HELP electrical problems

[skorpion317]

I tried to do a fan switch a couple days ago...today, as i was idling in traffic at school, my car died. the battery went dead. i noticed that the wire covering on the switch wire was black and burnt. the day i tried to hook up the fan switch, i disconnected the wire running to the fan wire, but left it on the switch wire. it started smoking when i tried to turn the power on.

now, the voltmeter won't go over 13 when it normaly sits at 15. if i sit and idle with the brake pedal down, the gauge slowly goes down to 8 or so and my speedometer gets all crazy. i had the car jumped and i noticed this. it wouldn't go over 13 volts the whole way home. what happened, and how can i fix it?

[JohnD.]

alternator is gone

[memphis_raines]

Yep. If you want a switch, I would recommend the SLP switch. Yes, I know, they're a little pricey, but are well worth the ease of installation IMO.

[HBHRacing]

*shakes head*


you broke it..


you must have taped into the wrong wire. Either that or you hot a hot instead of a ground. Thats why I said it best to start from scratch. your own switch, your own wire etc etc. you have no idea whats been done.

[skorpion317]

turns out the switch WASN'T grounded...it was connected to a fuse. the wire going out of the switch was all burnt up. i found the ground wire the previous owner had in after i took the dash cover off. i'm really hoping it's not fuc*ed up...please tell me it's not?

[HBHRacing]

well.. is the fuse ok? or did it blow?

which wire did you connect to the high speed wire?

Check every fuse inside the car and in the engine compartment.

then your going to have to make sure that you did;t burn up the relays. lemme look at a diagram for amin and see what suplying hot would do..

[skorpion317]

the fuse is fine, it did not blow.

here is how i had the switch hooked up:

switch--wire--"tap" wire--fan wire

the switch wasn't grounded. i'll check the fuses now.

[skorpion317]

all the fuses are ok, i checked the engine compartment and the ones in the driver's side box. the switch was hooked up the the HVAC fuse. i removed it from the fuse. i'm waiting for a friend of mine to come jump the car, then we'll see what happens.

[skorpion317]

oh boy...the alternator is shot. the battery is fine, when it gets jumped it runs. i drove it to work, and after i came out it was dead again. i had it jumped, it ran about a mile before it died. a guy helped me jump it again, it took 10 minutes before it ran again, and then it only got about 2 feet before dying again. the alternator is shot...so i had it towed to a shop, they'll replace it first thing in the morning.