randomfact

I'm new so if I'm doing this wrong let me know. I've been Ghosting my way around this forum for awhile whenever I had issues with my new project and I finally decided to register because I have a problem I'm not sure how to solve. I'm 23 and I'm female so working on a car is new but part of the reason I purchased this car is I'm pretty hands on and I've always had a passion for American muscle cars. I'd like to learn how to do most repairs myself. So heres my problem.

When I bought the car it didn't run without being jumped I initially pegged it as a battery/alternator problem and replaced both as soon as I got it home. IN the process the bolt on the back of the Battery Ground Cable was stuck to the bolt so the cable had to be replaced as well. It worked fine for about a week and a half. The other day I noticed it starting to melt off but the car was running and I had to go to school so I went ahead and drove it. The next day the car wouldn't even start so I made a new cable and went to replace it and as soon as I twisted the nut the whole thing broke off. This seems to be a reaccuring problem with the alternator melting the cable to the assembly. The vehichle is all stock. Theres no Sound system or special electronics. The Security System is already disabled. It does have a broken transmission mount I've got the part I just haven't put it on yet. It also needs the Fuel Regulator adjusted and the Power Steering is going out little by little. Aroudn the same time the alternator went out the Thermostat went out as well but that should be fixed this afternoon once the rain lets up. That all being said. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Maverick H1L

iTrader: (8)

Can you get a pic of this? Your description could be a bit better with a pic of where exactly the wires are melting. I will say one thing, though. Make sure ALL of the wire connections are clean and free of that greenish corrosion. Oh, and the alternator is supposed to be connected to the RED terminal on the battery, through the junction block behind the headlights on the passenger's side (on an unmodified system), NOT the negative cable.

Fuel regulator should be left alone, period, unless it's leaking.

Come over to the V6 board as History isn't the place for stuff like this (hopefully a mod will move it).

Project 3.4 Camaro

Welcome to the board and thirdgens.
2 things can generate heat, excessive amperage for what the conductor can handle, or resistance. Need to know exactly what it is that you have replaced, and what with. I'm betting that you replaced your wire with one that is too small and cannot handle the current. Especially if you replaced the wire going from the battery to the starter, that wire has to carry a lot of amperage, a short to ground could also cause this if there is no fuse present, which if you connected the alternator output side to the negative batt terminal, this would be a short to ground. Hope this helps, if you give us pictures.
FPR is not adjustable, only thing you can do is replace it.(if even that?) Check for a PS leak, and check your level.

Base91

iTrader: (1)

I just had to replace my FPR and if yours is 20 years old there's a good chance you'll need to as well. You should have a manual if don't already. Read plenty before you try to do anything. Learn how to test various components but, as many (including me) have discovered, it's a pretty safe bet that on a car this old lots of bits will need to be replaced. Good Luck.

randomfact

I replaced the alternator but what I repaced was a 8 gage battery cable with a new one. When I went in they said the alternator needed to be attached to the battery so I rerouted it to the battery and now my RMP's and my Battery is all ****ed up. so I'm rerouting it back to the ground on the passenger side. I'm back to the origninal issue of why the alternator is melting the battery cable. I wish I could provide a picture but I already yanked it and threw it away

K-slice

iTrader: (2)

I don't get which cable is melting... Is it the positive battery cable? The positive cable on the back of the alt? Or is it whatever ground cable youre talkng about that youre rerouting or something???

In any case though, a melting cable is indicitive of too much electricity trying to be pushed through too small a cable..

Maverick H1L

iTrader: (8)

Pics of how the battery and alternator are connected would help. It almost sounds like you have something wired backwards.

The POSITIVE RED wire on the battery goes to the STARTER SOLENOID, where the other wires connect to, PERIOD. There is a smaller gauge wire coming out of the loom that's covering the positive cable that goes to the junction block behind the passenger's side headlights, which feeds the ECM and other parts.

The NEGATIVE BLACK wire connects to one of the empty holes on the FRONT OF THE ENGINE BLOCK, PERIOD. It's a ground for the starter to the battery. There is a smaller wire coming off of the negative battery terminal that grounds to a hole in the body next to the battery.

You have one of 2 choices for the alternator's battery feed wire:
1. This wire is run directly to battery POSITIVE (RED wire).
2. This wire runs to the junction block behind the passenger's side headlights, where the smaller wire coming from the battery carries the current back to the battery and into the rest of the system.

Check your connections, and again, make sure every connection is TIGHT AND BARE METAL.

As a side note, there is a part available for inside the alternator, the rectifier bridge, that can be wired either for negative ground (which is what we have) or positive ground (the backwards European system). If the wrong bridge is in the alternator, the battery positive goes directly to GROUND. When I was looking for a beefier rectifier, I bought the wrong one by mistake .

beleneagle

One thing to look for is to make sure that the engine and tranny are grounded. A lot of the time on older vehicles, the factory ground strap gets disconnected and then you start having unusual electrical troubles. Melting cables sounds like your grounding is bad.


David

GreenCamaro13

Any Luck??