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Tech / General EngineIs your car making a strange sound or won't start? Thinking of adding power with a new combination? Need other technical information or engine specific advice? Don't see another board for your problem? Post it here!
I really need some help,i am not an electrical person and i hate the electrical system. I have a 1992 camaro rs that wont charge, i have a brand new battery and a brand new alternator(its not the alternator ive gotten it swapped 3 times) it will start and 12 volts and just dip down. I have checked all grounds and connections and they are good. I am getting 12 volts to the thick red connector on the back when the car isnt running and im getting 9.6 volts to the 2 wire clip on top of the alterantor. Where do these wires go? How do i check them? and how do i fix them? Thankyou guys in advance ive been chasing this problem for weeks
I really need some help,i am not an electrical person and i hate the electrical system. I have a 1992 camaro rs that wont charge, i have a brand new battery and a brand new alternator(its not the alternator ive gotten it swapped 3 times) it will start and 12 volts and just dip down. I have checked all grounds and connections and they are good. I am getting 12 volts to the thick red connector on the back when the car isnt running and im getting 9.6 volts to the 2 wire clip on top of the alterantor. Where do these wires go? How do i check them? and how do i fix them? Thankyou guys in advance ive been chasing this problem for weeks
....i am not an electrical person and i hate the electrical system.....
Well, , , there's your problem right there, the electricity KNOWS you hate it, and like a dog who smells fear, it's gonna rise up and bite your azz just for fun......
I am getting 12 volts to the thick red connector on the back when the car isnt running and im getting 9.6 volts to the 2 wire clip on top of the alterantor. Where do these wires go? How do i check them? and how do i fix them? Thankyou guys in advance ive been chasing this problem for weeks
it sounds like you may not have these wires properly connected. There are a couple ways to do this and I'm sure guys will jump in here with tons of complicated suggestions about the right way to do it. For now, connecting that red 12v connector on back of alternator to battery positive terminal with 10 gauge wire should get you going. The best way is slightly more complicated than this, but it sounds like you need a simple solution.
Leave the wires ALONE. Unless you're just the kind of guy that likes to leave little time bombs planted everywhere in your car's electrical system, just lying in wait for their golden opportunity to go off when you are least prepared or able to deal with it.
Well, , , there's your problem right there, the electricity KNOWS you hate it, and like a dog who smells fear, it's gonna rise up and bite your azz just for fun......
I think we all hate wiring deep down inside but the wires only know about someand im one of them lol
Leave the wires ALONE. Unless you're just the kind of guy that likes to leave little time bombs planted everywhere in your car's electrical system, just lying in wait for their golden opportunity to go off when you are least prepared or able to deal with it.
I can connect and cover them pretty well lol......I know a little bit about wiringjust not enough apparenlty and im always going to work on my car, doesnt matter wether i know how to do it or not, thats the only way to learn
it sounds like you may not have these wires properly connected. There are a couple ways to do this and I'm sure guys will jump in here with tons of complicated suggestions about the right way to do it. For now, connecting that red 12v connector on back of alternator to battery positive terminal with 10 gauge wire should get you going. The best way is slightly more complicated than this, but it sounds like you need a simple solution.
It seems to be thicker like 6 gauge and ive checked it multiple times and its good, all the connections on the alternator and battery are good
The ONLY way the alternator "knows" the key is on, is from the current that comes through that bulb, to the terminal of the alternator. If the bulb is out, the alternator will NEVER realize that it's supposed to be charging.
One of my little half-brothers lost a girlfriend one time over that, years ago... went out off-road somewhere (not a Camaro or Firebird obviously, but otherwise identical) and his batt went dead in the middle of the woods. She never trusted him again. He went through the whole same batt/alt/cable cycle acoupla times, then I FINALLY convinced him to replace the bulb even though he was just sure I was full of canal water, that there was NO WAY a bulb could do that. Et voilà...
Replace the bulb.
Last edited by sofakingdom; Sep 3, 2021 at 10:14 AM.
I will try this and im pretty sure the light does not come on, but if its not that do you have any other ideas what it could be? one of the reasons i was messing with the wires was bc the previous owner wrecked it and didnt do any of the wires right and everything was jumbled up
...... previous owner wrecked it and didnt do any of the wires right and everything was jumbled up
Well now we're getting somewhere !
So, the previous owner "jumbled" the wiring, If by this you mean wires were cut / spliced / hacked, this one bit of info absolutely dictates your next move ;
You need to put a "wanted" ad in the for sale section here looking for an unbutchered harness, and then either install it yourself with the help of the FSM* your gonna need, or, find someone honest who knows car electrical systems and pay them to install it (this will cost gigabucks in labor costs and is the least desirable option unless your richer than most of us here are) ........
*FSM = FACTORY service manual, NOT "Chiltons" , "Haynes" , or any other of the glorified owners manuals posing as service manuals, the real deal FSM is gonna cost ya, but look at it as an investment in your third gen education, Hell, you and electricity could be on a first name basis by the time you get the unhacked harness installed
Im just gonna try to fix it myself for rn, im about to swap a 5.3 and t56 into it, i dont have the most money 17 trying to pay for the swap and phone bills while being in school etc etc and just all the wires were spliced and stuff, its not a horrible job but u can tell. Can u tell me where all the wires go? The thick red wire goes to the battery, one of the wires on the clip goes to the bulb correct? or igniton? where does the small red wire on the clip go?
PUT A EFFFFFING BULB IN IT ALREADY AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
If it doesn't fix it, THEN AND ONLY THEN we will move on to what comes next.
Already-hacked-up wiring, however, does not bode well for any of it. Would have helped if you had mentioned that to begin with.
The small red wire in the connector (in the hole farther from the stud with the big red one on it) is the "sense" lead. The alternator does its best to keep the voltage on THAT WIRE at 14.2 or whatever volts. From the factory it wired to all sorts of different place; anything from right to the stud, to various places in the system much farther downstream (which is FAR better).
The tan or brown wire comes from the bulb, and not only illuminates the bulb, but also carries "excitation" current to the rotor, and powers the regulator. It is grounded, more or less, by the regulator, when the alt isn't producing power. Once the alt starts producing power there's 14V on it, so the bulb goes out since it then has 14V on BOTH sides, but will only light if ONE side has 14V and the OTHER side has ground.
'92 VIN E Camaro should have a cosmetic voltage gauge (no V bulb)
See the attached image, it is from the '92 FSM. The F (field) terminal on the alternator (generator) is what allows it to charge. Note that it is fed from the fan fuse, so check it first. If there is no power to the alternator F terminal, it won't charge. Note that the terminal annunciations are molded into the connector.
The S (sense) terminal is important but won't stop charging from occurring.
Obviously the BAT terminal needs to be connected to the battery. Through the fusible link and junction block.
OK, but is there 12 volts at the connector F terminal? Disconnect the connector from the alternator and find the F terminal on the connector. Key-on, engine-off and measure the voltage between it (F) and the alternator body/case.
how do i check the fusible links to see if they are good?
A resistance check is easy but not always definitive. With the engine running measure the voltage between the alternator BAT terminal and the junction block. Should be a low reading such as 0.2 volts.
Unless you're just the kind of guy that likes to leave little time bombs planted everywhere in your car's electrical system, just lying in wait for their golden opportunity to go off when you are least prepared or able to deal with it. 
and im one of them lol 
just not enough apparenlty and im always going to work on my car, doesnt matter wether i know how to do it or not, thats the only way to learn 
