[69chevelle355]

my car has been really acting up ever since i replaced my front core support. at first when i cranked it up and tried to turn it off it would just keep running... so i replaced the battery cables and now it will turn off when i turn the key off. i have replaced the battery twice. it will kill the battery in less then a couple of hours (its a 495 cca battery and after sitting for an hour and a half with the cables hooked up it only had 28 amps). also the generator light stays on when the car is running. i've done the test light method (hook test light to negative cable with positive on the terminal and pull fuses until the light goes out.) but that didn't work....can anyone help me here??? TIA
-Jay

 

[John_Muha]

Originally posted by 69chevelle355:
i've done the test light method (hook test light to negative cable with positive on the terminal and pull fuses until the light goes out.) but that didn't work....can anyone help me here??? TIA
-Jay

Don't understand what you mean when you say "that didn't work" You put the test light between the battery cable and the battery negative post, pulled fuses, and the light never went out??
If so, that's good information. Means the problem was not inside the car. If that's what you did, repeat the test only this time disconnect the alternator wires and then the regulator wires.t

 

[69chevelle355]

Originally posted by John_Muha:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by 69chevelle355:
i've done the test light method (hook test light to negative cable with positive on the terminal and pull fuses until the light goes out.) but that didn't work....can anyone help me here??? TIA
-Jay

Don't understand what you mean when you say "that didn't work" You put the test light between the battery cable and the battery negative post, pulled fuses, and the light never went out??
If so, that's good information. Means the problem was not inside the car. If that's what you did, repeat the test only this time disconnect the alternator wires and then the regulator wires.t </font>[/QUOTE]yea thats what i meant, sorry. i didn't know how to word it exactley right... i did try that with the alternator too. its a good thing you said that, i forgot to mention it. where exactley is the regulator?? i'm kind of an idiot when it comes to electrical stuff. thanks for the help!
-Jay

 

[John_Muha]

I assume that after you disconnected the negative cable off the battery, you also unscrewed the large wire off the back of the alternator. If you only tested the alternator by removing the plug connector, that's not a good test.
Regulator is next to the radiator, left side of the car.
When doing this type of testing the test light should go out by unplugging something. One lead of the test light goes to the disconnected negative cable. The other goes to battery (-).
That "something" is what is draining the battery. Only things like a clock or memory in a modern radio need power when the key is off. Disconnect the alternator, unplug the regulator, pull the fuses. If you can't make the light go out, post back with what you have done.

 

[69chevelle355]

ok today i replaced the main red wire that runs from the alternator (it was pretty crappy looking) and i hooked it up to the positive cable. i replaced the voltage regulator too and hooked up some loose grounds i found. i left the battery hooked up so we will see if it dies again or not....hopefully not. thanks for the help john.
-Jay