Changed dash cluster and have a battery drain now

[CutlassGrandNational]

Yeah so i switched my dash cluster according to this diagram

http://tech.oldsgmail.com/eint_rallye_swap.html

and my alternator is not charging the battery anymore... BUT I know it's working because I can drive down the highway and have all my lights die and the car still runs... yet... it still gets enough power to keep that god damn check engine light on barely, conclusion=god hates me.

So I was wondering if maybe this has something to do with the ground and illumination wire I cut and taped? I used electrical tape, but I'm think maybe not enough. I also don't have the tach hooked up, but I have the wire in the back of the cluster. Am I losing power there? before I switch the cluster out again I wanna know if maybe I should route both the illumination wires together and the ground's. Maybe it's just a bad dash cluster.

 

[CutlassGrandNational]

anybody have this problem?

 

[Ribbedroof]

Not that familiar with the Olds setup, but bad analog clocks have been known to cause a drain that will discharge a battery overnight.

There have also been reports of resistance wires in the engine harness of gauge-equipped cars to replace the indicator lamp used on warning-lamp cluster cars, at least on Chevrolets.

 

[CutlassGrandNational]

Well I don't have an analogue clock.

Resistance?

 

[dougfather]

There have also been reports of resistance wires in the engine harness of gauge-equipped cars to replace the indicator lamp used on warning-lamp cluster cars, at least on Chevrolets

I think you need a "10-ohm" resistor (or the 163 bulb) for the alternator field/indicator wire. One side goes to the brown wire and the other to a switched 12V (pink/black) wire. The easiset thing to do on your Olds is to keep the charge idiot light (it still has a place for that on the ralleye gaueg setup, right?). I ran into this problem on my GP.

OR, you could convert your alternator to a one-wire setup.

 

[CutlassGrandNational]

SO, I hook this resistor up behind the dash or in the engine bay? And convert the alternator to a one wire setup? explain please?

and what did you mean keep my charge light? There is a light in the socket. At least I believe so.

It says n00b under my user name for a reason ya know. heh.

 

[CutlassGrandNational]

and how many watts should resistor be? I have some 10 watts laying around somewhere. Too high or too low?

 

[dougfather]

I would either do 1 of 2 things:

1) Change out the alternator (or convert yours) to a one wire setup. What this means is ONLY the wire from the battery to alternator us used. The plug with the brown and red wire is eliminated.

OR

2) Use the CHARGE light socket on your cluster. If you have a Cutlass, then you have the 2 columns of idiot lights. This would be the easiest route. Just make sure the light comes on when in the ignition key is in RUN position (engine NOT running).

 

[CutlassGrandNational]

Alrighty. Will do, try it out tonight. Thanks again.

 

[CutlassGrandNational]

reffered to a picture of the dash cluster with the bulbs in it and arranged them in that order. found a blue bulb used that for the charge light ( had a black one there) and this solves my alternator problem but not the gas gauge. I also see on the reference manual another blue bulb behind the gagues. I have a green bulb there and I'm out of blue. Is this my problem? where can I get the blue bulbs from? I searched for awhile all over the internet and never really found anything. not even Ebay.

and I just realized the speedo isn't working. after awhile of sitting when the car is off the needle will rest but when I'm driving and I come to a stop the needle reads 10mph. Can I adjust this?

Sorry for the headache.