my '88 Buick LeSabre esate is giving me an electrical issue. So far, I have changed the alternator, battery, starter, and have checked, cleaned, and tightened all the batterycable connections. At this point, (I believe) I've isolated the problem to the ignition tumbler or the switch itself. The problem with the car is like this : I've got 13 vots at the battery. Turn the Key, it drops to 2-3v, and the starter (obviously) doesn't engage. Let off the key, and the battery jumps right back up to 12-13v. When the car is running, I have 14v at the alternator, so it IS charging, however, if you drive the vehicle maybe half an hour or so, it goes dead, like the alternator is bad. I've swapped the alternator 2 or 3 times, so I know that's not the problem. Likewise with the battery. Basically, at this point, I am wondering if anyone's ever changed out the ignition switch, how bad is it to get at, what should I be looking for, etc. Any help would be appreciated, thanks! I'd really like to get this thing back on the road before summer REALLY hits, as my truck does not have working A/C.
I think you are on the mark with the ignition switch. Sounds like it's got an internal short. Sorry, I have no experience with GM.
That's a pretty dramatic load to drag a fully charged battery down to 2 volts. The wiring under the dash will quickly turn to smoke with that sort of current going through it. I doubt the switch would do this. The switch is down on the steering column linked with a rod to the key switch. Jumping the proper terminals will determine if the switch is at fault. It's a straightforward, unplug and unscrew replacement. There is an adjustment but it's self explainatory once you have the parts in hand.
You're using 11 volts somewhere. Google 'voltage drop' test. I could explain it but I'm at work now. Prolly a bad cable.
Beer, thanks...I'll do that, Krash, the regulator is built in to the alternator, so, being as I've changed that, it eliminates that as the potential problem. That's why I'm stuck with this one.
Fox, not yet..I haven't had time to go out there and play around with it. We just had a double birthday party thing yesterday, so we had around 80 people here, I've been swamped trying to get ready for that, lol. I will post what I come up with though, when I get to it.
Could be so many different things but one thing comes to mind. Often we check the corrosion on the battery/cable connections and check that the connections are tight. BUT...sometimes the corrosion eats the cable up under the covering unseen. IF that's the case it may cause the trouble you are seeing. Just one more possible problem to eliminate.
