I posted this message on CorvetteForum, but I thought I would ask here as well. I just joined NCRS with my '61 purchase last week, so I am still learning a lot about this car. Here is my problem:
At idle with the brake depressed, lights still dim considerably to the point that the interior lights almost completely out. The radio dies as before, and headlights dim. The car still runs during this time, so spark plugs are still firing. When I take my foot off the brake, power does come back, although not 100%, due to the brake lights turning off. The problem seems to get worse the longer I am driving in stop and go traffic (and therefore idling a lot more than usual.)
One small quirk that might be relevant: the "Beam" indicator light is slightly illuminated even though the hi-beams are not switched on. (When I do turn the hi-beams on, the indicator light gets brighter--the "Brake" indicator light does not show this behavior)
The ammeter indicates that the car is charging in the normal way, at least as described in other posts--the voltage regulator change seemed to clear up those issues. After starting--positive charging, at idle--negative discharge, most driving just around 0. If I kill all electrical draw at idle, the ammeter will show a reading around 0.
If I shift the car into neutral instead of drive, electrical power returns, although again not to 100%. Once I start moving, all the lights and radio come on strong.
The car idles very smoothly at 500 rpms when the PowerGlide is in gear and about 800 rpms if I shfit it into neutral.
My guess is that a 500 rpm idle is not fast enough to produce a strong enough charge from the generator to keep everything at full power. I am not sure why the system does not draw from the battery, and then recharge it when moving. Maybe the battery is on its way out? Perhaps it has something to do with the "Beam" light creating a short circuit and sucking off too much power. Or is it as simple as increasing the idle to a higher level to get the generator working harder?
I have read in some of the NCRS archives about a "dancing fuel guage" problem caused by a poor shared ground circuit. I have not noticed my fuel guage dancing in this way, but it has never read 100% full, although it has been accurate across the 3/4 span it operates. Could all this becaused by faulty grounds? If that's the case, does the engine/distributor run of the same ground circuit, creating a potential stalling problem?
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for all your help
At idle with the brake depressed, lights still dim considerably to the point that the interior lights almost completely out. The radio dies as before, and headlights dim. The car still runs during this time, so spark plugs are still firing. When I take my foot off the brake, power does come back, although not 100%, due to the brake lights turning off. The problem seems to get worse the longer I am driving in stop and go traffic (and therefore idling a lot more than usual.)
One small quirk that might be relevant: the "Beam" indicator light is slightly illuminated even though the hi-beams are not switched on. (When I do turn the hi-beams on, the indicator light gets brighter--the "Brake" indicator light does not show this behavior)
The ammeter indicates that the car is charging in the normal way, at least as described in other posts--the voltage regulator change seemed to clear up those issues. After starting--positive charging, at idle--negative discharge, most driving just around 0. If I kill all electrical draw at idle, the ammeter will show a reading around 0.
If I shift the car into neutral instead of drive, electrical power returns, although again not to 100%. Once I start moving, all the lights and radio come on strong.
The car idles very smoothly at 500 rpms when the PowerGlide is in gear and about 800 rpms if I shfit it into neutral.
My guess is that a 500 rpm idle is not fast enough to produce a strong enough charge from the generator to keep everything at full power. I am not sure why the system does not draw from the battery, and then recharge it when moving. Maybe the battery is on its way out? Perhaps it has something to do with the "Beam" light creating a short circuit and sucking off too much power. Or is it as simple as increasing the idle to a higher level to get the generator working harder?
I have read in some of the NCRS archives about a "dancing fuel guage" problem caused by a poor shared ground circuit. I have not noticed my fuel guage dancing in this way, but it has never read 100% full, although it has been accurate across the 3/4 span it operates. Could all this becaused by faulty grounds? If that's the case, does the engine/distributor run of the same ground circuit, creating a potential stalling problem?
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for all your help
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