Electrical problem stopping me from driving!!!

[Black Jaguar]

Hey guys,

The problem I'm having right now is that the car is not getting the full voltage when driving/sitting and dies. I recently installed a new alternator which is a Ac Delco GM 1 wire 90amp alternator. I hooked it all up and it charges the battery at 15 volts and when its off the car battery stays at 13.2v which is great. I have an altmeter connected to my battery while the car is running and it reads 15 volts, and the volt meter inside the car reads it at 8 volts when running. If I then turn on the headlights the voltmeter goes down to 4 volts and the car dies. If I shut the lights off the car will run fine.

I can drive the car with no power on and it reads at 8 volts which still is not what the battery reads at 15 volts. While driving if I try to turn the lights on the car jerks and the engine dies and if I turn the lights off and turn the key or jump it in 2nd gear while rolling it starts right up. So obviously there is a problem with the electrical. The Battery says 15 volts where the inside volt says 8 volts and less when the lights / power anything goes on.

What can I check or fix to rectify this problem. The old external altermeter thing could be screwing me up? I taped up all the endings that connected to the old alternator and there still down in the engine compartment. Could this be my problem? Even though they are taped up is it somehow controlling the amount its recieving.... Or could there be a short inbetween the battery and whatever else is supposed to be using the power....

I upgraded to this heavy of an alternator because I recently installed an electric fan, upgraded the headlights, have a stero system with an amp and a dvd player hooked up inside the car and the old one just wasnt keeping up...

Any suggestions and help would be greatly appreciated!! I would love to drive this thing as soon as possible, this is the only problem stopping me from driving it AHHHHH:stupid:

Thanks in advance! Dean

[civ104]

Grounds, Grounds, Grounds. The Z's electrical system is notorious for a lack of adequate grounds. Check your ground connections and add some heavyweight extra ground points. Beyond that check for some choke point (resistance) in the lines running from your alternator to the internal meter. You're experiencing a major drop. I'd be looking for loose or cold soldered or corroded connectors.

[Black Jaguar]

This morning I went out to my car and undid all of the ground connections to the battery cable and used a wire wheel to make a secure clean connection to the ground and reconnected everything and put some wsshers inbetween the connections... And WALLA reads full voltage and works just like new!

Thanks a lot for your help!

Dean:alien:

[TomoHawk]

Originally posted by Black Jaguar

T ground and reconnected everything and put some washers inbetween the connections... And WALLA reads full voltage and works just like new!

Ok, but did you try the lights? I'm going to try a secret potion I found to soak the connectors clean...