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Long story but this is the short-ish version. I have just fitted a new alternator as the old one seized. I fitted the new one after a nightmare
finding the right one my original one was rebuilt and had to cut the 3 pin plug off. This was because it had a new board inside and was told the plugs
where prone to problems. Anyway the new alternator is fitted and have one positive wire and one negative. i have wired the negative to one of the
bolts on the back which was where the old one was wired to so assumed it was a earth position. I have attached the positive wire to all 3 terninals
and car will run fine but the alternator isnt charging as i removed the positive terminal from the battery and the car cuts out where as before the
car kept running because the old alternator was running the car. The new alternator also has a single pin on its own about an inch or 2 from the 3
pins what is this for? I need to know if i can wire it with just a positive wire and a negative wire? If not what other wires do i need to use and how
do i wire it all up cause electrics aint my strong point AT ALL. all comment welcome
Thanks
Key point here - what car is it!!
quote:
Originally posted by PSpirine
Key point here - what car is it!!
2.0 DOHC I take it then?
That extra connection may be for the energising feed without which the alternator won't generate much power
quote:
Originally posted by hicost
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The key to the wiring is written on the bottom of the picture....
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Jings cribbins slow down and try to work logically
If you had the standard Lucas pattern 3 blade connector on the alternator none of the connections are earths.
Small spade is the warning light, big spades are both B+
If an earth wire is fitted it will be external, but if you don have an additional connection don't assume it is an earth it could be either an
additional B+ or tacho signal used on diesels)
Never disconnect the battery on car with a running engine it is great way to blow the alternator electronics and put a spike voltage through the
rest of electronics.
See full VTR page
I have just had this. My tiger Avon I just swapped from pinto to duratec and needed a different alternator. On the old one you will have a thick wire
and this takes the positive feed OUT of the alternator and the thin yellow and black wire is the feed to the lamp on the dash. The old alternator then
picked up a live internally some how which kicks the alternator into action and makes the light go out on the dash. On my new alternator I therefore
had to wire another switched live to go onto one of the terminals, to make it all work.
From what you have said it sounds like the post you mention will be the feed out for the thick wire (it is on mine) and then you need to figure out
the connectors to use from the picture above. Post a picture of the back of.yours and we can give an opinion.
HTH
had similar issues when i replaced mine recently. My old one simply had 2 connections - earth + battery feed. The new one was exactly the same, no
amount of messing around would sort it - until the guy that was helping me suggested that we could see whether there was an output by doing a temp rig
of a wire from the IG terminal to a bulb and touching it to teh battery......( if i recall correctly ). The light came on, and suddenly the alternator
was working properly. Basically mine needed that wire connected to energise it - just the once. We removed the temp bit of wire and since then it
works fine ......yes logically it would be handy to have an alternator light on teh dash, but the compnay that refurbed the car a cple of years ago
wired up that warning light to the handbrake!
as someone aboev said - worth taking a piccie of the back of yorus and seeing what the great and the good can figure out for you.
The extra wire may well be the one that goes to the carb, for heater/electric choke? I can't recall exactly, but one wire went to the carb and
was +12v when the engine was running . I should have a couple of them in the shed. Also got ignition modules and distributors.
Cheers,
Nev.
If you want anything like an accurate and logical solution you are going to have to post a picture of the alternator connections and then identify the
wirring on the car.
My bet for the wiring would be as per BT's 1 positive which goes to the battery and 1 smaller which goes to the warning light.
Do you own a multimeter?
Davie
Here is a pic of the alternator and the green wires r to illustrate where the terminals are theres is 3 in total two with big spade terminal and one
with a small spade terminal and u can see to the right of the green wire u cn just see the top of it that is another small spade terminal on its own.
Yes there is 2 wires and the thick one is brown and the other is green and yellow or something. I just need to know what wire goes to what ternial on
the alernator cos it doesnt seem to be charging the alternator and is there an easier way to check the alternator than taking the possitive
terminaloff the battery cos this is the only way i can check.
Yes i have a multimeter... Do i know how to us it...no
Honestly im hopeless with electrics
[Edited on 4/8/11 by smiles]
finally got it fixed wasnt using a thick enough wire to get a enough power to cut the alternatro properly but is now sorted thanks for all ur help