@Parker 7 Thank you once again for your response. I have not looked hard at the footwell fuse box but that could very well be a source of the problem. I spent some time on that firewall terminal and did not know whether there was something on the other side (in the cabin) or not. I will try tracing continuity from the battery to the fuse box and from there to the terminal. Locating the path of the large battery cable once it goes forward in the boot is impossible from what I can see.

 

I yanked out the capacitor just because I could. It tests 12,8 Ohms and is not shorted. So that's out. The car still starts first crank cold and not running for days. No charging, I did check the fuse panel at the rear passenger footwell and it looked good. Found the large cable going through that and tapped before entering the trans tunnel. Not much else to look at since I've chased down every suggestion.

This car has locked up my only work bay for 2 months. I have to get rid of it. I hate defeat.

 

By no charging are you saying with engine running the voltage gauge on the instrument cluster does not show above the 12.75 volts of a fully charged battery

There are some voltage gauge accuracy limits of cable connections in looking at the gauge while engine running and current / voltage ( seen ) trade off is affected by bad connections




I myself twice connected main car battery backward and fried the voltage regulator so no alternator output , voltage regulator part # IN435 and precaution of good VR port source

There is one small fuse that powers the VR as in this case it takes power ( alternator excitation ) to make power ( alternator output )

Fuse # 10 / 5 amp right engine bay fuse box

So we're forgetting battery cable connections for now and can come back to them

But there is one easy eyeball check that can cause a good alternator from getting on the rest of car .This is looking down through the engine intake pipes in this pic someone made .This is the battery cable tie point as 2 cables on one terminal post on the starter solenoid

 

Thanks Parker. I've done the #5 fuse and the connectors below. I've attached a lead to the starter solenoid post and IIRC found almost 15v running. No, the alt gauge does not show even 12 v. However, at the battery while running I'm getting exactly what the volt reading is when testing with key off. So, the conclusion is that charging voltage is not getting into the system but the system is 100% connected and working. Starts, runs, lights all work, etc.

Every suggestion has been followed up on except if pulling the dash apart was something to check. Not doing that. I listed it for sale.

SOLD

Thank all of you for trying to help. Unfortunately the problem was never found.

 

I guess I can't edit the post above, #24. The car didn't sell, the guy flaked (what's new?}.

So with nothing else to do since the car occupies all of my work space, I continue. Today: ran jumper wire from noise suppression terminal on alt all the way back to the battery with a meter on it. 13.9 v at idle but the dash gauge is at 10v. It moves from zero when I switch the key. Battery light comes on with key, goes off when running on the jumper. Without the jumper the battery measures standing volts, e.g., 12.4 or so. I thought the dash lights were out so I went to fuse F5 in LH rear footwell and it's good. But the mileage display is not lit as in green as it should be,

Does anyone know of a fuse tor that? I have looked at the top of every fuse and nothing looks burnt. I've removed all in the engine bay, both sides and used contact cleaner.

 

Found the problem. B+ cable was never reattached to the terminal. It was right there all along and I didn't see and no one mentioned it. Pretty silly of me.

 

I've told you this two months ago at post #7 :-)

 

You did, sir. Thank you.