Diagnosis help please

[ktraver97ss]

Right not the batteries are wired in parallel. Pos to Pos and Neg to Neg. It is still using the stock single wire, but today Im going to replace that joke wire with a 0 gauge or something thicker.

Well im going to go now to get the alt tested and get a replacement batt for the old one. Wish me luck.

 

[Yaj Yak]

gooooood

 

[ktraver97ss]

Well, alt is fine, old batt is replaced, but it was still good actually. Replaced the main alt wire with a 4awg since it was all I could get right away. Might order some larger weld wire later.

It starts and everything seems fine, but when I create a large load with the heater blower and using the windows the voltage drops and lights still dim slightly. Next Im gunna clean up the ground, but if that doesn't work any other ideas?

 

[Yaj Yak]

hmmm. hmmmmmmm. scary.

 

[Bob Kazamakis]

Well, alt is fine, old batt is replaced, but it was still good actually. Replaced the main alt wire with a 4awg since it was all I could get right away. Might order some larger weld wire later.

It starts and everything seems fine, but when I create a large load with the heater blower and using the windows the voltage drops and lights still dim slightly. Next Im gunna clean up the ground, but if that doesn't work any other ideas?

I don't have nearly the draw or setup you have but I've got similar issues with voltage drop. Did you use an auto store cable? My plan is to use a quality welding wire for both positive and negative.

 

[ktraver97ss]

Yeah, just an autostore cable for now. The neg cable seemed pretty beefcake already so no I didn't replace. I guess if the ground doesnt fix Ill replace that too. I havent even hooked the plow up yet to see how that affects it.fml

My camaro has elec issues now too. When I went to moved it to clean it up before winter storage it struggled to start. Then, when I hit the brake to put it in drive the entire right side of the gauge cluster lit up and the tach jumped. The engine did not rev, but the tach would shoot up everytime I touched the brake. Now that scared the shit out of me, i hate wires.

 

[Bob Kazamakis]

I threw on a few grounding wires and it seemed to help. Went from the battery to the engine, battery to the "frame" and engine to the frame. I also put my gtp alt. Hot wire kit on

The camaro could just be low voltage if you hadn't driven it in a while. Every car I've had that's had alt/battery dying the gauge cluster was the first to go crazy. My civic had an alternator go on my way home one day; my tach and speedo stopped working then the radio then it died. Charged it back up and same thing.

 

[ktraver97ss]

Cleaned up the ground to the frame and it did nothing. Still dropping to 12.5v at idle with accessories running and lights dim slightly. The ground to the block is very tough to get to and it really looks fine, no white corrosion or anything, just rust on the bolt head. i am thinking about running a ground from the neg terminal on the second batt to the grnd post under the alternator to see if that helps. Wish me luck.

 

[PANDA]

I think you need to ****** the fat man to come to the shop and check out this shit.

 

[Eagle]

You start trying to narrow down if maybe the blower motor or one of the window motors are pullin more than they should be?

 

[Bob Kazamakis]

That sucks Kevin. Electrical problems are a pain in the dick. I hope you figure it out...gives me something to try with my issues.

 

[ktraver97ss]

What usually ******s said fat man? Cheetos? Pizza? Beer?

 

[ktraver97ss]

Oh, and I also let it sit and idle with the accessories off and it still drops voltage, just not as quickly. I would assume this means something is sucking juice without authorization. lol
fml

 

[Bob Kazamakis]

There has to be a way to check voltage draw from the fuse box to at least narrow it down.

 

[ktraver97ss]

I am sure there is, I just don't know how. I do have a volt meter if someone could point me in the right direction.

 

[Eagle]

Current clamp meter. Get one. Go to town.

 

[Bob Kazamakis]

This may help? I'm just getting into electrical stuff...mainly home stuff.

http://www.engine-light-help.com/voltage-drop.html

 

[PANDA]

What usually ******s said fat man? Cheetos? Pizza? Beer?

Well he wouldn't want his carwashed. Maybe you can hit him with some degreaser and pressure wash him? IDK he likes food, but probably needs cash.

 

[ktraver97ss]

Maybe you can hit him with some degreaser and pressure wash him?

Ill have to bust out the wheel acid for a job like that!

 

[Turbocharged400sbc]

har har

are you running an isolator?
put that bitch on a charger right now, ill load up my tools n brick and head over in a bit...your gonna want it working right for the snow

 

[Turbocharged400sbc]

well it had some voltage drop issues which we corrected but ultimatly the alternator is toast

on a side note kevin's guy was out rollin dirty three-wheelin' a dodge and sending a lady to jail

 

[Bob Kazamakis]

What were the voltage drop issues?

 

[Turbocharged400sbc]

+ side 0.12v drop alternator stud to bat + under 100amp load, ran a 2ga aux bat to alt and his orig line was routed to plow motor solenoid
0.08-9 in the neg side alternator chassis to bat, ran an aux from alt chassis to bat
reduced it to 0.04 and 0.02 respectively under load
the alt is only putting out ~40 at idle and only hitting 90 at 2k crankshaft rpm so he's taking it back to the joint he got it from

 

[Bob Kazamakis]

Excuse my ignorance but how do you put a 100amp load on it?

 

[Turbocharged400sbc]

with a load tester i got a cheep one a while ago from harbor freight