Quote:
Originally Posted by MadMaxSvx
Let me guess, the problem was the meter fuse
|
Yep, it was the fuse to the cluster, must have blown it when the original alternator went out.
I didn't expect it because the gauges and idiot lights still kinda worked. I looked over the schematic in my service manual and saw it was possible for power to back feed from voltage regulator of the alternator through the idiot light and power up the gauges and since this idiot light was before them in this backwards circuit and adding resistance, they would read lower than normal, but they wouldn't work at all when the engine was not running.
The way the idiot light works is there is normally 12 volts supplied to one lead of the bulb from the cluster when the switch is on and the alternator is also supplying 12 volts to the other lead when it is charging, so the light stays off because there is no ground. When the alternator isn't charging, it becomes the ground, so the light comes on. My light was working backwards because the alternator was supplying the voltage and it found a ground through the rest of my gauges.
Makes perfect sense now, but a blown fuse was one of the last things on my mind until I looked at the schematic.