88 Charging issues

[G.I.JER]

Hi everyone,

Well this electrical/charging system prob has really kicked my butt all over the place. Here goes.

I was a long time victim of the infamous starter "click" but managed to always get it to work. Unfortunately on the last "click" it was on my wife, and when I got home she had somehow managed to drain the battery as well. I hook up the jumpers and get a good charge but still couldn't get over the click and never got it to turn over. Bought a used starter from the salvage yard and now it turns over everytime. (Here is where it get's tricky)

Then after that episode it wouldn't hold a charge for more than a quick drive around the block. So I buy a brand new alternator and install it and still it won't hold a charge. So I go and get the new alternator and the battery tested and they are both good. Reinstall both and then I do the "hook up test light, pull fuses 1 by 1" and I determine that there appears to be a short in the alternator circuit. Then I start looking at the little fuseblock on the pos wire near the battery post, I take it apart and broke/replaced the big ALT fuse and cleaned all the connections and put it back together thinking "aha" i've found the problem. So I charge it and take it for a drive and still it driains the batt. I redo the test light trick and now there are NO SHORTS INDICATED. You can start out with a full charge and just watch the thing drain with a meter.

I can't think of anywhere else to look, I'm thinking that I fried something in the computer which is preventing the alt from charging the batt. PLEASE HELP!!!

[G.I.JER]

Sometimes writing it out helps you rethink things. I recall that when I pulled the starter originally I did not disconnect the batt and I had an arc out on the hot wire to the starter. That may be where the problems have stemmed from. But other than that wire how can I check the rest of that system. Oh yeah, and the charge and brake lights are on too even with the new alt.

Any way to check the computer for damage? Thanks.

[fabb]

I would suggest checking battery voltage at the battery with the engine off. Then do the same check with the engine running. Make sure your alternator is putting out something in excess of 14 volts. I sure sounds like a bad battery to me. Just my $.02

[G.I.JER]

See, I've done that a few times and I start with a full battery and sure enough it starts draining the battery while it's running. I think that the alt is putting out a charge but somehow it's not making it to the battery. Thanks.