[chevy302builder18]

Ok so i have a 91 chevrolet camaro 305 TBI electric fan. Serpentine belt, and it has the good altnator from AC delco with the shaft bushing showing in the rear of it.. So when i got the car, it had no fan switch. Lame man before me must have cut them. So i rigged the toggle switch. Ok then the brights didnt work right either. So i rigged one up for that. Wind shield wipers, rigged those up with a toggle. Ok now every time i drive the darn thing it needs a jump. Im probably missing something in the connections, if so what is it?. I cant tell if its the altenator jumping ship or if its this toggle thing. Ive pulled the positive lead off while it was running and it died. Sign of dead altenator... Think the toggles could have caused this? Any thing i should look at for electronics?

[EOD Guy]

Toggles should have nothing to do with a fried alt. BTW it's not good for the alt if you disconnect the battery to see if the alt is bad, the battery acts as a buffer for the elec spikes produced by the alte etc..... more better way is to use a multimeter accross the battery post, a good alt should be putting out 14+ volts with the eng running.

[vicrod]

Seems like the problems you describe a not related to each other.
Taking one system at a time, resolve the problems you listed such as the headlight problem. Could be the multi-function switch but be sure it's bad before replacing it.
A shop manual is essential to understand the wiring of each system.
Autozone offers free wiring diagrams, testing and repair procedures for many production vehicles.
Go to www.autozone.com
You will need to register and create a password.
From the dropdown select the vehicle (new).
Select the category. Vehicle repair guides.
Next you will find listings of repair categories or chapters. Navigate to wiring diagrams, testing or repair procedures etc. Then select the desired item.
www.alldatadiy.com is much better but charges a small fee.

vicrod

[cobalt327]

Pulling the positive battery cable from the battery told you nothing. This is not a good way to test anything and tells you nothing specific other than there's insufficient output. A computer controlled engine will not run w/the cable removed like a non computer controlled engine will- even w/a good alternator.

Start w/the basics- good grounds between the battery and chassis and to the engine block. Any parts store can check the alternator for you, don't forget to have the battery tested as well.

If you run high amp draw accessories through the toggles, you're looking for problems. Much better to use relays for this.

[nine4gmc]

why all the band aids? wipers go out, get a wiper switch. high beams go out, the wiper switch should have fixed that too. hook the fan up on a relay off the ignition. you have possibly created way more trouble than you fixed by jury rigging all those connections, not to mention, now you have other issues and think it may be related to your rigging.

i would get a new dash harness from a salvage yard, along with a column switch and fan relay and start over fresh. it will take just as long, or longer to figure out wtf is wrong as it will to replace it with wiring that is all intact.

[chevy302builder18]

the relays are a good idea, i wouldnt have thought of that but i know they run the power windows in most newer vehicles and the headlights stuff like that. Im pretty sure the toggles have something to do with the battery. The reason we pull the posi lead off is because everythings connected to the battery and altenator at the same time. If the Fuel injection would be running directly off the battery all the time, it wouldnt be healthy for said battery. The altenator helps this problem so i will explain more. Fuel injection does run of the altenator on ANY vehicle and should run without a battery for 30 seconds. This is a test we come up with, (has been done before without A vehicle shutting off). If that isnt put plainly, lets just say its been done on every make my family has owned and has detirmined precise and accurate trouble shooting.

[cobalt327]

I'm done w/you, friend. I tried, but you are just too gd fustrating for me to be bothered with.

[Joe G]

(comment removed)

[EOD Guy]

Fuel injection is run the all the time by the battery wouldn't be healthy for said battery? Not so much...... the fuel pump is tied in to the elec system that is fed directly from the fuse box which in turn is fed directly by the battery NOT the alt. The battery is acting as a buffer or a stable 12 volt supply that is constantly being replenished by the alt, that is also tied directly into the elec system.

Yes when you disconnect the battery the vehicle will continue to run....... but as stated numerous times above it's HARD on the electronic components and not recommended to check the output of the alt.

If you wired up all your mickey rigged toggle switches wrong, then you might have a short and if the alt has been damaged then the battery would drain pretty quickly because it's not being replenished by the alt and all of the electrical draw in the vehicle is coming from the battery

But if you wired them up correctly………… then the amount of toggle switches has nothing to do with if the alt and electrical system putting out enough juice to run everything that they control……. The vehicle was doing that before the switches were installed.

The issue I see with your situation is why did the factory switches fail and by you bypassing everything did you inadvertently mask or create a low draw short somewhere?

[chevy302builder18]

sorry its taken so long to get back to this post. Ok so maybe my last post was a bit annoying to alot of people. All im trying to say is i did this to alot of cars with my father(the battery cable thing) , not that its the wisest, but i geuss i was rather wrong. But id like you to go out and pull the cables off your car and see if it stays running. Every one of them you own, carberated or fuel injection and tell me the results. Ik your pretty curious give it a shot. I just wanna prove this--> Im just a confused kid with alot of time spent around a hood of a car and not on here. <- and that comment is not being smart or rediculous its true.

And i think it might be a masked short, i havent done the wiring for the headlights or the wind shield wipers, dont ask me long story. I did do the fan and this was before the wind shield wipers and headlights, (i didnt wire these long story) so imma take a poke around and see if someone else might have did something wrong. If it could be the electrical tape, i think this would be a coulprate. I didnt use regulur car wiring either, its #2 copper wire thats tuff as nails.. What you think?

[EOD Guy]

I think you don't understand what people have stated clearly on this post..........with a good alt THE CAR WILL RUN WITH THE BATTERY DISCONNECTED..... it's just EXTREMLY BAD FOR THE CAR's electrical system...... nothing to prove!

Electrical tape has little to do with poor wiring, you want to hodge podge stuff and it doesn't work........ and wonder why. If you want it fixed, you need to start at the basics..... un-mickey rig stuff get some correct wire and a wiring diagram start with one system at a time and wire it up correctly, use toggles or whatever you choose but make sure one system doesn't cross feed into another.

I'd start with getting a new alt, ensure the connections are hooked up correctly, the adding one system at a time, making sure it's not shorted before you add another.