Umm.. MegaSquirt tells me 11.2v while running, my voltage guage says +16v!!HELP

[PrOxLaMuS©]

Ok guys.. this is soo weird..

The past few days I have been noticing that my radio randomly shuts off and completly resets all of my settings. Normally it only resets all the settings if I unplug the negative battery cable and plug it back in...

I recently installed a new battery according to the specifications, about a week ago.

My Voltage guage is reading + 16v ! while my PDA connected to MegaSquirt displays 11.2v while running!!!

Now I am assuming the voltage guage reads the voltage coming directly out of the alternator in my 1978 280Z.. so i'm not sure if it then hits a voltage regulator... So is the alternator overcharging then loosing alot of juice somewhere along the circuit?!

Then last night when I jumped in my car my Voltage guage read BELOW ZERO, like there was no battery in it, but it started fine! I drove for about a block and my dash lights went completly out and my radio shut off, and then turned back on after like 5 minutes.

HELP ME.. can anyone help diagnose my problem?!

[PrOxLaMuS©]

Ok.... good news guys!!

I did a voltometer test for voltage coming out of the battery and I got 13.2v and from the alternator I got 13.5v!!

So.. obviously there was something wrong...

guess what it was...

the damn Fusible Links!

one of the wires was melted and the connectors were covered in corrosion!

Anyway.. soo that's it! problem solved! Fusible Links! I hate em.. time to get BLUE's maxifuse setup!

[sblake01]

Hello from you rims previous owner! I read this yesterday and was going to suggest fusible links since I had had a similar problem in my car and that is what cured it. But I was unsure of what you had changed on your car with all the mods. Sometimes it's hard to just go to the book and do standard troubleshooting when things have been modified. I go through that routine with my 64 L320 since very little in that vehicle's electrical system even resembles stock.

[jszarecki]

does the fuseable links (i have 2) control teh way the alternator charges the battery? or rather what the hell do they do?

[PrOxLaMuS©]

they just were not providing a good electrical conduction..

the wires were all old and corroded...

Fusible links are basically "old old school" fuses..

when they overload they are designed to melt