6 volt backfeed through Idiot light?????

[Mark Whiting]

Maybe someone with more electrical expertise can help.
Here is what I have...
1989 3.2 six in a 1973 914.

I ditched the relay board because I have the internal regulator on the new engine alternator.
I added a 100 ohm resistor across the Alt. idiot light to trigger the new alternator according to the tech bulletin from Pelican.

I have one main relay with the black wire that used to go to terminal 8 on the 14 pin plug to the stock relay board. This wire is hot when the key is in ON position. I connected it to terminal 86 of the relay. 85 is to ground. relay pin 30 is hot to battery and Alt. pin 87 goes to a fuse block that powers the "stuff" on the engine.

Here is the problem: engine off- Key off- black wire is cold
engine off- Key ON- black wire hot 12.6 volts relay energized
engine ON- Key ON- black wire hot 14.5 V sounds like a
Porsche and life is good.
engine ON- Key OFF - engine is still running with 6.5 volts in the black wire that is SUPPOSED to be dead. This keeps the relay energized and the engine ON.

I crawl under the dash and find that fuse #9 (the one that the black wire connects to) is running 6.5V. I pull the fuse and engine shuts off.

The only thing I can figure is that the new Alternator is "backfeeding??" through the idiot light to fuse #9 and keeping enough voltage to that black wire to energize the main relay with the ignition key off. Do I need a bigger resistor on the idiot light? Is there a "wire around" for this??
Fuse #9 also energizes the emergency flashers and the stop lights along with the relay. One side of the fuse is also tied to the Alt. idiot light. My shop helper is so baffled he had to lay down.

Anybody have any Ideas?????

[Mark Whiting]

Hey, I found the answer to my "won't turn off" problem!!!

I just added a 10V 5 watt diode to the fuse panel connection between the alternator idiot light wire and the number 9 fuse. This blocked enough voltage to allow the main relay to disengage when the key is turned to off.