Where does the electric choke coil get it's power? I don't have the required 12 volts for mine.

 

It is only present when the engine is running and the alternator is charging. Is that when you checked it?

 

Just tried it with no luck. I did just get my oil pressure gauge to work though! Turned out to be a bad relay.

 

I don't know if it is the same, but my '83 Camaro manual says there is a fuse on the main fuse block marked C-H which stand for choke heater. It also shows a choke heater relay on the Convenience Center which is left of the fuse block. It shows there to be a flasher on the Convenience Center, but I don't know if it
is for the turn signals or the emergency flashers. The choke heater relay is diagonal to the flasher.

 

Good to go, I'll check it out today. I know the relay your talking about. I think it runs the oil pressure gauge too.

 

There's no relay for the oil pressure gauge. I can't imagine how any relay could affect that: it's just a wire that goes from the gauge in the dash to the sending unit. I'd be inclined to think that something got disturbed somewhere along the line that you didn't notice.

The flasher in the "convenience center" is the turn signal one. The one on the fuse block is for the hazards.

The way that choke circuit works, the relay is driven by the alternator's diode trio ouput, which is the pin in the alt connector closer to the big red wire terminal. The relay coil is between that pin and ground. The "Choke" light is wired from Ignition voltage on one side, to that pin of the alt on the other. If the alt is not charging, then there's no voltage on that terminal, and current can flow from ignition, through the light bulb, through the diode trio in the alt, and to ground; since that terminal is at ground and the other side of the relay is at ground, the relay does not operate; but the bulb is lit. Once the alt begins to charge, it generates a small amount of power at that pin, enough to work a relay coil; with the alt working, both sides of the bulb are at 12V so no current flows through it, but the relay has 12V on one side and ground on the other, so it operates. Its contacts have ignition on one side and the other side goes to the choke stat, so when it operates, it sends 12V to the choke.

If the "Choke" (really the "Alternator") light comes on when the key is on but the engine is not running; and goes out when the engine is running; then the alt is working. The relay should be operated. There is a fuse that supplies the power to the relay contacts, check that and make sure it's not blown. If the "Choke" light never comes on at all, replace the bulb before you troubleshoot it any further; if it still doesn't work, then your alt is defective, and needs to be replaced (even though it's possible for it to be screwed up that way and still charge the battery).