Voltage Regulator and Mystery Wire Harness

**The-Dullahan** · 01-13-10 08:03 PM

Hey, weird question...or two of them...

Where is the Voltage Regulator on a 1987 Caddy Fleetwood Brougham with a 307 Olds engine?

And here's an even stranger one and I'll get photos if necessary

On the power wire cluster that comes up from the back of the engine and moves towards the front, clipping into the back of the alternator and the clips at the front of the engine there is a grey plastic wire harness that is not plugged into anything, though it clearly has a CLIP to be put someplace. It actually loops back towards the rear of the engine and is held with a wiretie, just between the air intake and the valve cover for the rocker arms, right by the PCV filter on the driver's side of the engine. What is this for and where is it supposed to be going?

**csbuckn** · 01-14-10 03:57 AM

If its about two inches wide with four or five wires, its the cruise control wiring harness. Does your cruise control work? How many wire are to the harness and what color are the wires? I believe the regulator is in the alternator.

**The-Dullahan** · 01-16-10 11:38 PM

I figured the Regulator was in the alternator myself, but my car would not hold a solid 14.5 volts, so I was unsure, for that is what the people at Autozone said...who ironically sold me the alternator. (Story after next paragraph)

Cruise Control? My car has NO cruise control whatsoever. It is not a listed feature and it lacks the switch on the steering column. So if that's what the harness is, that would explain why it's not plugged into anything...because it's NOT anything.

Basically, when I got my car, it had the wrong battery. Eventually, the Alternator would blow, but I put the RIGHT battery in to try to prolong it. The Alternator blew and took my battery with it. The battery was under warranty and it had a dead cell. This made me wonder if the battery was faulty and THAT actually blew the alternator. Anyhow, new alternator, new battery and those Walmart morons don't let you install it yourself if you are collecting a replacement on warranty. They paged me back, I popped the hood to take a look...They put the WRONG DAMN BATTERY in it...I made them show me where in their reference guide it said that that was the correct Everstart battery for my car. It turns out they can't even read their own manual and I had to wait another hour for them to change it to the right battery...even though the proper battery was only three feet from the automotive department's door...

Last night, that battery died, though it is less than a month old. I had to break down and PAY ninety dollars for a new one and tomorrow I have to go in and speak with them about reimbursing me, because the old one is dead (not drained, DEAD) and the manager on duty at 1AM this morning said that the Automotive department could reimburse me. They had better...

Anyhow, things are looking good with the new battery and I even found a company that has those OEM three-wire battery terminals for my car and ordered THE LAST SET IN STOCK. I will replace those, even though my CURRENT ONES ARE FINE and hopefully everything will be hunky-dory.

**csbuckn** · 01-17-10 12:39 AM

I dont know if Ive ever seen an 87 brougham without cruise. So you dont have a cruise switch below the headlight switch?

**Bro-Ham** · 01-17-10 12:55 AM

I've seen plenty of the 70's and 80's Cads without Cruise. I had a 78 Fleetwood Limousine without cruise and you get just a standard stalk turn signal lever that looks like the tilt lever except longer. There is no opening on the dash where the cruise button is located if cruise isn't ordered. I don't have a 1987 Cad brochure anymore but cruise was optional, even in the Fleetwood Brougham, as late as 1984. Nothing is mentioned about cruise in the 85 and 86 Cad brochures I have - which is odd.

**The-Dullahan** · 01-17-10 10:07 PM

Nope, no Cruise Control.

Maybe because it was built from a Commercial Chassis, not a car ordered at a dealership.

**Bro-Ham** · 01-18-10 01:31 AM

It's fairly typical for commercial chassis vehicles to not have cruise. My 1978 Cadillac factory built limousine did not have cruise even though it was an option - my car was in funeral home service and I'm sure cost conscious funeral directors probably didn't see the need for cruise on a car that wasn't intended for much sustained highway driving. Same for your hearse. Why spend more money on an option that would be little if ever used like cruise control.