Dead 87...please help
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 20
Likes: 0
From: Floral Park NY
Dead 87...please help
i was driving home when i noticed the volt on my dash board was around 10.8-11.2 as opposed to the usual 14. It went lower and lower, so i pulled into a parking lot and it died around 7 volts. I jumped it, but it died with in minutes again. The battery is new. I assumed it was the alternator, as i was looking at it, i noticed an unconnected wire. The wire harness with the 3 wires coming out of it was connected, the red battery cable was on tight, but there was a thin green wire with a white stripe. the end looked as if it had maybe burned off. I asked the guy in the tow truck he said it may be the excitory wire. My hanes book is in the mail so i dont have an electrical diagram. Can anyone help shed some light? thanks
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 26,598
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From: Hampton, VA Yea, i'm a redneck... but you love it
Cruise-In 8-9 Veteran
aka/Trunk Monkey/Banned For Life/Corvette For Life
I have it on mine too... no idea what it does, but it is connected... ground possably?
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 34,873
Likes: 487
From: Lacey WA RVN 68-69
NCM Sinkhole Donor
The green/white wire goes to the coolant fan temperature switch located on the left side cylinder head between the #1 and #3 plugs. Has nothing to do with the charging system.
From your description of the speed of the voltage drop, it sounds like the alternator is toast. Early C4's are note for alternator issues due to the heat buildup under the hood. Get a good AC Delco alternator and not a cheapie rebuilt from the chain parts stores.
From your description of the speed of the voltage drop, it sounds like the alternator is toast. Early C4's are note for alternator issues due to the heat buildup under the hood. Get a good AC Delco alternator and not a cheapie rebuilt from the chain parts stores.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 54,124
Likes: 30
From: Cincinnati, Oh USA
Your red battery symbol light should have been lit on the dash which tells you that the alternator is not charging the battery and you then have a limited time until the engine quits due to low battery voltage. If that happens. turn off every electrical device you can and make for home in the shortest and lowest possible time possible.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 8,183
Likes: 3
From: Santa Maria, CA
I tried a couple from the auto parts stores, but they did not last.
Got an actual AC Delco alt and it has been good!
btw, same story of getting stranded/not seeing the red symbol light happened to me one day.
Was in Santa Barbara, started driving home ,alt died and drove on pure battery power for 45 minutes.
The whole 45 minutes the symbol was lit, but could not see it in the daytime light.
Batt/car finally died on the freeway, 15 minutes away from home.
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 3,837
Likes: 30
Your red battery symbol light should have been lit on the dash which tells you that the alternator is not charging the battery and you then have a limited time until the engine quits due to low battery voltage. If that happens. turn off every electrical device you can and make for home in the shortest and lowest possible time possible.
this exact thing happened to me 2 weeks ago on the interstate...pulled off and made sure the belt was attached (it was)...took a volt meter and made sure i had voltage to the alt at the red wire (i had) ..then, measured voltage output at the alternator (approx +11vdc), then, determined alt was bad and since had life warranty, replaced it....
