STiYLIN

iTrader: (8)

Well it's not exactly my Subaru, it's my Suburban-aru. I have a '87 454 Burban with flowmasters, racing seats and steering wheel . Mad tyt3 Drift0. Anyways here is my issue.


I bought this thing and washed it up. It was all ok until I decided to wash the motor. Long story short when the car is running it won't charge the battery. So with the 454's Throttle Body Injection it will drain the battery while running and when finally dead the motor will stutter and choke do to lack of electricity to run the "fuel injection".

That said here's what I have done. New alternator and new battery. New postive battery cable to alt and starter. Still the same issue. I recently found out there is "fuseable links" in the wiring of the alternator and one coming off of the stater/solenoid. I cut all the fuseable links out and hard wired them with the proper gauge wire connectors. Still the same problem.

Everything other than that on the vehicle works fine. I am serious at a loss here. I am SO stumped and don't even know what to check next. The muffler bearing seem tight and lubed so I can't imagine what it could be.

jvick125

iTrader: (2)

Did you open your air box to see if you got some water in there?

STiYLIN

iTrader: (8)

Neagative. I washed it 2 weeks ago, anything that got wet dried out. I appreciate you trying to help though.

STiYLIN

iTrader: (8)

Thank you for the reply. I will try the negaive cable replacement. I asked @ Kragen for replacement fuseable links and they said they did not have them. In the Haynes manual it says to cut tem out and splice when there is a problem. I will look into creating a weak link in the system though so it gives and I don't burn down the burban.

I have a wire schematic but I wish I had another 454 with TBI to look at to copy the wire setup just incase something isn't hooked up right, but that doesn't make too much sense as it was charging back in the configuration before I washed it. Or at least to my knowledge it was charging back. I mean the voltage meter on the dash was wroking and now nothing.

jvick125

iTrader: (2)

No problem. That happened to me one time in my Volvo.

international B

iTrader: (5)

Did you check the wiring for the votage regulator section of the alt? im assuming its a 3 wire, if its a 1 wire then all the is bubkis, but if its a 3 wire check and make sure all the wires are there. I recently had a problem in my corolla where one of the wires had broken in the connnector, beneath the boot. so it was still connected but not at all.

STiYLIN

iTrader: (8)

I will check the plastic connector to the voltage regulator closely. I did look over it initially to look for any wire breakage or something being haywire. It looked good but I will recheck.

STiYLIN

iTrader: (8)

I love me some stuff that breaks internally so you cannot indentify it Electrical problems are teh suxorz.

ldivinag

iTrader: (3)

did you check the voltage?

i dont know if these GM setups had an external voltage regulator or not.

check the voltage coming out of alternator, then at the battery.

with the engine running it should be around 13.5v (13.1 to 14.1 for my toyota truck).

STiYLIN

iTrader: (8)

At the alternator I get 13 volts or close to it (engine running or course). At the battery when charged I get the same, as it drains I get progressively less voltage reading @ the battery. The voltage regulator is internal to the alternator and is brand new (and the old one tested as working but had a failing bearing). So from this I gather the Alt is working but can't/won't get the charge back to the battery.

STiYLIN

iTrader: (8)

HAHAHA LMAO.

Want to know the funny thing? I am getting 3 times much help from the BAIC on my Burban than I am getting for 3 different Chevy forums in the Suburban and elcetrical subforums.

ldivinag

iTrader: (3)

then you got a massive "leak" somewhere.

by definition, a battery's sole purpose is to start the car. when the vehicle is running, the battery becomes just another load on the charging system.

(these days, with fuel injection/computers/etc, its purpose is also to "clean" the power from the alternator, working like a filter).

but even still, what stumps me is you say, when the engine is running, the battery starts to lose its voltage.

again, i say you have a charging issue.

OR

you have a massive load. for example, if your alternator puts out 100 amps. and you have a massive stereo system that requires around 150 amps, within an hour, your battery should be below 12 volts.



have you done checks on how far your voltage drops when the engine is running?

have you had your charging system checked? loose belt? bad cells (even in brand new batts)? bad regulator?????


another check is to charge the battery. measure voltage. turn off car. wait an hour. measure again.

if it massively drops, you have a parasitic load that's gone nuts...

ldivinag

iTrader: (3)

btw, is there a separate starter solenoid?

that might have gotten stuck...

STiYLIN

iTrader: (8)

The solenoid is attached to the starter.

And I need to conduct more tests in regards to the first post. I just got a hol of a voltage meter last night.

Two working alternators and two working batteries, one pair being brand new, both have the same issues. I know I can eliminate at least those two variables.

Also when the car sits for three days with a fully charged bat, it does not drain it one bit. The only time the battery will run down is when the car is running/or from starting it and it not recharging.

STiYLIN

iTrader: (8)

sure does.