1968 big block Camaro. I recently had a dead battery from doing work on the tail lights. Got those fixed but had to jump start the car.For the first time in my life I reversed the polarity and smoked the voltage regulator. The alternator also got very hot but later checked out fine. However, the 14 gauge fusible link from the positive cable to the fuse block on the passenger side of the car melted the insulation leaving only about 2” of good wire adjacent to the positive battery connection. I soldered a new wire (non fusible) to the remaining 2”of wire and connected it to the fuse block, replaced the voltage regulator, put in a new battery, and the charging system, ammeter all seemed to be OK. But!! When the battery is connected, I have a 1.7 amp draw on the system. I pulled every fuse one at a time and nothing seemed to stop the amp draw. I removed the two wire harness to the alternator and the amp draw disappeared. However, that solution inactivates the charging system so that is a “nogo”. I didn’t have this problem before I cross connected the battery and I can’t seem to see anything wrong other than the amp draw! Headlights, tail, stop,turn signals, interior lights, etc are all working normally. Does anyone have any good ideas? I am wondering if not using a fusible link wire on the positive side could be a problem other than not being a fusible link. However, the cheapo replacement positive cable from Ricks came with a short secondary wire with a blue connector to connect the existing wire to the fuse block. I am stumped.


Mike

 

Welcome, Mike, to the Club. Correct year
I would say the VR is bad as field relay is staying closed for some reason, or melted closed.
Or, the wire controlling the field relay is hot at all times.
These may help
The new cable has a standard wire gauge for connection to the existing OE fusible link.
Fusible links are two wire gauges smaller than the existing wire, aka, if 12GA is used for the circuit, then a length of 16GA wire would be the link.

 

Thanks much for the quick response. I tries two new VRs just to check for some type of VR problem. Same 2.73 amp draw with both. I did additional testing and determined that the "blue" wire running from the VR to the alternator is the one drawing the amps. However, I used a jumper from the VR to the alternator to bypass the blue wire and still got the 2.73 amp draw. Wish I know more about electronics!
Mike

 

Blue wire supplies power to alt field winding inside.
Some thing external of VR is closing field relay inside VR.

 

Field relay staying closed.
Power on Pin 4 would close relay - but only with ign sw ON