ever since i got the car the voltage gauge has been reading 13 volts or less. i know a healthy charging system is around 14.4 volts. now either the gauge is bad which i dont think is the case since its difficult for the battery to keep the starter engaged or some sort of wire problem the question is which wires. i just replaced the battery and alternator with known good ones from my 91 firebird and i still ahve low voltage. the car runs and drives no problem its just a pain to start. however it is getting worse to start it and i fear i may need jumps to drive the car in the near future so thats why i need some ideas as to posible causes and solutions. oh this car is an 89 iroc 305 tpi.

 

I blame 20 year old GM electronics for the gauge part

could be bad wires/conections to your starter or a bad starter causing your hard starting,

you mean it cranks slow?

 

no the starter is new. it rapidedly engages and disengages while cranking. as if the battery doesnt have enoughj power to keep it engaged for the duration of the starting procedure.

 

bad ground, any green around your cables?

 

no but the cables are in tatters but the posts still connect to the battery i know both the ground and positive cable are in bad shape but they should still work its just that the insulation around the connecters to the battery are pretty much peeled off but IMO that shouldnt effect charging voltage.

 

my car reads 13 volts on the gauge and my amp has a digital volt gauge and it says I charge at 14.4 volts give or take

your wire can be green on the inside,
I work on semitrucks for a living and its a common problem

also I had a Buick Regal a few years back, it always had starting/charging problems, put in new batteries,new alt., a starter turned out the wires were so green on the inside nothing was getting proper voltage, put new positive and ground wires, the electrical in that car was 10 times better after that,

not saying thats for sure your problem but don't rule it out,

you know how to do a volt drop?

 

yeah i do i need to find my multimeter though. ill give it a try as soon as i do.

 

Turn the lights on, have someone watch them (or do it when its dark) and try starting it. If the lights reallly go dim, they indeed your battery is weak.

 

So you're saying the cables look like shat and you think they're fine? Twist them, see if they rotate. If they rotate at all, they're too loose and need to be replaced. Go ahead and replace the cables completely if they look like crap. Grab a multimeter and go to town. Make sure the starter gets the proper voltage when you crank, make sure the alternator is putting out the correct amount (at the plug, no where else).

Hell, do this the easy way and take your starter/battery into an autoparts store and have them bench/load tested. If they're both fine you KNOW it's the wiring or the swtich itself.

 

If your battery is fully charged it should only read about 13v. That is what the regular is for. It should read higher if the battery is in need of a charge. I agree with replacing your cables,and cleanning all of your connections, and use a anti corrosive paste. These cars tend to corrode at any and all terminals for some reason.