C4in mesa

The car sits most of the time. I got in to start it and the dash wouldn't light up. The engine bay lights were on and the interior lights came on. Turn the key and nothing as if the battery were dead. Odd? The battery was a year old but I went to Napa and exchanged it. Put it in and fired right up. I took it for a short drive everything was fine. A couple weeks pass and I get in to start it and the same dead battery issue. I go to Napa again and the guy checks the battery. It's good nothing wrong. Did I bump the bundle of fuseable links when I was changing out the battery? Was there a loose connection all along? I put the battery in and turned the key. It fired up but unless I kept my foot on the gas the dash light dimmed and it ran as if it was going to stall. I kept my foot on the pedal slightly and it ran good. The lights were bright and working in the interior. Take my foot of the gas pedal and it got dim while the engine began to sputter and stall out. I will start at the fuseable links and inspect them. I'll replace any that need it. Should my attention be somewhere else? Are those fuseable links involved in the electrical system providing fuel or timing?

billschroeder5842

My thought is that your voltage regulator on the alternator is going or is shot. The tell tale sign to me is that your lights brighten and dim based on the RPMs.

Cliff Harris

Inspect the battery cable connections (BOTH ends) carefully. A poor connection can case the symptoms you describe.

C4in mesa

I ordered a new voltage regulator AC Delco $11.50 good price. I'll check the battery connections too. I only know of the one going to the alternator.

C4in mesa

I broke my alternator in the process of trying to get it separated. It needs rebuilt. Plastic snapped and it's no longer a part but junk. Nobody has a 1988 C4 alternator in stock so I ordered one off eBay for $100. AC Delco part. I hope putting a good part will it the problem.

C4in mesa

I installed a brand new AC Delco alternator and the same issue persists. I start the car and the crank is as if the battery is weak. Once it starts it runs fine everything normal. After a few minutes the lights dim on the dash and it will stall. Fires right back up and if you let off the gas it dies. Seems to me to be a electrial problem.

C4in mesa

I pulled the battery and removed all the fuseable links off the small all-thread. I inspected them and put dielectric grease on each connection. Two needed cleaned and the others looked good. I started the car and it runs normal except now the fan is on when you turn the key half way and stays on. My assumption is that when the fan relay goes bad the fan stops.

C4in mesa

I cleaned all the fuseable links and put dielectric grease on each one plus the all-thread. Everything works as it should. Maybe the drive cycle is what cleared up the fan running all the time?
Electrical problems drive me crazy. I advise anyone who has issues to inspect their fuseable links as a possible source of the problem.

RF1

There is a small cluster of ground attached to the frame, under the battery tray if my memory serves. You may want to spit shine those up too.