[V8] the dreaded blue wire debacle

[Steve Kramer]

Well, it's happened again.  One week after having the cluster taken out and 
the blue wire fixed  I thought I was through with the blue wire thing.

 Last night, I went to Radio Shack for some audio cables.  Turned the car 
and  got no alternator light.  Switched it off.  Then back on alternator 
light came.  Started the car and the alt light/ brake light/ cat light all 
came on and stayed dim.  Started revving the engine to 3000 and then they 
turned off.  Made it home with no problems.  At home I switched it off then 
on. Alt light came on again.  Phewww !!   Looks like the alternator is going 
kapput or the dreaded blue wire is raising it's ugly head!


This morning I started the car up - 3 combo lights came on dim.  Driving the 
car  - Seems I need to get to over 3000 rpm for the lights to turn off. 
Dropped my kid off at school.  Started the car but this time no alternator 
light. Drove home no problem.  At home I turned  the ignition car on then 
off.  This time even the brake light was off.   Tried later alt. light came 
on.

Everything was working great for a week.  No dim lights or anything.  My 
mechanic had pulled out the dash and had cleaned the contacts at the cluster 
and at the alternator.  Repeatedly he switched the car off and on to make 
sure the alt. light was working.  He also replaced the bulb.  He checked the 
alt. afterward and it was putting out the 14.1 volts.  Battery head was 
something like 12.9.  CC still shows the flat 12.0 on channel 11.


My questions

1.  could the intermittent operation have anything to do with the alternator 
going kapput - working sometime and not working others?   My car does have 
the belly pan but I have been going through some large puddles and snow.

2.  is the intermittent operation more like due to a failing cluster that 
should be replaced?  does the CC go through the cluster as well?  Don't know 
if this related but sometimes both my gas and temp go off intermittently.

3.  Possibly while closing the flap behind the glove compartment( busted 
spring) I may have pulled on a wire hanging there thus pulling off  the blue 
wire.  =

4.  Is the blue wire the culprit?  Perhaps even if the alt light doesn't 
come on when the ignition comes on - I'll notice while driving that the 
battery starts charging.  I'm thinking of going to an Auto parts store and 
getting a voltmeter to track the voltage at the positive post on the battery 
while I'm driving.  I suspect while driving I'll see volts coming on and 
shutting off several times.


Thanks

Steve Kramer
1990 v8q