I am still having an issue with a slow drain on my battery. I have replaced the battery a few times because it has been completely drained. I have replaced the alternator and voltage regulator as well. I have pulled all the fuses with the battery connected and the generator light is still on. I have even disconnected the wipers, headlight, and ignition connections. I have also gone through the entire engine compartment wiring harness, minus the starter wires from exhaust manifold to starter. Can someone please help me. The only time that the generator light goes off is when the alternator two wire plug is removed from the alternator or the battery cable is disconnected.

I am still having an issue with a slow drain on my battery. I have replaced the battery a few times because it has been completely drained. I have replaced the alternator and voltage regulator as well. I have pulled all the fuses with the battery connected and the generator light is still on. I have even disconnected the wipers, headlight, and ignition connections. I have also gone through the entire engine compartment wiring harness, minus the starter wires from exhaust manifold to starter. Can someone please help me. The only time that the generator light goes off is when the alternator two wire plug is removed from the alternator or the battery cable is disconnected.

Is the generator light on only when the car is running? If so it sounds like your alternator may not be charging. What kind of voltage are you getting at the battery when the car is running? It should be around 13.

Another quick test to determine if the alternator is working is to briefly run a jumper wire from the F terminal of the alternator to the positive battery terminal. You should pull about 16 volts if the alternator is good. Only do this long enough to measure the voltage.

If the generator light stays on all the time even when the car is off you've got other problems.

I recently traced my mystery generator light to a faulty new voltage regulator. In addition, I replaced a new rebuilt alternator that had a broken F terminal. It just goes to show that just because it's new, it doesn't mean it's good.

Thanks for the input. The generator light is on when the car is off and the key is out of the ignition. When the car is on and running the battery is charging somewhere in the neighborhood of 13.7-14.0. It is just when the car is off and everything is shut down.

When I disconnect and reconnect the battery cable, I can hear the voltage regulator click on and off. I will take the alt out when I get back and take it back to where I got it just to have them bench test it since it is still under warrenty. Funny thing is, that I have even switched the two wires on the alt plug and the generator light is still on even when the wires are connected backwards.

Does the light go out when you disconnect the harness from the voltage regulator? If it doesn't then you can probably safely say the issue is in the dash somewhere. Either a bad ground or a wire connected wrong. Ignition switch maybe?

Has your car always been this way or is this something that started after a specific project was done?

Would some wiring diagrams help? Here's a few:
68 Wiring Diagram, and Crash Tech Book

The main thing that started everything was that the aftermarket interally regulated alt went out. Tried to go back to the original designed externally regulated alt. It ran fine once I got all the wiring done for about two weeks.

I haven't checked to see if the light or voltage reg goes out when disconnected. As for the dash/gauges, when I pulled the fuse out for the gauges, the light was still on, which didn't make any sense. I don't know if it would be the ignition, but maybe the wiring to the ignition plug could be jumped somewhere?
I have an original service manual and have been consulting it. That is why I have been questioning the starter wires. This or the dash are the only places I have left to really check.

I had a problem with my light staying on when the car was running.
The guy at the auto electrical shop said it was an easy fix just something inside the alternator
needed switched. It would cost like 5 bucks.

But with it staying on even with the key out is really strange. do you have a glove box , trunk or console light that may be causing a power draw.

You can check for a draw with a normal test light. Clamp end on hot side hold the light probe to the ground side terminal keeping the light tight on terminal remove terminal from the Batt.
If light goes out you are good if it stays on you have a dead short someplace.

The matter more than likely will not be associated with anything related to the fuse box. I have already had every single fuse out and the generator light was still on. Shouldn't the light have gone out after I removed the gauge fuse? This is eating me more and more.

There has to be a fuse that will turn off the generator light. Nothing has direct power from the battery without going through a fuse. Pull each one out one at a time until the light goes out.

Have you taken off the cover the regulator to make sure the contacts aren't stuck? Although, the fact that you can hear the voltage regulator click would indicate that the contacts aren't stuck but are clicking together when connected to power.

This is just a guess, but the fact that you are hearing the click when you connect the battery making me lean towards the ignition switch. Normally you'd hear the regulator click and you'd get the GEN light when the key is turned to ON and the engine isn't running. In your case it sounds like the car is switch might be stuck in the on position. Again, it's just a guess. I'm not really sure how ignition switches wear out so I could be off the mark.

Since the light is on witht he key off, and disconnecting the battery causes a click in the regulator, I'd say either you have a leaky diode in the alternator or a wiring problem.

Disconnect terminal 2 at the regulator, (or the "R" wire at the alternator. If your light goes out and the reg does not click when connecting the battery anymore, the problem is in the alternator.

The "R" terminal should only have voltage on it when the engine is running and the alternator spinning. The "R" terminal then flips a relay in the reg which applies battery power to the reg side of the idiot light. This is apparently still happening with the key off, so it seems the alt is backfeeding the the instrument panel thru the reg and idiot light.


Since you went back to the original design alt and reg, make sure your wiring is correct.

George

I knew George would have the answer http://forums.performanceyears.com/g...icon_smile.gif

Thanks everyone for all the help. I will get a chance to check everything out this weekend and hopefully get it back in normal operating order for Kool April Nights. One last thing, the R terminal/terminal 2 for the voltage regulator, what color wire is that off the regulator, black or blue?

probably black with a white stripe. The blue is the "F" wire.

George

One other thing to check, but I may be way off, is your ignition switch cylinder. On mine if I shut off the car the gen light will sometimes stay on unless I jiggle the key a little bit because it's going to accessory. Probably an easy rod adjustment on the ignition switch itself. Good luck. I hate electrical issues.

One issue solved, but at the same time opens up a whole other. Turned out to be the alternator because I returned it and got a new one and worked no problem. Charging at 14.5 or so. No idiot light. Big shout out to NAPA for a no questions asked return policy. Moral of the first part of this thread, Just because it was refurbished doesn't mean it worked correctly.

So after starting it up and checking the electrical charging system, I hear the car now misfiring and popping down the exhaust on the drivers side of the engine. This is on and off just idling. Take it down the road and it is completely misfiring up and down the block, not as I cruised but as I put a load on it (accelerated). Checked dwell and set it back to 30. Checked the timing and the timing mark is at 6 oclock position. I used to always set the timing by ear. Distributor hasn't moved. I think the balancer has just slipped a little over the years. Doesn't have a problem starting and shutting off. Is the concensous points? Going to get a new set of Bluestreet's tomorrow. Thougths?

Points were not the solution. Car is still backfireing down the exhaust. Distributor vacuum canister is all the way counterclockwise so as to have it touching the intake manifold.