eflexter
Eddie Flexter
I need to take vacation more often. I've been sitting around at home reading these excellent posts and fixin stuff. Two problems: draggy (yet new) starter, and voltage meter showing low and then dropping with lights on or turn signals. The two were unrelated.
Draggy starter: replaced the ground wire on the battery, and the ground wire on the frame. Cleaned battery terminals and made sure connections were tight. Starter now spins much better.
Droopy volt guage: not that the guage is accurate, but it drops sharply when using turn signals or headlights or heater fan and LIGHTS DIM when turn signals are used etc. This turned out to be a localized problem outside the normal charging circuit.
On my '86 at least, there's a fat wire running from the + battery terminal (which is stock). This wire runs directly to the fuse panel and powers everything in the dashboard, and all the lights. It's the sole source of power for headlights, turn signals, heater fan, wipers, and the voltsge guage itself.
WELL, at some point, a P.O. had replaced the CONNECTOR that feeds this entire system with a cheap-o crimp connector. One minor tug, and the connector came off. At some point these connectors had melted for some reason. It must be a problem spot. Anyway, I SOLDERED on a proper connector. Problem solved. The bad connection was limiting current to the various systems.
Now, even though the guage isn't accurate, it doesn't DROP when you turn the headlights on, and the lights don't DIM when you use the turn signals. Anyone with a similar problem should immediately find this brown wire and check it's connections for melting or corrosion.
I would also think that removing the headlights from this system would make it more reliable. :thumbsup:
Draggy starter: replaced the ground wire on the battery, and the ground wire on the frame. Cleaned battery terminals and made sure connections were tight. Starter now spins much better.
Droopy volt guage: not that the guage is accurate, but it drops sharply when using turn signals or headlights or heater fan and LIGHTS DIM when turn signals are used etc. This turned out to be a localized problem outside the normal charging circuit.
On my '86 at least, there's a fat wire running from the + battery terminal (which is stock). This wire runs directly to the fuse panel and powers everything in the dashboard, and all the lights. It's the sole source of power for headlights, turn signals, heater fan, wipers, and the voltsge guage itself.
WELL, at some point, a P.O. had replaced the CONNECTOR that feeds this entire system with a cheap-o crimp connector. One minor tug, and the connector came off. At some point these connectors had melted for some reason. It must be a problem spot. Anyway, I SOLDERED on a proper connector. Problem solved. The bad connection was limiting current to the various systems.
Now, even though the guage isn't accurate, it doesn't DROP when you turn the headlights on, and the lights don't DIM when you use the turn signals. Anyone with a similar problem should immediately find this brown wire and check it's connections for melting or corrosion.
I would also think that removing the headlights from this system would make it more reliable. :thumbsup:
