I tried the search function, but didn't find anything that addressed this specifically....

Battery is not charging. I thought I had everything connected properly, but there is one wire coming out of the three wire alternator that is a smaller gauge red black wire with a ring terminal on the end. There doesn't appear to be anything to connect it to, it is too small to connect to the the large studs on the starter solenoid, and too big for the small ones.

It would make sense that it is connected to the Bat. terminal on the alternator... but where does it go? Is this potentially my problem with the charging system?

 

Black/red is supposed to go the + side of the solenoid... also ties in with the A+ yellow wire on the regulator.

Josh

 

the larger gauge red black is going to the positive side... the wire with the fusible link in it.

This is a smaller gauge wire with a ring connector on it that won't fit on that terminal... no fusible link either...

 

First question should be do you have factory gauges or idiot lights?

Now, You have the 3 wires connected on the back of the alternator?

Otherwise there is no wire as you describe, at least in the sense for trucks with gauges. I am not thoroughly familar with the idiot gauge circuits and do not have a schematic for that as well.

Here is a gauge style layout, alternator to regulator with harness. No such wire as you describe.



Josh

Josh

 

That appears to be my exact harness... the wire that I am talking about appears to be the one with the ring connector that is near the regulator in your picture.

I stripped the bundle apart to make sure where it went... but still don't know where it goes... this project came to me in pieces (somebody else's headache ) so please pardon my ignorance. It has been a decade or more since I have been inside one of these.

And yes, I have the three connectors connected on the back of the alternator, and the fusible link connected properly to the starter solenoid... I do have gauges.

 

If I remember right that wire didn't connect to anything, just was a dead wire in the harness.

I got curious and just went out and looked at the harness and that wire is now gone. I kept the set-up just for situations like this.

Josh

 

Ok, good to know...loose wires make me nervous. Thanks for your help

 

i have a 74 and a 79 and on both of my trucks the wire your talking about appears to be a ground and is hooked up using one of the voltage regulator screws.

click image to enlarge

 

I was thinking that it was a ground, but when I removed the harness wrap the wire dead-ended to nothing.

It's possible the PO of my truck had hacked into it, he did some other weird stuff.

Josh

 

gotta love the previous owners, i do alot of hillbilly fabricating myself so im sure someday in the future a poor soul will be cursing me as well.

 

alright, so I have everything hooked up correctly, replaced the alternator, battery tests good... still not charging though...

Does this sounds like a fusible link problem? Are these symptoms consistent with that? It looks like the fusible link is tied into several wires, how do I connect them to all 3-4 ?

 

It's just a short section of wire that you splice in... Look for link right off the solenoid and check for ohms at the lug and after the link.

If the alternator and regulator are testing good it should charge.

Josh

 

Forgot tio mention I had also just replaced the regulator too

 

your problem sounds just like a bad fusable link

 

Replaced fusible link...charging battery...we'll see if that does it