TGP Electrical Issue

[Addicted To Boost]

Hmm... I wonder if my Aux post is bad.. if I step on the brakes while I have my lights and all accessories on, the lights will dim a bit, and my turn signals are slow when the lights are turned on. This summer, I replaced all of my ground cables, battery cables, added on a heavy duty 2 GA alternator charge cable to the battery, new battery, and had my stock alt remanufactured to put out 180-200 Amps.

 

Can you get a new aux post from the dealer or GMPD?

[slick]

Hmm... I wonder if my Aux post is bad.. if I step on the brakes while I have my lights and all accessories on, the lights will dim a bit, and my turn signals are slow when the lights are turned on. This summer, I replaced all of my ground cables, battery cables, added on a heavy duty 2 GA alternator charge cable to the battery, new battery, and had my stock alt remanufactured to put out 180-200 Amps.

 

Can you get a new aux post from the dealer or GMPD?

 

Remember, your power is only as good as your grounds. So, if your ground cables are still stock size, you are only flowing that much current. To get the full benefit of the upgraded Power cable, you need to upgrade your grounds to that large of a wire as well.

 

Anyways, my TGP does exactly the same thing. Did you clean all of your mounting points?

[Addicted To Boost]

I cleaned up the ground by the headlights. I just bolted in new positive and negative AC Delco factory battery cables, the ground on the engine looked very good, no rust or anything when I bolted in the new cables. The car has never seen a winter. Is there some kind of a ground on the aux post?

 

The car also used to have the issue of if I let it sit for more than a couple weeks, the battery would die. Since I've replaced the grounds, battery cables, added an additional charge cable, higher amp inners to the factory alt, and new battery, it has been holding a charge just fine.

 

It doesn't have anywhere near the electrical issues it used to since I've done some work to it, but the slow turn signals and occasional dimming lights is kinda annoying.

[slick]

If your battery dies that quickly, then you have a draw somewhere. You will need to put an DMM inline between the fuse, set on Amps, and find your current draw.

[Addicted To Boost]

I cleaned up the ground by the headlights. I just bolted in new positive and negative AC Delco factory battery cables, the ground on the engine looked very good, no rust or anything when I bolted in the new cables. The car has never seen a winter. Is there some kind of a ground on the aux post?

 

The car also used to have the issue of if I let it sit for more than a couple weeks, the battery would die. Since I've replaced the grounds, battery cables, added an additional charge cable, higher amp inners to the factory alt, and new battery, it has been holding a charge just fine.

 

It doesn't have anywhere near the electrical issues it used to since I've done some work to it, but the slow turn signals and occasional dimming lights is kinda annoying.

[slick]

Well, then, you fixed your problem! LOL

 

Seriously though, the light dimming part is pretty wierd. Keep in mind, your alternator was rebuilt to a much larger size, but currently, you are still using stock size ground cables = not recommended, at all. In fact, if you were to upgrade any of your cables, you would want to upgrade your ground cables to a much larger size first.

[Addicted To Boost]

lol Yeah, the dimming lights and slow turn signals with the lights on has me baffled. I'm not sure what to do next. I mean, if anything, it is charging to at least factory output, so it shouldn't be having these issues.

[slick]

Well, yours will be in hibernation much longer than mine, so come springtime, I'll let you know what I find.

[Addicted To Boost]

Well, yours will be in hibernation much longer than mine, so come springtime, I'll let you know what I find.

Awesome, keep me posted. I will probably be home 2-3 times over the next year, so it will get driven a couple times. I'd just like to fix this issue. Thanks Chris

[slick]

Well, yours will be in hibernation much longer than mine, so come springtime, I'll let you know what I find.

Awesome, keep me posted. I will probably be home 2-3 times over the next year, so it will get driven a couple times. I'd just like to fix this issue. Thanks Chris

Mine won't be driven much until the salt is off the road, so maybe march or so.

[slick]

This was split from the Aux Post in the General section.

[TurboGTU]

You mentioned the ground wire to the engine, but how about to the chassis of the car? Thats a more important ground. That post on the shock tower for the positive is a real P.O.S. . They tend to corrode and rust.

[Addicted To Boost]

I replaced the negative battery cable, that runs to the core support, and to the engine block. Both mounting locations are clean and tight. Is there another chassis ground?

 

Think a bad aux post would cause this?

[jake91]

yes because i was having electrical problems with my car i cleaned the aux post and they all went away

[Garrett Powered]

I had that problem with my first car until I disconnected the factory charge wire, then all the voltage went straight to the aux post and the battery. I tell people this all the time but they do not believe me. I saw a gain in voltage and have done it this way with both black tgps and they never have any of those problems you are talking about. yet some swear up and down that you should keep the factory charge wire on for some reason.

[Addicted To Boost]

Right now, I have 180-200 amp guts shoved into my factory alternator. I still have the factory charge cable hooked up, but I am also running an additional 2 GA charge wire from the alt to the aux post. Pos and Neg battery cables have been replaced with new AC Delco units.

 

Just in doing these few things, that killed most of the electrical issues. The lights still dim, but not as badly as before. Turn signals are still slow with the lights on.

 

You think it would be better if I just disconnected the factory charge wire completely?

[Garrett Powered]

I dont think... I know.

[TGP5sp90]

I do know one thing that may cause something like that which I found early. On the passenger side under the dash and behind the carpet to the far right, theres a black boxed junction which has a star shape screw dead center of it. when taken apart mine was so corroded that it was causing all kind of wierd electrical issues. Hope this helps

[slick]

Is that an interior grounding block, of sorts?

[TGP5sp90]

No, its actually a junction, before leading out to the engine bay, when my high beams stop working this is where the voltage stop.

[slick]

Interesting, I'll have to look there.

 

I would be highly suprised if mine is corroded, at all, but I will take a look.