64 Cutlass with a 70 350.
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 110
From: Massachusetts
64 Cutlass with a 70 350.
Hey all,
I am new to the forum. I bought a project Cutlass and saying it has some issues would be an understatement. The one that I would appreciate help on today is the electrical. So the engine runs and the battery holds a charge when running but dies over night, even with a new battery. None of the lights or the horn work. Could anyone suggest the best way to start? Also, if anyone has that wiring diagram, I would greatly appreciate it.
I am new to the forum. I bought a project Cutlass and saying it has some issues would be an understatement. The one that I would appreciate help on today is the electrical. So the engine runs and the battery holds a charge when running but dies over night, even with a new battery. None of the lights or the horn work. Could anyone suggest the best way to start? Also, if anyone has that wiring diagram, I would greatly appreciate it.
Old(s) Fart
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 50,806
From: Northern VA
Welcome. I moved your post to it's own thread because you'll typically get better answers that way than resurrecting a thread from 2011 that's only mildly related. You need to start by getting a factory Chassis Service Manual, which has the wiring info plus everything else you'll need to fix this car. Get an original paper copy, not an electronic version or reprint, because all the electronic versions and reprints are simply scans of an original paper copy and detail gets lost in the translation. Originals are on ebay all the time. Note that this is a five volume set.
The real question is, what was done to the wiring when the engine was swapped? It's hard to help on a car that isn't stock without knowing what mods were done. Basic troubleshooting for a power drain is to isolate circuits, either by pulling fuses or connectors, until you find the one that caused the drain, then find the short.
Has this car been converted to an internally-regulated alternator? If that wasn't done properly, that can also be a source of the problem. Good luck.
The real question is, what was done to the wiring when the engine was swapped? It's hard to help on a car that isn't stock without knowing what mods were done. Basic troubleshooting for a power drain is to isolate circuits, either by pulling fuses or connectors, until you find the one that caused the drain, then find the short.
Has this car been converted to an internally-regulated alternator? If that wasn't done properly, that can also be a source of the problem. Good luck.
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 110
From: Massachusetts
Hey Joe,
Thanks for the quick reply! I'm not entirely sure how it was wired. The guy I bought it from got it from another guy with the engine already in it. I'm going to attach a picture of the alternator. He was only sure that it was a 350. From looking at the headers, the markings seem to indicate a 1970 350. They have a 7 on them near the alternator. I can't be sure that there is a short draining the battery as the old battery was bad. With the new battery the discharge isn't that noticeable but the lights and horn still don't work.
Thanks for the quick reply! I'm not entirely sure how it was wired. The guy I bought it from got it from another guy with the engine already in it. I'm going to attach a picture of the alternator. He was only sure that it was a 350. From looking at the headers, the markings seem to indicate a 1970 350. They have a 7 on them near the alternator. I can't be sure that there is a short draining the battery as the old battery was bad. With the new battery the discharge isn't that noticeable but the lights and horn still don't work.
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halfmoontrail
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