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J9fd3s I get ya, but damnit I do not want to be in the 9s when it isn't heated up.... , but if I can't get it fixed I will definitely put some extra in for safety. Or run some meth with the water and just turn it on later.
Gdub29e and Darkning thanks for the awesome feed back. I was kind of suspecting some of the things mentioned, especially when looking at that one ground wire in the pic. I don't mind spending the time as this is a project. I appreciate everyone's time more than you guys can imagine!!
I was chasing an endless voltage war on my car as well and ultimately the cause ended up being the main yellow EGI relay. For whatever reason it was dropping voltage under hard load - from 13.5-14v all the way down to the 11s during a pull. The Haltech ECU in my car had data for the injectors and ignition coils at those voltages but it was very obvious that something was off. I ended up replacing the alternator, even ran a dummy light bulb to the exciter wire on the alt in case something was up with the factory dash, converted over to all 1/0 AWG wiring from the rear mounted battery(HUGE improvement in starter speed and worth every penny over 2ga). Ultimately I ended up attempting to bridge the EGI relay with some wire and got the full voltage back. Swapping the relay solved the issue and have had no issues since. Unfortunately I wasn't able to find a suitable non-oem alternative and the OEM relay costs about $80.
Worth a look.
This^^^^^
I also have 1/0 cable for my battery relocation. The ground I ran to the frame is the same size. I also ran a #4 ground direct to the block plus a few smaller #4's from the block to the factory grounding points. When I do my compression tests my rpm is usually in the 275-290 range on the stock starter according to the comp tester.
...I have not load tested the batt. Probably should have done that before making these threads. I just know it has 12.6 at rest...
A fully-charged lead-acid battery should have ~12.9V at rest (at least 24 hours after charging). Less means the battery is either not full charged or it is not in perfect shape. 12.6V, IMO, is marginal for any heavy-duty usage.
A fully-charged lead-acid battery should have ~12.9V at rest (at least 24 hours after charging). Less means the battery is either not full charged or it is not in perfect shape. 12.6V, IMO, is marginal for any heavy-duty usage.
This car is actually pretty clean and dry with the exception of some surface corrosion in a few places. It did have a bit on the rear wheel well and behind from rocks hitting over the years. I will be going through everything and hopefully this will be a thing of the past soon!
So I am definitely open to which wires you guys recommend... like where to buy.
I just bought some new IC coupling "hump" hoses from turbohoses. Expensive, but there will be no excuse for one popping off again, and also it will help keep my large Pettit IC from moving so much and breaking the seal of the duct.
I know there are some shops that specialize in car stereo wiring by the foot. Some of the good quality stuff is excellent - high strand count, quality copper, etc. May also check into local car stereo shops, that's an easy way to get good stuff for a good price without shipping.
Go to your local battery warehouse, welding or electrical supply and tell them what you need. Jegs has some nice kits you can buy online. You want mili strand welding cable. The stereo stuff is ok too, I just prefer the tougher jacket of the other.
The egi relay mentioned is a great idea too. I actually replaced all the relays and fuses when I fixed mine. Thirty year old stuff doesn’t last forever.
Terry,
Three things to fix your problem. One for the positive side, one for the negative or ground, and one for the alternator, especially if you have a AGM battery. All three are on my car and resolved all voltage problems.
HKB Electronics fuse-style alternator voltage booster for AGM battery
SunAuto Cyber Speed blue Hyper Voltage System originally for a Nissan 350Z
SunAuto Cyber Speed blue Hyper Ground System originally for a Nissan 350Z
The SunAuto system are hard to find since they are discounted years ago but I still found them a few years ago. The HKB voltage boosters are still sold. Read up on way they work, especially with AGM type batteries and help with voltage even at idle.
Mike
Terry,
Three things to fix your problem. One for the positive side, one for the negative or ground, and one for the alternator, especially if you have a AGM battery. All three are on my car and resolved all voltage problems.
HKB Electronics fuse-style alternator voltage booster for AGM battery
SunAuto Cyber Speed blue Hyper Voltage System originally for a Nissan 350Z
SunAuto Cyber Speed blue Hyper Ground System originally for a Nissan 350Z
The SunAuto system are hard to find since they are discounted years ago but I still found them a few years ago. The HKB voltage boosters are still sold. Read up on way they work, especially with AGM type batteries and help with voltage even at idle.
Mike
Thanks Mike. I will check them all out. I made a custom "grounding kit" awhile back with some very good quality and expensive JL audio cables. It did help, but obviously never fixed it all the way. I never changed the wire that the Pettit kit came with as I figured the "pros" would do it right. I am interested in the HKB electronics for sure.
So grounds looks good. One to the fuel filter bracket (which I know is questionable) and the other straight to the engine. Looks like 6 gauge to me. I will run an additional to the motor and one to the passenger seat belt bolt and leave the one on the bracket just for the hell of it.
I will replace the ground up by the fuse blocks and pull all fuses and inspect.
