If your hubby is getting shocked from the ignition system it is not because of the alternator. It would be from bad wires, cracked coil or the ICM not grounded properly. As for the car not starting again do you have any other electrical systems still working? If so then I would check connections at the starter, alternator and junction block near the battery on the pass side. Make sure all connections are tight, make sure that the junction block didnt melt through and cause a short, and also check the - side grounds on the shock tower (small wire) and the engine block below the tensioner (large wire).

Massey

 

The instrument panel does light up when he tries to crank. Its not making any noise when switch is turned and isn't trying to turn over at all. I dont think the alt we had in it before was charging battery because I really never drove it that much. It was a brand new battery bought on Feb 6th and I probably put 100 miles on it. It had been sitting several days when this happened. I'm gonna try to put some pics of what everything looked like after taking old alternator off. My husband (remember not a mechanic by any stretch) thinks its the starter but geesh, it was never sluggish or anything til the battery died and then you could put a battery from another car in it and it fired right up. And of course, the starter NOT working wouldn't have shut the engine off either.

Note the last pic where that big wire has a section taped off, it was this way when it was removed off back of old alternator. Any explanation on what thats for?

(the babies lol)


And my very first car..81 Z28 that I wish I never sold and my 18 year old son would LOVE to be able to drive now!

 

OK you have a cluster F..k of wiring there. First off that copper lug is for a starter not an alternator that some one twisty taped up. Get rid of it and get some of the wire like what is already there ( the smaller stuff) and use that and get a new lug that is just large enough to fit over the post on the alternator and will be large enough for the primary wire to fit in. The yellow insulated crimp connectors should work fine. The tiny red wire is what goes into post "L" on the top of the alternator. splice that into the new plug with a red butt connector. Test for shorts with an ohm meter once everything is put back together. To test for shorts have the battery hooked and test the resistance between the + and - cables. You should have some resistance but not 0 ohms. Open is fine as well. If that is good then you should be safe to plug the battery back in.

Now try to start the car. If it starts then take the car to the local part store and have the charging system tested. If it does not start then check the starter's connections, if they are good and it will not start then remove the starter and have it tested. If it bench tests good then your car has another issue. Check the key to make sure the resistor in the key is still good, try a second key if you have one. Other than that the rest is more advanced electrical diagnostics and repair.

Massey

 

If the car is a 5 speed manual check the clutch position sensor. Those thing go and will cause your engine to not turn over. You'll go to start it and get no sound at all if the switch went bad. If it's a auto then check out the nuteral start switch. Could be out of position or also need to be replaced. The best way I found to check those is to take a piece of wire and jump it. If it starts there's your problem. If not could be the starter relays or a grounding or power issue to the starter.

 

Also nice 81 z28. I'd kill to get one of those late 70's early 80's models. Such a sexy car.

 

Ok to answer some questions, it only has one key and its automatic.

So another question, (I haven't looked to see what he actually did with that mess of wires) but if he used that "starter lug on this smaller alternator post (one came off was larger) could it have caused it to short out or engine to shut off?

 

Well my mystery continues lol We haven't done anything else on the car but only because its pouring rain out there and is suppose to all weekend. I did talk to the guy who sold me the car. I have no reason to NOT believe him because he told me the history of his 3 years with this car before we bought it. He even told me to take it the weekend before I paid for it to be sure I was happy with it.

Well he told me the alternator was that way when he got the car and that he had never had it to not crank. SO if that was the case then evidently the alt that my husband pulled off was a one-wire alternator? And the exciter wire wasn't even necessary with that. Maybe the battery was just bad then. I'm so frustrated. We should have taken the darn thing to autozone or somewhere and had it tested rather than take that alt in, be told it was working but that it wasn't "safe" to leave it in the car because part of it was sawed off. Now I have a new alternator and battery which I would be happy with (replacing old parts) but a car thats not running.

 

It's most likely your nuteral start switch. If that switch goes you can't start your car. And sometime when they go you can start your car in every gear. The nuteral start swith is in your center peice beside the shifter. Try jumping it with anoter wire and if it starts that's your problem. If not then it's your starter. Check that switch first as it's a $20 switch. Cheaper then a $200 starter that might not need to be replaced.

 

budsysmith, your Camaro looks just like mine lol

 

lol Yep they do...aren't they beautifully awesome? Oh and you can call me Dana.. And yes, I'm a girl lol