[V8] the dreaded blue wire debacle

[Steve Kramer]

Ingo,

My god.  This is just like my car.  Is there a Type 44 out there without all 
these electrical problems.

My car would also do the low oil pressure light thing.  Hasn't happened this 
year.  See, I used to bang the top of my dash to get the gas/temp gauges to 
work.  Now, I have second thoughts about that approach - as perhaps this led 
to the blue wire debacle.  Also maybe the rear end collision  from a car 
doing 20 mph and forcing me into another car might also be to blame. 
When the gauges come to life so does the seat belt indicator and the chime. 
It seems like I might have some bad solder connections and/or oxidized 
connections.  Perhaps the blue wire connection is related.

Wondering most of you say the cluster don't go bad.  Are they available for 
sale?   Audiconnection?  Or would it cost less just to pay my mechanic clean 
all the contacts and repair any bad solder joints.  How many hours do you 
think? I've already spent $500 the last go around.

Thnaks for your reply,

Steve Kramer
1990 v8q

 ----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ingo Rautenberg" <i.rautenberg at waratap.com>
To: "Steve Kramer" <skramer at mac.com>; "Buchholz, Steven" 
<Steven.Buchholz at kla-tencor.com>; <v8 at audifans.com>
Sent: Thursday, January 27, 2005 2:35 PM
Subject: Re: [V8] the dreaded blue wire debacle


> Steve,
>
> Yes you did :-)  The alternator comes complete with new voltage
> regulator/brush pack.  Have you checked climate control head voltage when
> this occurs?  The fact that you have occasionally three IC lights 
> dimly-lit
> at the same time has me thinking a bad solder joint or other connection in
> the instrument cluster, but I can't say for sure.
>
> Bad solder joints can do aggravating things.  See:
> http://www.audifans.com/pipermail/v8/2004-September/003714.html
>
> -Ingo
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Steve Kramer" <skramer at mac.com>
> To: "Buchholz, Steven" <Steven.Buchholz at kla-tencor.com>; <v8 at audifans.com>
> Sent: Thursday, January 27, 2005 2:54 PM
> Subject: Re: [V8] the dreaded blue wire debacle
>
>
>> I did have the alternator replaced last year but not the voltage
> regulator.
>> What do you use to clean the battery posts - ground locations.
>>
>> Dumb question -  Also could the battery short out if the posts touch the
>> metal on the rear bench.
>>
>> Steve Kramer
>> 1990 v8
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Buchholz, Steven" <Steven.Buchholz at kla-tencor.com>
>> To: <v8 at audifans.com>
>> Sent: Thursday, January 27, 2005 12:59 PM
>> Subject: RE: [V8] the dreaded blue wire debacle
>>
>>
>> ... by any chance has this crack mechanic pulled the regulator module
>> off the alternator to see if the brushes are getting to the end of their
>> life?  To be honest I've forgotten the details of the journey that got
>> us to this point, but I remember a similar chain in my younger days ...
>> I think it was on the old '78 Fox ... I went up and down the charging
>> system ... and all it took was getting the alternator rebuilt!  Think
>> about it ... most all of the other bits do not tend to wear or get moved
>> about ...
>>
>> Other items that can lead to charging system issues are the ground braid
>> from the engine block to the frame, and on some models there are poorly
>> crimped high current cables that can develop high resistance ... but I
>> don't think this applies to the V8 ... and even if it did would not
>> likely result in the ALT light coming on ...
>>
>> Steve B
>> San Jose, CA (USA)
>> >
>> > 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.
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> contributions welcome!
>>
>
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