Voltage drop question

Syleng1 said
What are you experiencing? What are the symptoms? What made you check voltage drop in the first place?
Is your ballast resistor backwards?

Getting ready for first start on a new engine after repainting the engine compartment and reworking the harness from a BB to SB configuration. Checked voltage as part of making sure it is right. Basically I expected 12 volts, got 7-8.

I did not know you could install a ballast backward. It's screwed to the firewall with the screw above the terminals, blue wires on the terminal toward the center of the car.

The voltage is A-OK with the ECU disconnected.

I think this explains it maybe:

halifaxhops said
ECU draws alot of amps in the run position engine off. 4 amps usually running 2.5 ampsish. Prob what you are seeing.

That makes sense, thanks. When I noticed low voltage before, I would've been doing it with the engine off too.