I will then introduce an diode in line the alternator voltage line as Mike said above. Hopefully max will be a .5 increase. Even so it should be good as my logs are with no accessories on except the water meth and possibly fans kicking on. A .5 increase would definitely be welcomed at night with lights and a stereo on.
I will finish this up and report back when all is done.
Damn Tom I forgot all about that!! I didn't remember your original build having this? Did you? Or is that on your new build? I will have to stop by your thread, but I don't recall you updating it!!
I think I will go the route of Mike with the whole system getting a bit extra so when taxed with other loads the system will be adequate.
Let me edit this and say..... I will give that some thought before going the other route.
I'm not sure what else there is to give thought to. All the answers have already been given. Just go get some 1/0 gauge wire and start putting it together. Then check the terminals for hidden corrosion and throw in a new egi just to be safe. That could all be done in a day or weekend depending how much interior you end up needing to remove.
What did the FD community do before the ubiquity of the PFC Commander and having your battery voltage staring you in your face 24/7
I agree with grounding all the things, and ground them as thick as possible with clean bare metal connections. For anyone running the new IGN ignition coils, you'll want to really to go to town on your grounding
What did the FD community do before the ubiquity of the PFC Commander and having your battery voltage staring you in your face 24/7
I agree with grounding all the things, and ground them as thick as possible with clean bare metal connections. For anyone running the new IGN ignition coils, you'll want to really to go to town on your grounding
Lol, I was talking to someone else about that... His advice was to throw the Commander under the seat ... I agree in many ways.
There is definitely problem though and it needs to be addressed. I will try everything before adding a diode. Even if I have to tune richer and when it leans out it is at a normal and safe afr.
Damn Tom I forgot all about that!! I didn't remember your original build having this? Did you? Or is that on your new build? I will have to stop by your thread, but I don't recall you updating it!!
I agree with IRP, that my setup is not the best (grounding to the chassis only). But, it's not pushing big power and the tune is rich, so i think i'm ok. I ran #0 gauge from the main fuse block battery terminal to the battery in the trunk and then ran #2 from the battery to the chassis (sanded down the paint at the connection). I probably need to run a ground to the block as well.
And i haven't updated my build because the car is still at IRP (some 14 months now ). Maybe August. On the plus side, it has freed up garage space to work on the Norton. https://www.accessnorton.com/NortonC...-thread.30446/
Originally Posted by Testrun
Lol, I was talking to someone else about that... His advice was to throw the Commander under the seat ... I agree in many ways.
I keep my Commander in the glove box. Ignorance is bliss
I agree with IRP, that my setup is not the best (grounding to the chassis only). But, it's not pushing big power and the tune is rich, so i think i'm ok. I ran #0 gauge from the main fuse block battery terminal to the battery in the trunk and then ran #2 from the battery to the chassis (sanded down the paint at the connection). I probably need to run a ground to the block as well.
And i haven't updated my build because the car is still at IRP (some 14 months now ). Maybe August. On the plus side, it has freed up garage space to work on the Norton. https://www.accessnorton.com/NortonC...-thread.30446/
I keep my Commander in the glove box. Ignorance is bliss
I love that bike..... my next project will be a 21-23ft center console so I can start diving and fishing with my son again.
I hope my Commander will stay there only for a temprature gauge as I will not swap my oem one...... yet anyway
This is general playing around without any full blown 3td or 4th gear pulls.
90+ degrees out.... freekin hot as hell with some lower rpm 2nd gear pulls.
Hey guys just an update in hopes this thread may help someone in the future....
Water meth kicking on is what the problem is according to my logs.
Solution. 1 additional 6 gauge wire will be ran directly from the alternator to the battery. I will double check to see if I have any excess wire that I can shorten on the fuel pump and water/meth pump.
I got a new multi hook up battery terminal I am installing also to keep things a little cleaner. I will report back soon as to the results. I think this is a solid fix..
Not to hijack the thread, but chasing down electrical issues myself. In the opposite direction. My battery in stock location(smaller lithium Ion) is randomly dying. I have it on a charger when I am not driving it. Pulled some logs and my voltage is all over the place. I removed the alternator and sent to IRP to have it rebuilt as I hope and assume the diode is going crazy. Hopefully this will fix the fluctuation issues.
No problem on hijacking. Hopefully someone else will chime in. Bad regulator I would assume...? Rebuild I would hope would fix it.
What I am hoping for. Battery(new) would show full charge and perfect voltage, I would go drive for a while and it would just die for some reason. Assume the over-voltage might be cooking it. Regardless, when the alternator comes back, I have a brand new battery waiting to try and eliminate a few variables. Next will be to test fuses and dark current to see if I have issues elsewhere.
Are you running a direct power wire to the fuel pumps?
... I agree in many ways.
). Maybe August. On the plus side, it has freed up garage space to work on the Norton. https://www.accessnorton.com/NortonC...-thread.30446/
