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Help! Electrical Problems

As far as the gauge reading like 16 volts while accelerating... I think my new alternator was tested from the factory to put out like 13 at idle and about 15.7 at full regulated voltage.
Sounds almost normal to me. As long as the max voltage is regulated and doesn't keep on climbing past 16 volts.

Sounds like you did new gauges and you're having problems with the readings out of them? Yes i'd definatly get a jumper wire and hook it to a known good ground. (hook a test light to B+ and probe the ground location. if the light comes on it's a good ground) Then hook that jumper wire to the whole gauge or dash bezel!
You got it man... You're on the right track!
 
the guy I bought it from, bought it from a guy who did the restoration including new gauges -- looks like a clean job, all the wire ties and labels from old wires. The wiring harness is new, as is the fuse panel.

I took the ground from all the gauges and hooked it to the ground strap from the motor on the outside of the firewall just a minute ago -- its hell I run inside - type - read - type - run outside pull wires, screw and unscrew stuff - run back in -- anyway no change the switch still arcs from the dash bezel and anywhere not painted on the metal dash its self, even hooked it through one of the radio holes BIG damn arc that time and same result, wipers run, but switch has no effect.

Maybe the ground on the firewall is not good? It hooks to the intake riser on the manifold.

I don't own a test light - can you perform the ground check with a multimeter? If not I am buying one tomorrow.

I now have from the neg terminal of the battery - a ground running to block (under water pump) intake riser to firewall, negative terminal to frame (8ga wire), neg terminal to body (8ga wire) -- should that not cover all the bases?

This is very demoralizing -- jiminy crickets I used to install stereo's at Circuit City... course that was 12 years ago...
 
OK, what I would do is....first off, are you running an internal or external regulator alternator? External has a large box with 4 wires going to it. (in case you aren't familier with it). also case ground means its grounded through the unit (switch, motor ect.) so when you touch it to metal it grounds. OK now what I would do is remove this gauge panel you have and check the wiring of these VOODOO gauges. keeping track of the power and grounds. I would do this after the draw test. It sounds like you need the ground straps also. The wiper motor is intimading but its actually ok to do (my asian school girl hands do help in that) anyway the motor is not bad to do. If your getting this high reading with the key on only then maybe we have something......do you have an ammeter or a volt gauge? You also said this is a PAINLESS kit their tech support is helpful (so I hear) you may turn to them for help before you turn to some guy thats gonna charge ya $85.00 or more (thats alota cheese!!)
 
Holy shnikies dude the grounds are cool! Try disconnecting the wiper motor connector and see if the switch arcs to the body. If it dosn't I think the motor is friolad. You can have the motor tested/rebuilt at a good starter/alt. repair place.
 
Yes... a test light is nothing more than a voltmeter checking for voltage.
Hook one lead to b+ and the other to ground and you should get 12 volts.
If you have it hooked to B+ and B+ OR ground and ground, the voltmeter will read zero because it is the difference in potential between the two leads.
If you get 12 volts you know your ground is good...
Most metal places are a good ground. I wouldn't be too worried about that.

What i meant about that jumper wire or redundant ground is....
Leave everthing the same... that is don't disconnect the ground for your gauges and try hooking it to a different ground (like the engine ground strap like you said)....
Leave everything hooked up the same way it is...
Now go find a length of wire ... crimp a connector or alligator clip on the end of it and secure it to a good ground.(or even the test lead for your voltmeter will work)
Now once it's hooked up to a good ground touch the other end of the lead to the wiper switch, dash bezel, etc.

This will be providing a 2nd path to ground, (redundant ground) and will most likely be the path of least resistance which is why you see a spark when you touch the switch to a good ground.
 
I just checked and its an external voltage regulator... which plug on the wiper motor should I pull? Blues or the black?

Yeah I figure I should be good on grounds...my hair stands up when I get close to the body?
 
Couldn't tell ya for sure.
Does it look like the connector can be turned around and plugged in the other way around? Ususally there's tangs or whatever to ensure that it can only be plugged in one way.
???????
I'll go look under my blazers dash and see if i can figure anything else out to help ya.
 
OK tried the following:

unplug black from motor - switch arcs wipers work switch does not
unplug lt blue and yellow plug from motor - black still plugged in - get a knock sound, an arc but wipers don't move

unplug dark blue and yellow from motor - arcs and wipers move - this must be for washer pump.

does anyone know what the standard plug to switch should look like - mine has dkblue and black on one side - lt blue on the other. Looks like nothing was taken apart there and it only fits on switch one way.
 
OK tried the following:

unplug black from motor - switch arcs wipers work switch does not
unplug lt blue and yellow plug from motor - black still plugged in - get a knock sound, an arc but wipers don't move

unplug dark blue and yellow from motor - arcs and wipers move - this must be for washer pump.

does anyone know what the standard plug to switch should look like - mine has dkblue and black on one side - lt blue on the other. Looks like nothing was taken apart there and it only fits on switch one way.
 
Okey doky, pull one at a time and see if you stop arc welding with one or both disconnected. Also that voltage regulator needs to be WELL grounded to the core support, its "case grounded" your high voltage reading at gauge could be the alt. playing catch up with the batt. When all this is done I'll give you my idea for a safer more reliable charging system, If you are interested. Any way it could also be the regulator is starting to go. I would also disconnect the regulator plug for this arc welding test (just a hunch) wrap the connector with a rag so no arcy sparky under hoodie with key on. I think the time is near for faulty parts removal.
 
dude I tried to follow tyour thread , but couldnt. I have a full wiring diagram for 73 up and might have one for first gens. i think I do. The one for the 73 up is the factory service manual. anything else i have is gonna be a hyanes copy. If /I can help let me Know.

Nathan
 
I am definatley interested in a better way to regulate power, mmm which wire on the voltage regulator should I pull for this test?

Ok I am an idiot, what is a draw test? This is kicking my ass, and my wife is beginning to freak - course that 's part of the fun...
 
thanks, got a haynes manual and some wiring diagrams, my problem is a replacement wiring harness that is not OEM - colors are all messed up, add that to a VDO gauge cluster -and probably some grounding issues -- which I knew this going in...but damn should have been suspicious when the guy before me just blew it off as work he didn't have time to do...

but thanks much for the offer
 
Looking up under my dash...

At the wiper switch, the wire colors from Bottom to Top:
Black, Dark blue, Lt. Blue.

There are two areas where wires can plug into the wiper motor. an area further up where one single connector and one double connector (two wires) plug in.
THere is a lower area where one double connector (two prong connector) plugs in.

On the upper part of the windsheild wiper motor, the single wire connector is black and plugs in all the way on the drivers (left) side. Then the double connector is Light blue on the left side and yellow on the right. This is what controls the wipers off/slow/fast.

The other place that you can plug in the two prong connector will be a dark blue on the left and the yellow on the right.

I unplugged that lower two prong connector with the dark blue and yellow and determined that is for the washer pump. I can unplug it while the wipers are running and they will continue to run.

For the wipers you'll be dealing with the black, light blue and yellow wires.

The yellow will be the B+ in Run and Acc, and i told you where the Lt. blue and black go to the switch....

So that should be everything you need...
Anything else just ask.
 
OK now disconnect the batt. and check for sparkage....kidding. pull the whole connector off the regulator. But first do the parasidic draw test the way I described above (in prior message) with everything connected, but NOT, NOT on. And lets see where we are on the amper. scale. Make sure your voltmeter is amp. fused.
 
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