So I've got a bad ground or connection somewhere in my '69. When the car is turned off the "Generator" light on the dash stays on. If I leave the car with the battery connected for a few hours, I'll come back to a dead battery. I've been unplugging the voltage regulator when I'm not driving and that seems to do the trick, but it's a very cheesy and uncivilized way to go about things.

I need some advice on how to track down and fix the electrical issue. I have very little electrical expertise and a small garage with limited tools. I don't have a problem finding or buying the equipment I need, I just want be sure I know what I'm looking for and that I'm not spending a small fortune on tools that I don't need. Pointers on where to look and what to look for would be greatly helpful.

Thanks in advance!

 

Additional info on the car:

1969 Plain Jane Camaro
307 w/ Edelbrock 650 4bbl
3spd Auto Trans
Viper Alarm system which I'd desperately like to remove
Stereo is fairly basic and I've completely disconnected it to try to eliminate it from the list of potential problems.

No AC, no power windows, no power doors, no power antennae, manual fuel pump, and no additional electrical amenities I can think of (other than the electric choke on the carb, and the alarm) that wasn't standard on the car.

 

If the generator light stays on it an indication that battery is discharging through the generator/alternator. Could be a bad generator/alternator (shorted diode) or a bad regulator.

 

It's a brand new alternator and I've had that and the battery tested recently.

Any tips for testing the regulator?

 

Yeah, buy a new one and put it in, especially if you have the original mechanical contact point type. Some new replacement regulators are electronic.
You've pretty much eliminated anything else that I would think is causing the charging system drain.

 

Success! Thanks guys. $17 part and about 5 minutes to replace and the 'Generator' light is now off. I'm going to leave the car overnight to see if I still have any battery drain, but for now it appears the issue has been resolved. Thanks again for your help everyone!

 

The Generator light is off but I'm still seeing the power drain. I left the battery connected over night and when I came out and checked on it the next day, it was completely dead. If I had any hair I'd be pulling it out right about now. My fear is taking the car to a show, having it sit all morning and not be able to start it up to leave. Embarrassing!

I had the battery, alternator, and new regulator tested and they all check out. I've gone around the car looking for burnt out bulbs or anything else I cant think of that might be causing this. Any suggestions or recommendations on chasing down a power drain are greatly welcomed and appreciated.

 

If I had any hair, I’d be pulling it out right now. Something in my ’69 that’s draining the battery and for the life of me I can’t figure out what it is.

Here are the things I’ve replaced recently and all test out fully functional:
• New Starter
• New Battery
• New Alternator
• New Voltage Regulator
• New Horn Relay

All bulbs appear to be in-tact and functional. I removed the alarm system and disconnected the stereo. I’ve removed all the fuses. Nothing seems to be changing the fact that it’s losing juice when it sits.

The auto electric guy up the road wants $80 just to look at it, so I was hoping I could do it myself and learn a thing or two about the wiring in the car. Right now I need help. Any and all suggestions are welcomed and greatly appreciated.

 

One step forward, two steps back, eh?
Have you tried disconnecting the battery overnight to make sure it doesn't go dead? Although, the battery wouldn't lose power then, unless it was bad and can't hold a charge on it's own. Disconnecting all the fuses still leaves the main power connections under the hood live though, as well as power that's going into the fuse box. Have you checked with a meter to make sure power to the coil remains off? Your ignition switch could be bad/touchy/barely staying "off". Other thoughts are a short in the fuse box itself, or a shorted wire under the hood. In the meantime, I would disconnect the pos. battery terminal till you get it figured out. If you have a short, you don't want to turn your 69 into a carbeque (although you may already feel like doing that since you can't pull hair)!

 

So I got a referral from a friend for an auto electrician. He only charged $20 to check out the car. Had it diagnosed in 5 minutes as a broken connection from the alternator to the voltage regulator. He replaced the connector and clipped the wire back to the alternator. I swapped out the now blown voltage regulator and the power is holding steady. I'm taking it back to him tomorrow just to make sure there are no other issues, but for now it appears to be resolved. Thanks for the help!