Resistor in alternator wire???

[mc1984ss]

Here is a picture of my factory gauge cluster with the warning lights on the right. There definitely is not a light on the volt gauge. I've got the dash half ripped apart so looking for the wires was easy. In the harness for the ignition switch I've got the heavy gauge orange but I do not see a brown wire with a white stripe, I do have a tan wire with a white stripe, is that it? I also have a larger gauge and smaller gauge brown wire but neither have a white stripe.

Thanks again everyone I appreciate it

 

[pagrunt]

Here is a picture of my factory gauge cluster with the warning lights on the right. There definitely is not a light on the volt gauge. I've got the dash half ripped apart so looking for the wires was easy. In the harness for the ignition switch I've got the heavy gauge orange but I do not see a brown wire with a white stripe, I do have a tan wire with a white stripe, is that it? I also have a larger gauge and smaller gauge brown wire but neither have a white stripe.

Thanks again everyone I appreciate it

The light in the volt gauge is a Pontiac feature, Chevys won't have it. That tan-white stripe is for the brake warning light for the bulb check feature. The orange wire will have the resistor wire crimped in the with it. With your year the wite stripe might of been dropped, I'm using my '81 diagram as a reference since that manual is handy. Also to note factory SS cars did come standard with gauges.

 

[PBGBodyFan]

Glad I just found this thread. I'm having voltage/charging issues on my LeMans this year, I did do a dash swap but checked over the grounds, but also did a gauge cluster swap replacing dummy lights last year originally. Last year I had swapped in a set of gauges/tach from a 81' but this year put in a set of silver 78' gauges with tach. I think that might be the culprit based on reading this, when I went from the "newer" black faced gauges to the silver 78's.

 

[Bonnewagon]

I went from the "newer" black faced gauges to the silver 78's.

That was my problem. You need either the light or the resistor wire. Now I can't remember wether I put the silver face on the black gauge- or put the light assembly into the silver gauge body. It was a while ago. But I definitely had to make a hole in the face for the light. If you take the gauge apart you will see what to do right away.

 

[PBGBodyFan]

That was my problem. You need either the light or the resistor wire. Now I can't remember wether I put the silver face on the black gauge- or put the light assembly into the silver gauge body. It was a while ago. But I definitely had to make a hole in the face for the light. If you take the gauge apart you will see what to do right away. View attachment 149328

Thanks, I was planning on keeping the silver gauges for the year but prefer the black faced and was probably changing back to them. This just will move that up and (should) resolve my headache tracing down the voltage issue. Would make sense as it happened right after this gauge swap. Nothing changed going from dummy lights to the black faced gauges, just from those to the silver.