New battery and new alternator... Might be worth $30 bucks to try a new voltage regulator.

 

X2 here

 

Disconnect the voltage regulator harness. Install a jumper wire between the "F" terminal and "3" terminal on the harness. The body is labeled. Check charging voltage at battery. Should be 13-14 volts. If it is, the voltage regulator is bad.

 

Yup unless you have converted to one wire from factory. But if factory setup then consider going solid state. Many threads on the performance gain of upgrading your mechanical Voltage Regulator to solid-state.

 

And cheaper

 

Good point.

$9.20 cents before the Team Camaro discount at RockAuto.com
The AirTex/Wells VR5K3 is back in production. Same guts VR715 but has traditional GM high hat cover.

https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=4589709&cc=1034660&jsn=421&jsn=421

$25.99 the VR715 slim cover

https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=942025&cc=1034660&jsn=423&jsn=423

 

We could throw out all kinds of information but it might be a hit or miss. You said it's a "1968 327 - stock motor" but do you know if it is indeed the original alternator, one that someone might have replaced, or ??????.

If you can take a good picture of the alternator showing the connections on it as well as the wiring near and around the horn relay. Also shoot a picture of the new one and any model numbers you have on it. The more we know the better.

I've seen things changed over the years and I've been fooled before thinking something might be one thing only to look at it again or look at things closer and find out what I thought was stock, was not.

Jim

 

Alrighty- tossed in a VR715, hooked everything up and same problem. BUT, I had previously disconnected the brown wire (#4) because it had a parasitic draw... turns out that wire is integral to the VR charging circuit and once I hooked it back up to the fourth terminal on the VR, I got a steady charge going to the battery from the alternator. Hand to forehead for that one.. live and learn.

SO, now that I feel like a moron chasing my tail over a forgotten disconnected wire- Where's the parasitic draw from the brown wire, and how can I eliminate it safely? According to the wiring diagram I have, it goes to a generator indicator? I'm assuming that's one of the gauges in the cluster above the 4-speed shifter? Also, from the wiring diagram, it looks like there's a second wire splice(brown and white stripe) that goes to the ignition switch... Oi, the electrical fun continues Any suggestions to get me set off in the right direction?

Thanks for all the help thus far. This car is really coming along and almost ready to be back on the road after 25 years of collecting dust and pine needles.

 

Do you still have a parasitic draw now that the alternator and regulator have been replaced?

 

Still have the parasitic draw unfortunately. It's coming from the brown wire connected to the VR.

 

Brown wire goes to:
GEN light then to fuse panel (pink) for battery power.
IGN switch as brown/white wire to fuse panel to run accessories.
Also, on brown wire at VR, an RF capacitor for reducing spikes generated by the internal point sets opening and closing.

Remove the brown wire and do a resistance measurement to ground.
Have you viewed the Camaro at night seeing if any accessory lights are on?
Is an aftermarket radio or later year electronics installed? These draw some power for clock and memory.

 

Thanks for the quick reply Everett- this simplified diagram helps immensely!

 

Also check the obvious, when you go to start the car does the GEN light - light up?
If no and the bulb is dead - broken filament and or missing you won't have the correct resistance to keep the system happy.

I have also seen where folks tap this wire thinking its a power lead for accessories. It should run straight with no taps off of it.

Brian

 

So is the Gen light located in the instrument cluster in front of the shifter, or is it a dash-light?

 

It depends on what you have for gauges. A "U17" gauge optioned car like mine has an ammeter in the top left.

 

Well here is the rub - if you have true factory installed console gauges for Oil, Fuel and battery and water and the right hand dash pod has a Tachometer, you won't have a GEN light for 67/68. 1969 the space for the GEN light is not part of the fuel gauge face but part of the dash but would not be wired if it is a factory gauge vehicle.

However if you have a non factory converted to console gauge vehicle for 68 and maybe an aftermarket column mounted tach then you might still have the circuit and the location for all years is located in the dash pod on the right hand side of the cluster in the fuel gauges for 67/68.

If you have a GEN light it self-tests when you turn the key to the run position, and if good it should glow. It also will be lighted during the crank position of the start but then once you release the key it should not light up unless the Alternator is not producing enough of a charge to cancel the light out.

I do know a few folks who had factory gauge vehicles, and installed resistance wire and the GEN light in 69's because the console gauges are easy to miss and ignore. And the comfort of an idiot light makes it a easy thing to understand.

Confusing right?

 

Yeah, my 68 has the factory 4 gauge cluster in front of the shifter and the tachometer in the right side of the main instrument cluster. SO, it sounds like I don't have a GEN light. Now it seems like this got just a little bit harder to track down... These parasitic draws are going to be the death of me.

 

The brown/white stripe wire that taps into the brown wire from the VR is a resistance wire - it supplies needed resistance so that the alternator can begin outputting voltage in case the GEN bulb burns out - in your case because there is no GEN bulb to begin with. It connects to the ignition switch. Unplug the connector from the back of your ignition switch and see if the unwanted draw goes away - if it does, suspect a faulty switch.

 

Ok- I bought a new ignition switch, but when I insert the key tumbler back into it, the test light comes back on. Could this be an issue with the key tumbler itself? I was thinking that possibly the little plastic bit that extends out when the lock is inserted isn't retracting far enough when the key is removed? Basically the test light only comes on when I insert the key tumbler back in. The ignition switch itself doesn't seem to be the culprit...

 

Could this wire be the infamous 'Key Buzzer' circuitry?
Maybe this schematic will help

 

Try disconnecting the key-minder wire at the horn relay - I think it's pink/black. If the test light stays off at least you're narrowing it down.

 

I disconnected the pink/black wire at the horn relay and the test light stays on.

SO, after taking a bit of a break on this project, I hooked up the test light again, and put the key in the ignition. I noticed that as I turned the key, the test light flickered. I turned it a couple times from off to ACC back and forth to OFF.. and then it went out!

But, when I insert the key and turn it again and then back to OFF, it stays on... So, I'm guessing at this point that the problem is with the actual key tumbler itself and not the ignition switch (switch is brand new). I'm guessing that the little plastic piece that comes out of the end of the tumbler isn't disengaging when turned to the off position and the key removed.

Any arguments against this being the culprit before I go and buy a new lock tumbler?

 

Ok, just to put a pin in this one. I replaced the lock tumbler as a last-ditch effort. and BANG, the test light went out when I removed the key.

My parasitic drain is gone... but

Basically the key has three stages 123 (insert/remove key at position 2)

It's super wierd. I put the key in the ignition at position 2, turn it to the right one click (3) and it starts. Turn the key back to the left (2), and it kills the motor and I can pull the key out with no drain(test light out). If I turn the key back to the left one more click further (1), the test light comes back on and the test light is back on. From here, if I turn the key back right one click(2) and remove the key, the drain persists. If I turn the motor back over(3) and only turn the key one click back left (2), the test light goes out. SO, as of now, I basically have to avoid ever turning the key to the left two clicks(1) or the drain returns. This seems super hacky, but I can now park the car without losing charge so I'm going to turn this thing over to a mechanic next week with a small to do list.

Consider me relieved, but still super confused.

 

I learned this preventative maintenance from my Dad 50 years ago. Replace the voltage regulator the same time you replace the (then) generator. 50 years later it is still burned in my grey matter.