Never had an electrical problem, till today, Help!

[LanceM]

I've had this Z since 79, 73 240, ran it 2 days ago all ok, tried to start it last night, dead battery. Got the battery charged up and go to install and when I hook up the cables both the voltage regulator and a relay, top relay next to the battery click. I don't remember that happening before and I wonder if that is what my problem is??? draining the battery dead?

The altenator shows a charge with the engine running. I can't figure what the relay does, if I disconnect it nothing seems to stop working and I don't see it on my wireing diagram, it has 2 black, 2 green, and a yellow wire going to it.

If I pull the plug out of the back of the altenator the relay and VR don't do the click thing when hooking up the battery.

Bad VR? Bad Altenator??? HELP!

[2ManyZs]

This might help, but your wiring colors don't seem to match the one I'm thinking of, the relay has something to do with the throttle valve for emissions....or seatblet interlock, or........

http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2984&highlight=seatbelt+warning+relay

[LanceM]

How the heck do you find this stuff so quick???

Ok that looks like the relay, after some cleaning the harness has one color of wires the relay has it's own harness with a different color code.... makes a lot of sence to me, not!

OK so I don't need the relay, that stuff left 20 years ago when the webbers went on... So why is my VR clicking when I connect the battery???? Am I picking up a mystery ground through that circit??

[2ManyZs]

Hehe, I used the search box... and I remembered a post or two on the same "mystery box" on the firewall.

If you've de-smogged the car totally, it isn't needed, and you could have an open circuit that has somehow become a ground.:paranoid:

[LanceM]

Great, Moving those wires is like crunching popcorn, I can see 10 more problems poping up looking for this one! Just pulled all the fuses and no change, only if I pull the main fuseable link does it stop.... The worst part is that the car hasn't moved in 4 months and everything was fine till yesterday....

[Daniel]

I'm thinking that is a horn relay... Easy enough to test.

[EScanlon]

First off, are you sure that you have a current draw when the battery is connected or are you just hearing a CLICK when you connect it.

To test, put a trouble light between one post of the battery and it's connector. If the lamp lights, you have a draw on the battery. Now start unplugging and replugging items until the light shuts off. That isolates the item causing the draw. The clock draws some, but usually that is so minor as to not light it up strongly.

I had this problem with the Accessory Relay which is part of the ignition circuit on the 71. It basically disconnects several items that should NOT run when you're starting the engine and energizes those that DO need to be energized. In my case, the relay had frozen in such a manner as to continually drain the battery. It also clicked when I would reconnect the battery.

Hope this helps

Enrique Scanlon

[LanceM]

Bad altenator, one of the diodes must have shorted. Did a swap with a one wire that I had from my 81 parts car, now everything is fine