I got a new alternator, radiator and battery after the installation my ground wires had a short from my battery. 0 power to right

ANSWER : No lights means the circuit is dead and that could be due to a fuse, fusible link, relay or other in circuit component that somehow got damaged by the short circuit. It sounds like several circuits are affected. The thing to do therefore is simply trace (from the power source) one of the simpler circuits to find the cause of the open, on the theory that a common, perhaps large fuse, controls all of the failed circuits. If not, each circuit that is non functional will have to be tested in turn til all are restored. You will need the factory wiring diagram to make sense of each circuit and determine at what points to test. If you want these steps performed by a certified Mechanic, dispatched by YourMechanic right to your location, please request a circuit(s) diagnostic/tracing and the responding certified mechanic will get this taken care of for you. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.

ANSWER : This may be a sign of a failing voltage regulator or potentially a bad grounding problem causing a draw on the system. The voltage regulator is a unit that regulates the charging of the battery by the alternator. Often times this will result in the alternator allowing too much power to be delivered to the battery resulting in damaging wires and prematurely sometimes destroying the battery. In other cases it may result in the alternator not supplying enough power to the battery, resulting in undercharging the battery or not charging it at all. In either case, I would recommend having an expert from YourMechanic come to your location to diagnose your vehicle’s charging system.

ANSWER : Hi there. It sounds like you either have a defective alternator or there is another issue within the circuit for the charging system. I usually start by checking the output of the alternator. If it is not putting out the right voltage or amperage then it needs to be replaced. I would then check to see if the alternator is getting the correct signal to turn on. These would tell me if the output if correct. If the alternator is putting out the right voltage then the positive battery cable may have failed and may have high internal resistance. If you need to have this checked out, consider YourMechanic, as a certified mechanic can come to you to [diagnose why the vehicle is losing electrical power] https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/electric-problems-inspection

ANSWER : Hi there. The only thing that I could think possible is causing your problem is that something may not have been correctly installed while your son was completing this maintenance. However, if your engine was difficult to start before this service, it’s possible there are different components that are damaged that simply didn’t resolve the issue. The only way of knowing what is going on with your Trailblazer would be to have one of our mobile mechanics in your area come to your location and complete a car is hard to start inspection.

ANSWER : Hi there. The best way to diagnose why a battery would constantly drain is to review it’s job and how it is recharged. The battery is responsible for powering all electrical systems until the vehicle is started. At this point, the alternator takes over and also continually charges the battery while the vehicle is in use. A battery will drain when one of two things occurs. First, a battery will drain if it is constantly in use; supplying power to an electrical component even if the key is not in the ignition. Second, the battery will eventually die if the battery is not being charged frequently. However, since this is happening every two days, my initial thought would be that some electrical component on your 86 Olds is continuing to draw power from the battery. This is known as a parasitic drain. The best way to determine the source of this battery issue is to have one of our professional mobile mechanics come to your location and complete a battery will not hold a charge inspection.

ANSWER : The voltage output of the alternator should be tested at the battery terminals while the engine is running. You should read output of 13.8 volts on up to maybe 14.4 volts but the value (and range, which is dependent on engine RPM) will depend on your Factory Service Manual Specification which the Mechanic will have on hand. You also have to look at the output while running various circuits. It could be that there is a short in one of those circuits which causes battery voltage to drop below the threshold at which the warning light will set. My initial suspicion would be the alternator is simply out of spec. What I would recommend is having a certified professional from YourMechanic perform an inspection of your battery and charging system which will identify the root cause of this issue you are having. Once the cause is understood, he or she will explain the repair strategy and cost. Please let us know how we can assist you further or if you have additional questions.

ANSWER : Firstly, with the battery disconnected you will have continuity between the positive cable to the ground of the body or engine if you have any components hooked up or have fuses in. You are getting a complete circuit through some of these components. You will need to check to make sure all of the wiring on your power side is not touching ground before going through the components.

Disconnect the big main cable to the alternator and see if the short goes away. If it does, then use your meter to measure the ohms between the alternator post and the alternator case. You should have continuity in one direction and if you switch leads you’ll have no continuity. This will tell you the diodes are good or shorted in the alternator. If you have continuity in both directions then the large post is grounded or the internal diodes are bad.

If you can’t get it to work and you decide to get this fixed, consider contacting a certified mechanic who can diagnose your electrical issues firsthand and fix it accordingly.

ANSWER : Hello, thank you for writing in. If you are not able to get the starter to turn over or make any noise what so ever, then you need to start by checking the power supply to the starter solenoid. If it has a full 12 volt power supply available, then you are having either electrical or mechanical issues with the starter or the new solenoid. It may even need to be shimmed so that the gears are aligning correctly. If you do not have a full 12 volts available at the starter, then you need to trace down the electrical fault. You can start at the battery or the starter, and trace back until you find where the voltage from the battery drops off. There in lies your problem. For more help with this testing, contact our service department to schedule an appointment.