I grounded my alternator wire from my cluster and now my battery will not charge. When I take my ground off the battery it dies. Does this mean I fried my alternator? I've read it might have messed up my regulator, can someone help???? Does any one have any ideas?

what yr is it?

yes it could have zapped the alt and the voltage regulator

i like to change them in pairs myself anyways

could have zaped the print board on your cluster also

need to know yr as they changed in 82-85 and again in 86-88 89-93 IIRC

You probably fried a fusible link. Use a multimeter and check for continuity between the positive battery terminal and the alternator charge wire.

Its a 1973 Duster. Slant six.

It did burn the link, but I replaced it.

oooppss.i was thinking trucks again with the yrs I mention they changed

back to 73 A-body wireing

I ground the hot wire on the back of the cluster that attaches to the ALT tack.

I was taking off my cluster and the wire that is hot on the back of my alternator tack grounded on my console and fried the wire before I could un ground it.

Alternator tack? Are you talking about the amp gauge? "tach" is short for tachometer that measures RPM. The ampmeter, oil presuure, temperature and fuel are all gauges. That may help sort out the confusion. Charge the battery and take the car to the local large parts store and have them check the alternator and regulator for you. Most all of them do it for free.

I think we are on the wrong track, here. He surely must have done this ENGINE OFF. He probably did not hurt the alternator or regulator. He MIGHT have killed something in the dash cluster if it was envolved in the short.

What you need to do is trace back THE WIRE THAT YOU SHORTED, you may have to untape some wiring harness---and follow it back.

See if it melted inside the harness and shorted to other wires, both in the underdash, AND the engine bay--I cannot emphasize this pont enough

Carefully check the bulkhead connector that you did not burn the wires off or otherwise burn/ melt/ heat damage the bulkhead connector.

If you replaced the fuse link, the wire that you shorted should now be hot again--as it obviously leads to the battery. It should be "hot again."

If not, there's still an open IN THAT ONE WIRE