[theelcaminoman]

Hey guys. I recently replaced my brake booster on my El Camino. While working on it, my interior lights kept flickering and sometimes theyd go out completely. I ignored it and got a flashlight. After I was done, I noticed my battery light was on, even with the doors closed and ignition off. I scratched my head and hit the ignition. Nothing. No headlights, tailights, starter, nothin. Just my battery light works? So I messed around a bit and figured it might have something to do with the wiring from my tranny I recently removed. I touched a ground cable that was attached to the firewall to the engine and it sparked. WHAT THE HELL?! MY FIREWALL HAS POWER?! Sure enough, everytime something metal touched my firewall, it sparked. I talked to a guy who knows a thing or two and he said my terminals might need cleaned. The same thing has happened to him. So I wire brushed everything from the battery to the solenoid. Nothin. Whats going on???!!!

 

[84elcoconquista]

Yes it can. If it is grounded to the chassis it will do that. You need to move that wire to an ignition spot in the fuse box, that way it will only turn on in the ignition.

You need to get that sparking fixed! You may be blowing fuses everytime you spark it.

Brandon

 

[steelybill]

It's possible that when you were under the panel working on the booster, brake pedal rod etc, that you disturbed or grounded out a hot wire etc. Take a look under there & re-trace your steps for the booster installation. Some Elcos have a terminal block on the firewall, with heavy red wires running to it. If you have that terminal block, check the wiring there. It's usually close to/above the booster. Not to difficult to get a wire caught under a component when replacing it.
Just some ideas for ya !

 

[Jack_K]

Hey guys. I recently replaced my brake booster on my El Camino. While working on it, my interior lights kept flickering and sometimes theyd go out completely. I ignored it and got a flashlight. After I was done, I noticed my battery light was on, even with the doors closed and ignition off. I scratched my head and hit the ignition. Nothing. No headlights, tailights, starter, nothin. Just my battery light works? So I messed around a bit and figured it might have something to do with the wiring from my tranny I recently removed. I touched a ground cable that was attached to the firewall to the engine and it sparked. WHAT THE HELL?! MY FIREWALL HAS POWER?! Sure enough, everytime something metal touched my firewall, it sparked. I talked to a guy who knows a thing or two and he said my terminals might need cleaned. The same thing has happened to him. So I wire brushed everything from the battery to the solenoid. Nothin. Whats going on???!!!

Let's think about this logically. First of all every voltage has a positive and a negative side. If you touch the two together you can get a spark. OK. Everyone agrees so far.

The battery has a positive and a negative terminal. Again, we agree. The battery's negative terminal (big wire from battery) gets attached to the engine block (somewhere).

The battery's positive terminal (another big wire) gets attached to the starter solenoid, the alternator, and the fuse box. So far everything is OK.

Normally the engine block has a ground strap that attaches to the frame and another that attaches to the firewall. That makes the entire vehicle be at ground (negative) potential.

Now for the problem.


It seems your firewall is at the positive potential. In order for the firewall to be at the positive potential the ground strap must be missing and a positive wire has been inadvertently connected to the firewall or a positive wire has been shorted to the firewall.

The first thing to do is find out which wire is shorting to the firewall. Then you need to add a ground strap from the engine or frame to the firewall. You have a potential for a fire on your hands, not to mention damage to electrical components.

A voltmeter and/or ohmmeter will be a good tool to use.

If you need more advice, just ask.

Jack

 

[JJLT1]

check the grounds too..:texas:

Yes it can. If it is grounded to the chassis it will do that. You need to move that wire to an ignition spot in the fuse box, that way it will only turn on in the ignition.

i got a question
what can?? if whats grounded?? what wire??...... and i would not do that..:dontknow:

 

[theelcaminoman]

I am also totally confused on that post lol

 

[Beepster]

I am also totally confused on that post lol

Well, me, too. I wouldn't connect any wire that wasn't already connected, to the fuse panel. You have a lack of a ground and a positive shorted to the chassis. I'd find the short before deciding to add a ground wire from the firewall to the engine/frame. If you do that, do it from a distance, or you just might not survive. That would be like taking the positive and negative leads from the battery and bolting them together under the hood. You just might get the fireworks award of the year for that one. FIND the shorted wire, and it's most likely UNDER the booster in the firewall connector.

 

[theelcaminoman]

Figured it out! My moms bf came out and checked it out. When he installed the 305, he went ahead and installed an external regulator (I mighta already mentioned that) and thank goodness! I love external regulators. Anyways, turns out, the ground goin from the regulator to the fender wasnt working 100% so he just added another wire running from the regulator to the negative post on the battery. He says the light was on because it was grounding out through whatever it could find, which happened to be my battery light. Problem fixed!

Thanks for all the advice guys! :You_Rock:

 

[ccc]

why are you useing that type of alt ? the modern ones are so much better