stupid me

[willie]

Hey guys, I stupidly left my ign key on for days. I go in to start it the other day after about 2 weeks and its dead as a doornail. I charged the batt up and started it up. Now I have a bad vibrating noise from the regulator. I changed the regulator out and now the AMP gauge is pointing down again. Anyone have any ideas?

Thatks

[MC1of80]

Hey Willie. There are threads on the amp gauge pointing down and how to "reset" it. Mostly on Chevelle sites. 

Sounds like the regulators contacts "cooked" from the battery being on and going dead causing the vibrating noise. 

[willie]

Tom, I feel like 1 step forward and 2 back. lol     thx I will have to go back on there site and look, last time they said to take the needle off and reset it. I am not doing that. But I will go back and see what else they say.

Thanks 

[MC1of80]

I read you can use a 9v battery to move it back or just turn the needle back to where it has to be. Easier said than done. 

[willie]

Tom what do I do with the 9volt? 1 leed positive on the batt to amp gauge and the neg side of the batt to the other side of the amp gauge? 

[MC1of80]

Sorry Willie, not quite sure. Something like removing the amp gauge lead at the regulator and touching it to the 9v. Read it on a Chevelle site. 

Was going to try it on "barn find". Haven't gotten to that issue yet. Lol

[willie]

Thanks Tom, at least its a place to start. What do I go on Chevelle forums? Or Chevelle club? I don't remember from last time.

Thanks

[jft69z]

These 2 links seem to cover it pretty well:

https://www.chevelles.com/forums/27-electrical-wiring/87278-amp-guage-points-down.html

https://www.chevelles.com/forums/27-electrical-wiring/212741-how-test-amp-gauge.html

[willie]

I will try that tomorrow Joe. I also will get back and let you guys know how I made out.

Thanks

[willie]

Tom and Joe just a heads up. The AAA batt didn't work, however i then tried a 9V and it worked perfect.

 

Now i am asking you guys, how is the rad support grounds to the frame? By the fenders, or is there a ground strap?

 

Thanks Again

[jft69z]

That's good to hear, at least it worked for you. As far as the core support ground, no straps that I'm aware of. The small neg. battery lead goes to the fender right there, possibly a path like you're thinking. Maybe Tom has more thoughts on it. The forward wire harness has a couple of spots that ground there if I remember correctly (I'm at work), but that may be for the front lights to work properly. I can check a schematic later if needed.

[MC1of80]

Glad the 9v worked Willie!  The rad support gets grounded through the body with the ground strap from the firewall to the frame. 

You could always add another if you like. I always use the "trifecta" theory. Bigger ground cables, one from the body to the frame, second from the frame to engine and the third from the engine to the body. Bad grounds will always give you weird electrical Gremlins. 

[jft69z]

Like Tom says, I'll be adding grounds everywhere, but in my case there's going to be a lot of extra stuff, sensitive to grounding like fuel injection ECM, electronic transmission control, digital dash, etc.

[John S]

I probably went overboard on the grounds. I have two from the radiator support to the frame, two from the engine to the firewall and a larger one from the body to the frame.

[willie]

Thanks guys. I have the trifecta on already, but because I don't have the nose on, I would think the rad support is not grounded yet. My problem was the reg went bad because I left the key on, but the headlights worked at that time. Now I can only get them to work if I ground the rad support. 

Thanks for all the help guys!!!