Electrical trouble shooting help, Big thunderstorm over night, then problems Options

[bahnzai]

Hello folks, I am not an electrical expert, so maybe someone more experienced may point me in the right direction...
The car was running just fine, then parked out overnight and we had a huge thunderstorm, the next day the problems started (the car is always in the garage).

The next day, the battery is dead (like 3V dead and no electrical load left on overnight). I hook up a charger/booster and get it fired up, running rough and the alternator is not charging (belt is on and spinning, but confirmed at the battery with a volt meter and the Alt light was on).

I shut it down, and left the battery charger on it a while. Then I notice oil light and alternator light are both on anytime the battery is connected (ignition switch is off, key not even in the switch).

What would happen to let those lights back feed and power up when the ignition is off? If the alternator fails (diodes?), can power feed from the battery, back through the alternator to put power on the system?

I don't think this will matter, but it is a 3.6 wired up to plug into the standard 914 harness.
Thanks for any thoughts...

[ClayPerrine]

You should have one wire coming from the 3.6 alternator that goes to the blue wire in the harness. Unplug it and see if the lights go out.

For general troubleshooting, I would start at the positive terminal of the battery. Disconnect the four red wires from the positive battery cable and see if the lights go out. If they do, hook them back up one at a time and see when the lights come back on. When you find the wire that turns the lights back on, pull a wiring diagram and start checking to see what it feeds.


Good luck!

Clay

[bahnzai]

Thanks Clay. I will give it a try...