Car won't charge!!! 84 Camaro Z28
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Junior Member
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 20
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From: Orlando, Fl USA
Car won't charge!!! 84 Camaro Z28
When the car is driven for a bit, the voltage drops way down to the point where it won't start.. but if I leave it for a while, the car will start back up again.
I have an 84 camaro.. With an Edelbrock Carb and intake.. no emmissions. I also have a vacuum advance distributor.. so the electronics have pretty much been eliminated. I changed the starter, alternator, battery, and have an external syllenoid for the starter. I just had the alternator and batter checked yesterday, they were perfect, but they told me that the battery voltage WAS low. Something underneath the dashboard is clicking like crazy. Is there something under the dash that controls charging??
I have the power coming out of the back of the alternator going straight to the batter, and to the battery connector on top of the alternator. The other connector wire is going to the voltage gauge. What could be wrong?? Also, the battery cables are NEW. I think the problem might be something to do with that syllenoid clicking under the dash. I believe that it has something to do with charging.. but I am not sure. If anyone could explain the charging system to me, I might be able to figure it out....
Thanks,
John
I have an 84 camaro.. With an Edelbrock Carb and intake.. no emmissions. I also have a vacuum advance distributor.. so the electronics have pretty much been eliminated. I changed the starter, alternator, battery, and have an external syllenoid for the starter. I just had the alternator and batter checked yesterday, they were perfect, but they told me that the battery voltage WAS low. Something underneath the dashboard is clicking like crazy. Is there something under the dash that controls charging??
I have the power coming out of the back of the alternator going straight to the batter, and to the battery connector on top of the alternator. The other connector wire is going to the voltage gauge. What could be wrong?? Also, the battery cables are NEW. I think the problem might be something to do with that syllenoid clicking under the dash. I believe that it has something to do with charging.. but I am not sure. If anyone could explain the charging system to me, I might be able to figure it out....
Thanks,
John
Supreme Member
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 7,072
Likes: 13
From: Philly, PA
John, take the alternator to your local Pep Boys, Autozone, or whatever's nearby and have them test it (under load). If that's not it then you have something else going on- probably with the field coil wiring (that tells the alt. to start charging and how much. It's a 2-wire plug in connector on the side of the alt., near the rear). I'll tell you that that circuit is NOT my strong suit but if the alt. is ok, and everything is hooked up there isn't much left that can be wrong.
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94 Firebird Formula M6- No options but Z rated tires. No mods over $10. 13.5@105.
79 Malibu "beater" w/junkyard 400 SBC, tweaked QJet 4bbl, finally a decent set of heads, a few other tricks. A maddening 13.000001 @ 108 on the motor with little traction. No nitrous runs with the new heads yet.
Grandma's old 78 Malibu (33K miles!) soon to have the powertrain from the 79 put in it.
"One of the last remaining QJet tuners on Planet Earth!"
------------------
94 Firebird Formula M6- No options but Z rated tires. No mods over $10. 13.5@105.
79 Malibu "beater" w/junkyard 400 SBC, tweaked QJet 4bbl, finally a decent set of heads, a few other tricks. A maddening 13.000001 @ 108 on the motor with little traction. No nitrous runs with the new heads yet.
Grandma's old 78 Malibu (33K miles!) soon to have the powertrain from the 79 put in it.
"One of the last remaining QJet tuners on Planet Earth!"
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