Electric Choke Causing Voltage Drop?

[Al K]

Gawd I HATE @#$%ing electrical issues.:angryfire: Throwing wrenches at the problem won't solve it.:sad3: It also can (bleep)-up the paint.

So;I've got the carb choke wired into the fuse box under the dash,where it's only on(supposedly) when the key is on. Well...it also seems to be a draw on the system. Going down the road,I see about 11.0 to 11.5 volts as indicated on the gauge. If I disconnect it at the carb while it's running,the voltage jumps to about 12.0-12.5 volts. Seems like it should be closer to 13.5+ when disconnected. Got a basic 75 amp alternator;should I upgrade to a 100 amp unit to counter the draw? Or,is there something else that's causing this issue? It sucks to drive around and constantly worry about a potential dead battery. It also means that driving at night(with or without the choke hooked up) is out of the question. Any suggestions,folks? I'll get some pics of the voltage regulator and where I've got the choke wire hooked up in a bit. I'm heading back out to the hot-*** garage(it's already 85+ degrees at 11 AM) right now and am probably going to rip all the tape off my wires and see if I've got a broken wire or some other crap causing the low-voltage issue.

As always,thanks!!!

 

[99ss]

Sounds like its grounding out

 

[Hemi Rebel]

If you only have 12 to 12.5 volts when running, then you are not charging. You need to diagnose a no charging issue. Forget the choke right now.

 

[Al K]

Sounds like its grounding out

The question is:WHERE? The wire from the choke to the fusebox is wrapped in tape for virtually its entire length. It only goes through the firewall,and is protected at that point. I've got it place under the fuse end where it gets clipped into place. Should I look for another wire/location to connect it to?

A visual on what I'm dealing with. Now,an electrician friend that I worked with in the shop years ago stated that one can never be too grounded. I knew he didn't mean it in a metaphysical sense-he was a loopy fuggah-but that there should be more than one ground and that the grounded area should be clean and corrosion-free. Makes sense. With that in mind,the grounds under the hood are as follows: Battery to block,battery to fender and block(at rear) to firewall. There's also one from the fender ground around to underneath the regulator on the firewall. Too many grounds,perhaps-or is such a thing not possible-"shorts"/positive "grounds" aside? Please educate me,my brethren.

As always: THANKS!!!

 

[Pops1967GTX]

Voltage drop under load is caused by resistance in the feed..........Hook it up to a fused, switched (ignition) power source.12v only when running...




[video=youtube;XhRPLgH6uZg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhRPLgH6uZg&feature=related[/video]Electrical

 

[black64]

sounds like you are not charging properly. Output even at 85 degrees should be better than 12.5 volts. I use a braided ground strap from the engine to the firewall your wire looks a little undersize. Make sure the paint is removed where the ground terminal is attached. It is important the voltage regulator has proper ground. Have you checked the field voltage with increased rpm to see if it is changing? The low voltage readings could be where is your voltage gage reading the voltage.

 

[Al K]

OK;a little update: I pulled the alternator and regulator and took them to be tested(a shout out to Dort Starter and Alternator in Mt. Morris,MI for help) and both checked out. Re-installed both and still encountered the same low-voltage issue,as far as what it read at the gauge. Also pulled the wire from the choke(at the carb) and voltage rose,but only to 12 volts. Also found that there was a .8 volt difference between the battery and the BAT terminal at the regulator when the key was turned on. Tells me that there's a draw somewhere,more than likely under the dash. Changed the ground from the block to the firewall with #4 gauge wire as well. Stripped all the electrical tape off the wires under the hood and am starting over as far as sorting them out and repairing them. My wiring diagram shows no differences between a 318(the original mill) and the big-block cars(what is in there now),so I'm resorting to un-@#$%ing up the @#$%ed-up wires. There's been additions,subtractions and God-knows-what. Should be fun;wish me luck.

Back To The Bricks is coming up in a few weeks;I want to be out cruising and enjoying myself,not farting around with electrical issues.

 

[Al K]

Can I use Starter Relay Post To Power Up Tach/Gauges?

Though it does somewhat tie in with the other part of this thread on the electric choke,it also might help out someone else adding gauges and unsure where to power them up. Like I said in the other part,I'm replacing some wires,rerouting others,and hopefully eliminating some unneeded ones. This being an a/c car,I've got that effing box under the dash that I would LOVE to remove(another question for another section) and gain more access to the wiring mess.

...Oh...the question: Can I use the starter relay post to supply power to the gauges and tach? Or,is that an absolute NO-NO? It(the power feed) was attached to the BAT post on the regulator,and may have contributed to the low voltage issue. I want to power up at least the voltage gauge and see if that switch improved things. Any other suggestions-as in exact locations-to locate this wire?

Thanks!

 

[Al K]

OK...the starter relay won't work;constant power to the accessories won't cut it. Switched the "power" wire to a fuse;so far,so good. Gauges go to "zero" when key is off and they move when keyed up. I took the battery tender off,took a voltage reading at the battery,and since mama had steaks on the grill(with veggies from our garden,baked taters smothered in REAL butter,and a fat-*** salad),I called it a night. I wanted to re-tape the wires again,but I want to make sure that I'm not losing voltage,where I'd have to replace/repair more wires. Already did that yesterday and today. Got rid of some old crap;we'll see what happens tomorrow with the new stuff on there.

 

[Al K]

Still trying to figure this crap out. When running,the under-dash gauge reads about 12.3 volts. Taking a reading at the BAT terminal at the regulator still gives me an 11.8+/- reading. Got to think that I need to bypass the bulkhead connecting block and do some wire re-routing. Updates as they occur.

 

[Al K]

SUCCESS!!!

My non-charging issue was caused by the wire from the alternator that was not making contact in the firewall/bulkhead connection. The wire would get pulled away from the inside contact when the bulkhead connector was in place. Pulled the black plastic piece off,fixed the wire and "blade" connector,re-installed it and "VOILA!!!" We got a charge!

Thanks for all the help,folks! On to the next issue...