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Old Dec 2, 2009 | 09:30 AM
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Hey guys I am having a issue with my 1998 z28. the battery gauge stays up around 14 until I turn a accessory on and it drops down almost to the red. I replaced the battery and alternator. Also I am getting a electrical noise from the accessory box when i turn the car to on? what do you guys think?
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Old Dec 2, 2009 | 10:27 AM
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So if you turn on ANY accessory this happens? I'm no electrical guy but I would start pulling fuses until the problem stopped-that system would be the problem one...
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Old Dec 2, 2009 | 11:25 AM
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i notice it when i use the defroster.. or like air conditioning or heat. then last night it happend and my power seat wouldnt work and the defroster wouldnt either.. i restarted the car and had no issue. its really bad the lights dim and everything when it happens. so you think pulling fuses? do you think there could be a issue in the accessory box in the front of the car. like i said im hearing a weird noise when i turn the car to on almost like electric when there isnt a complete connection
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Old Dec 2, 2009 | 11:32 AM
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If the lights are dimming and the system is loosing power, I would go back to the alternator again. Either something is still bad with it, or causing it to not keep the system charged. Do you by chance have an underdrive pulley system? Sometimes they can cause the system to undercharge if under heavy electrical load. Did you get someplace like AutoZone or Advanced to test the alternator and battery? Check your relays and fuses like said above in the acc box. Could also be a bad relay, or a fuse thats blown but still causing a connection and causing a over surge or something.

Last edited by tdevil55; Dec 2, 2009 at 11:37 AM.
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Old Dec 2, 2009 | 12:12 PM
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seem like you have a short somewhere. stay patient. start pull fuses like myk said. check the harness. have you touched anything prior to this problem? you get any smell if you turn your defroster on?
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Old Dec 2, 2009 | 12:59 PM
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The easiest thing to do would be to check connections, wires, etc. The fact that this only happens when you turn on your air, defrost, seats, means that there's something going on with those systems and how they're tapping in to the electrical system.

Defrost and seats are on the same fuse circuit, by the way...
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Old Dec 2, 2009 | 02:34 PM
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Ok.. tomorrw ill take a run over and see if the alternator is the issue to start off with to make sure I'm not chasing a problem that might be just a bad new alternator.. the thing is that this was doing this before the alternator as well.. the guy I bough the car from told me he kept blowing fuses. What would cause that although he never said which fuse.. where should I start looking at the wireing? Like I said early its weird cause last night both stop working and then started again after I restarted the car.. could the idiot of put to high of a amp fuse in? and no it doesnt have under drive pulleys to my knowledge..

Last edited by z28camaro1090; Dec 2, 2009 at 03:10 PM.
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Old Dec 2, 2009 | 03:54 PM
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If the alt. checks out, and the battery checks out, pulling fuses one by one is the way to go. If you're really adventurous, you could pull all the fuses and start putting them in one by one, but I don't really recommend it. Also, look in your fuse block for something that isn't a fuse where one should be as you said you were told it was blowing them and now isn't.
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Old Dec 2, 2009 | 04:10 PM
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ok.. i will do that when i have some daylight. i hate electrical issues they are a pain in the ***
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