I removed my instrument cluster preparing to find a wire to tap into for my voltmeter meter, I turned the key on without the cluster installed and starting doing some probing. My readings were really low like aroung 11.7v. So I went to reinstall the cluster and noticed a click sound when I grabbed the wire that that attaches to the bottom of the cluster. I believe it must have fallen back and grounded itself. Now I have no charging at all and my idiot light is lit. I hope I didn't fry the alternator, does anyone know if there is a relay or fuse that I can replace? I checked the fuse panel on the drivers side and none of those appear to have anything to do with the charging system and I started the car and checked the volts at the battery, sure enough.....11.7v......Boy do I feel like a bonehead right now.....

Dale

 

Ok, did some reading and checking on the system. I now know that there are no relays or fuses in the charging system. I have 11.7v coming out of the alternator and my idiot light is lit up. I can't imagine that I fried the internal voltage regulator but I must have. I'll wait to hear if anyone has any ideas before I go and buy a new alternator. [:@][:@]

 

Make sure you didn't fry the circuit board.
Is the Alt light on?

 

Yes, if you're referring to the idiot light for the charging system. The cluster seems to work fine, I didn't see any problems with the way it was working. I still can't believe I fried the alternator just by having that one wire touch ground. It was the single wire with the male connector on the end. I'm going to remove the alternator tomorrow and take it to autozone and have them spin it up and check it. I'm in disbelief though that I could have fried it....Do you think that's what happened?

 

Check the circuit board. If you burn the bulb or the back side of the curcuit it won't charge.

 

The bulb works tech, and the circuit board works and looks fine....

 

Ok, the story gets weirder but at least it's weird ina good way. I went out this morning and started it up, everything works fine.....go figure....Charging system is putting out 14.1v and all of the gauges work. I can only speculate that by starting the car yesterday with the cluster removed caused some sort of fault that eventually reset itself. I know this doesn't make much sense because there are no relays in the charging system, it's the only thing that I can think of though. So the moral of the story is (DON'T RUN THE VEHICLE WITHOUT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER INSTALLED)!!!

Thanks tech for the ideas and taking the time to write me.

Dale

 

Glad all is well.