so i was nosing around with the electrical due to a headlight issue I still have no fixed (high beams flash and shut off low beams work great replaced dash switch gonna do floor next) and noticed that there was no wire running from my alternator to my battery only wire coming off the + stud of the alt went to the relay on the firewall here is a pic sorryits the best I have at the moment. the only wires going to the positive terminal on my battery are the red one you see running along the fender into the (Relay is what i think it is) and then the one going from the batt to the starter this cant be right can it? I should also note the battery voltage does NOT change car running vs shut off and typically you should see an increase if its charging right? No idiot lights on the dash are on either and all function when you turn the key to start the car. Thanks everyone.
I don't know the history of your car, or who owned it before you, but I think it is safe to say that it has been modified from stock wiring. I see the HEI big cap distributor. What I don't see is the voltage regulator on the firewall. Someone probably converted it to a one wire alternator. Voltage across the battery with the engine running should be 14.1 to 14.5 volts in general. A fully charged battery will read about 12.6 volts otherwise. Depending on how abortionized the wiring is, you may need to get a new wiring harness for the car. Also get a copy of a 1968 Buick chassis manual.
Larry, you are all over these boards I see your name pop up everywhere lol. The alternator that is in there now is not a 1 wire alternator, it has the two wires coming off the back attached to a little black plug and then a wire coming off the + post. The two wires that are attached with the plug disappear into the factory harness, and the wire coming off the + post goes to the relay on the fire wall. With the engine running my battery reads the same voltage as at rest so no charge from alternator. I have much more experience with electronics then I do the actual mechanics part I have been doing car stereos as a hobby sense I was 13 and I am now 26. The voltage regulator if I am not mistaken is mounted on the fender at the bottom of the picture. This is used in this scenario I believe just to control the voltage that cars instruments see. Would it hurt to run a charge wire from the alts + post directly to the battery like I have done in my stereo suburban? Mister T, Thanks for confirming this should be my next coarse of action, hopefully this will eliminate the problem as I can but dont really want to go chasing wires through the factory harness if I can avoid it. Thanks, Gregory
Gregory, I would not deviate from the factory wiring at all. That relay is not stock, and I have no idea why it is there. The wire coming off the alternator post should also go into the harness, and ultimately lead back to the battery through the starter solenoid connection. That is what shows on my factory wiring diagrams. Your voltage regulator may in fact be on the fender, but it is on the firewall in my car. What is the battery reading with the engine running? I think it is safe to say it isn't charging. I would fix it the right way. BTW, get a fan shroud on it, or your next thread will be about why it's running so hot:grin:
Unfortunately i do not have a shop manual yet but that is the first thing I'm buying before I even pay my bills come the first lol then its bills and if anything is left a set of electric gauges for oil pressure water temp and voltage so I can keep an eye on these things. As for the fans I was thinking of just going to a dual electric fan to try and remove more drag from the motor but I need to figure out all this electrical first. I just went out to the garage (stopped writing and went to take a phew pics and check wires) here is the relay pic the blue wire grounds on the firewall, Red wire goes to the battery, orange goes to a + on the dizzy, yellow wire goes to the electric choke and the green wire feeds to a red wire in the factory harness and goes i don't know where. Thanks, for the help Larry I hope you odnt mind hlping me trouble shoot this.
UPDATE lol she charges....kind of....At rest battery is reading 11.78 volts it has needed a good charge for some time, battery is an optima group 31 yellow top so it will start this car even when dead lol now with the car running the reading im now getting at the battery is 12.75 volts and when i probe the alt + lead I get 13.3-13.8 volts.....ok so the alternator is tired I'm assuming also pulled the 2 wire plug cleaned the connections up and this is when it started charging, it wasn't clicked in all the way or what IDK but now at-least its throwing more voltage at the battery when before it was nothing. When I pulled the 2 wire clip the connectors were like | | it is to my understanding that this indicates a self regulated alt or is this just another back yard mechanic myth? if its self regulating ill just slap some 0 awg wire on there and then see how its charges. All voltages were at idle.
13.8 is BARE minimum to charge the battery. It should be 14.2 -14.5 volts. The internally regulated alternators use a different plug that inserts at the top of the alternator, where the externally regulated alternators have a plug that faces the back of the alternator. http://www.v8buick.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=63390&d=1134865244 (internally regulated) http://www.v8buick.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=67582&d=1140193317 (externally regulated)
That alternator in perfect working order will not be able to keep up with 2 fans. Put a proper clutch fan and shroud on the car. That is all it will need.
Alright, well mine plugs in on the back so whats youe opinion now pull alt have it tested? ---------- Post added at 01:31 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:44 PM ---------- Eventually alt is getting upgraded anyway for aftermarket stereo but that is atleast 2 yrs away so i would like it reliable in the mean time
I think your wiring is all screwed up. It isn't unusual for people who know not what they do, to abortionize a wiring harness. Some people should not be allowed near a car, or a toolbox. You can pull the alternator and have it tested if you like. I'd get the wiring correct even if it means getting a new engine harness.
That i can agree with i know several people like that..... unfortunately the wires are mostly all black from when they painted the engine bay. Do you have a source for an engine harness for my car possibly?
Well thanks for helpin larry but i guess its a dead end for the moment the guy i talked to at that company said they dont make full size buick harnesses apparently some of the connectors or somthing got discontinued. He also said skylark harness wont work even though it had a 350 because of the full-sized special connectors
Get a Buick Chassis manual. Scrape the paint off the existing wires and figure it out. Lot's of work, yes, pain in the butt, yes, but ultimately doable. You may have to fabricate some of the wiring your self. ---------- Post added at 04:45 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:29 PM ---------- Another option. Maybe not original. http://www.painlesswiring.com http://www.painlesswiring.com/Manuals/10203.pdf
I found wiring diagrams on team buick though I'm questioning how accurate they are they are showing things mounted where there is no place for it but that could just be previous owners of this car messing it up. I did find out my horn relay is cooked I probably did that when installing the grant wheel so im going to be buying one of those and the floor switch and if that doesn't fix the headlight issues I guess im going to be building my own headlight harness until it works right. and last resort is 600+ dollars for the painless harness kit. back to cleaning off wires.... thanks again larry.
