Here's goes.
Obviously I "must have a problem" for my Battery Trouble Light to Illuminate.
What coudl the trouble be?
I just installed new battery.
During course of the heater core swap, I disconnected battery several times. Whenever I disconnected battery there weren't any items powered (lights on or door open so interior lights would be on).
Alternator was ok prior to the core swap & battery disconnect missions. No sparks generated by the battery being connected, at all.
I moved my remote mount coil & replaced it upon finishing beating up my hands by connecting the core hoses on the firewall.
I connected all wires properly & all items (fan blower motor, radio, lights) operate correctly. I still need to connect the lights to the center console (shifter indicator light)
What could be the problem?
I'm gonna go to have the electrical system checked in AM by Autozoone. You guys got any tips?

 

Do you have a multimeter Karl? It could be that your getting an overcharge, thats what I think that could be wrong. The only time the light is suppose to come on is when the system is below or above its normal operating specs. Or it may be time to swap out the light's for gauges. I could never ever go back to the star wars cluster ever again.

 

AS soon as I get the 88 cluster in my car, Karls getting my old 85 cluster, complete w/gauges.

That way I get the whole VSS experiance, & Karls keeps the spedo cable thing

 

For my gauge swap I need two things.
MORE TIME TO EXPERIMENT FOR CORRECT WIRING INSTALLATION
AND
I also need the IDIOT LIGHT BLOCK CONNECTION PLUG in back, the wire harness block connection.
I already have the gauge block plug. I need compare the two block plug harnesses so I know exactly which wires to swap around, without destroying a KNONWN good one (the one in my car).
WHAT'S GOOD ABOUT MY CURRENT PROBLEM...
This shows ya that when ya do an engine swap, it's good to use all original vehicle sensors & wiring. My 3.4 swap electrical system shows I do have a problem. My idiot light set up still cooperates to alert owner. Beats being surpirsed by side of road again.
I'll let ya know what's going on.
Tried as I did to prevent an electrical problem......
Alternator is warrantied for life.......
Owner is still an idiot for doing all this work on an old car (according to Wife......)
Was hoping to rest back today.......
PS Third Gen rides are being talked up as next/ONLY affordable F Body classics. Keep yours looking good while ya can for cheap from parts in wrecking yards.

 

I replaced my bad alternator.
The bad alternator gave the following output
11.93 instead of 14.4 volts.
Peak amps was 9.7 & should be 15.2.
Output was nil.
Got free replacement & now I'm good to go again!
ATLEAST I KNOW my idiot lights still work correctly!
Bummer part of this alternator project was teh hood release cable broke on me.
Atleast I can access it from under the front nose, real easy!
I see new cables go for $20-ish. Oh, well.

 

Karl,

When you do the hood cable let em know how you got the old one out and the new one in. I have been trying to pull mine out, but I can't seem to get the dam thing out of the fire wall. the rubber thing is just to big.

-Will

 

Looking at mine, seems it SHOULD be removed easy.

Got a part number for that cable?
Wish I had at my desk a Firebird parts and accessories catalog.

I'm thinking I may just be almost all ready to go to Phoenix right now.
I'd enjoy that vacation.
One new front tire & one good spare tire to go.

 

Bitchin', if I recall correctly, you gotta yank it out from under the dash. Got mine from a junkyard, battery acid had damn near eaten thru the cable, and I never noticed until it was almost too late.

The junkyard cars are fun; leaves always collect in that spot, and they get wet, and cause rust... so just take a big 'ol screwdriver and force it thru the firewall against the side of the cable grommet. You'll get a hole bigger then hell to slide the cable out of from under the dash, and you don't have to bring your face near that moldy "alien life form growing" carpet of the junkyard car.

A fun fact about that damned bat trouble light... it's this way on my '86, so I assume the same for years around me (like 85 & 87), not sure about later ones. ANYway. The owners manual for my car says that if the car's off, and you turn the key to "on" where all the lights on the dash light up, <i>if the alternator/battery light is <b>missing</b></i>, then the regulator's fried!!

Is that BS or what?? Who looks for a missing trouble light??

(And by the way, http://www.helminc.com also sells new owners manuals, if you guys don't have one, or if the previous owners left you guys with moldy waterdamaged relics!)