battery cables

['71 Nova SS]

Originally Posted by surfdog

If it's on the positive side, it's most likely a battery charging wire. How is your battery getting charged?

Some good reading here: http://www.madelectrical.com/electri...evymain1.shtml

From the diagram in the link: it looks like the alternator output goes to the horn relay, that same terminal on the horn relay to a junction block, then to the additional wire on the pos post of the battery. Hence, the charge route.

[machineguy]

Originally Posted by surfdog

If it's on the positive side, it's most likely a battery charging wire. How is your battery getting charged?

Some good reading here: http://www.madelectrical.com/electri...evymain1.shtml

Honestly I'm not sure how, or if, my battery is being charged. I just bought the car a few weeks ago. It's a new restoration. When they delivered it it started right up on the transporter. I drove it about two miles and parked it in my garage. Couple days later started it and drove a couple miles again. When I tried starting it the third time a couple days later the batt was dead. Figured it was just from setting. Took the battery to the local Advanced Auto and they said the battery was good just needed charged. Had'em charge it and the car started fine. Took it to storage and haven't started it since. I'm going to have to look at the info in the link you provided and then look at the car's wiring. Thank for the help.

['71 Nova SS]

Originally Posted by machineguy

Honestly I'm not sure how, or if, my battery is being charged. I just bought the car a few weeks ago. It's a new restoration. When they delivered it it started right up on the transporter. I drove it about two miles and parked it in my garage. Couple days later started it and drove a couple miles again. When I tried starting it the third time a couple days later the batt was dead. Figured it was just from setting. Took the battery to the local Advanced Auto and they said the battery was good just needed charged. Had'em charge it and the car started fine. Took it to storage and haven't started it since. I'm going to have to look at the info in the link you provided and then look at the car's wiring. Thank for the help.

OK. Here's a quick check that you can do with even the cheapo Harbor Freight meter. Set your DVM to the 20 VDC scale and clip the leads on the battery; red to plus, and black to negative. The meter should read around 12 volts. Leaving the meter hooked up, start the car. The meter should jump to around 14 volts.
If not, there is no output from the alternator to the battery. Check the voltage at the output of the alternator; if that's OK, then try to check the path to the battery.
A possible solution would be that the fusible link in the charge path from the alternator to the battery is missing. If it is, somebody might be able to help with the size of the fusible link; it's not given on the diagram. Another would be that a wire is simply not hooked up.
Here's hoping that this will solve your problem.

[jimys72]

You might check your alternator. My 72 came with a generater and at the time (25 years ago) i was having the same problem as you i replaced it with an alternator not knowing. Was still having problems so i took it to my chevy dealer and they rewired it for me. as important no electrical genius. hope this helps.

['71 Nova SS]

Originally Posted by jimys72

You might check your alternator. My 72 came with a generater and at the time (25 years ago) i was having the same problem as you i replaced it with an alternator not knowing. Was still having problems so i took it to my chevy dealer and they rewired it for me. as important no electrical genius. hope this helps.

I wouldn't think that a '72 would come with a generator. I don't see any benefit from removing an alternator and relacing it with a generator. Unless somebody just had a generator laying around, and thought it would work.

[jimys72]

Yea i dont know it was 25 years ago. the dealership said it was factory with the generator and the regulater on the radiator core support. all removed when rewired for the new internall alternator with internal regulator. maybe thats what he ment with the internal regulater and not generator. allways wondered about that.

['71 Nova SS]

Originally Posted by jimys72

Yea i dont know it was 25 years ago. the dealership said it was factory with the generator and the regulater on the radiator core support. all removed when rewired for the new internall alternator with internal regulator. maybe thats what he ment with the internal regulater and not generator. allways wondered about that.

That makes more sense. The alternator on my '71 uses the external voltage regulator on the firewall.

[machineguy]

Thanks for the help. Yesterday I went down to the garage where I have the car stored and looked at the wiring again. I think I'm losin' it. The wire wasn't capped, it was spliced but had come apart. I reconnected the wire and ran the car. Battery appears to be charging fine according to the voltage meter. I learned a lot in process. Thanks again.

[jimys72]

Sweet.

['71 Nova SS]

Originally Posted by machineguy

Thanks for the help. Yesterday I went down to the garage where I have the car stored and looked at the wiring again. I think I'm losin' it. The wire wasn't capped, it was spliced but had come apart. I reconnected the wire and ran the car. Battery appears to be charging fine according to the voltage meter. I learned a lot in process. Thanks again.