 if the blue gain knob is on position 8. If it does this the PI bulb will illuminate dimly and the pump should spin slow moving liquid.

So the PAC applies ground to spin the pump. If the ground to the PAC is dirty.. then it can't apply ground. If the PAC box doesn't drop voltage, then it needs to be sent in for inspection. Make sure Initial is at 12 o'clock minimum inside the PAC controller box.


Hope this helps. Post what you find.

Happy New Year

Julio

 

[Turbo Negro]

OK. Today I tested the PAC ground by running a jumper from the negative battery terminal to the driver's side door opening. Then I verified continuity with my meter between the jumper & the 10mm bolt inside the car where the PAC is grounded. Next I probed both red & black wires (1 at a time) at the pump's connector & bumper support bracket ground & got 12v on each (with key on). Then I had a friend push the test button inside the car (key on) while I probed the black wire & chassis ground and, the voltage remained constant at 12, no drop. Looks like the controller is not completing the circuit by applying ground, right?

 

[Razor]

Or you have a bad connection at the PAC black wire with female terminal where the pump cable attaches to the PAC controller

These tests I listed above where with the expectation of getting done under the dash not at the pump.

 

[Turbo Negro]

Alky is up and running. Thanks Julio! The bad connection was on the the black ground wire in the pump cable under the dash. Julio said the male spade terminal on the end of this wire did not have a good connection because it had been soldered. He explained that the problem was that the solder does not work on the terminal beause the terminal is nickel plated. Hope this info helps.

 

[TWIN86GNS]

Alky is up and running. Thanks Julio! The bad connection was on the the black ground wire in the pump cable under the dash. Julio said the male spade terminal on the end of this wire did not have a good connection because it had been soldered. He explained that the problem was that the solder does not work on the terminal beause the terminal is nickel plated. Hope this info helps.

Glad to hear that you found your issue.

It is the New Year and your car likes a fresh drink of Alcohol as much as any 21+ year old does!!!