alternator connections
Thread Starter
|
New User
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
alternator connections
I have a 1984 B2 with 2.8L 5 speed.
I'm not sure what connections the alternator should have hooked up. Recently I had a few problems with an electrical drain. Something is broken now because the drain (3.5A!!!) is gone and the alternator is no longer charging the battery, according to the amm meter in my truck. All the other guages are working still.
Here is my question about the alternator connections. The alternator only has two wires hooked up. A ground, and the orange-light blue stripe wires are connected. It was working this way... before the drain went away I had a charge on the battery. I plan on replacing the voltage regulator to fix the drain but the connections have me confused.
Why is there no connection going from the alternator to the starter motor relay/battery pos terminal? According to my diagrams this is not correct. Thanks for any help.
I'm not sure what connections the alternator should have hooked up. Recently I had a few problems with an electrical drain. Something is broken now because the drain (3.5A!!!) is gone and the alternator is no longer charging the battery, according to the amm meter in my truck. All the other guages are working still.
Here is my question about the alternator connections. The alternator only has two wires hooked up. A ground, and the orange-light blue stripe wires are connected. It was working this way... before the drain went away I had a charge on the battery. I plan on replacing the voltage regulator to fix the drain but the connections have me confused.
Why is there no connection going from the alternator to the starter motor relay/battery pos terminal? According to my diagrams this is not correct. Thanks for any help.
Posting Guru
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,915
Likes: 1
From: Yokosuka, Honshu, Japan
I would consult the wiring diagrams for your '84 (and ONLY for an '84) and go from there. Is there a plug-in or stud/nut connection that doesn't have anything attached? You may have to buy wiring pigtails from an auto parts store (or from a stealership if not available at an auto parts store) and do some surgery on your wiring harness. The possibility exists that what you mentioned in your other thread was actually wires cooking and burning and they got munched. I don't have print-outs for an '84 handy and images from autozone.com repair guides are not playing nice with this wonderful government computer configuration for me to look - otherwise, I could tell you what is supposed to be there and what color wires they should be.
Thread Starter
|
New User
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
Ok so I got out the DMM and chased down where the wires go. I was wrong, it has a single charge wire going to the firewall, like you said. Also, it has a wire going to the volt regulator. I replaced the regulator and it is working just fine now, all my symptoms are gone but I wonder for how long.
What other connections am I missing? The electric choke wire from the alt is there, but broken. Should this wire be connected or is it disconnected by the previous owner for a reason?
What other connections am I missing? The electric choke wire from the alt is there, but broken. Should this wire be connected or is it disconnected by the previous owner for a reason?
Posting Guru
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,915
Likes: 1
From: Yokosuka, Honshu, Japan
I forgot that yours may have the older external regulator set-up. If all the wires are there by what the diagram says, you should be good to go on that. As far as the electric choke wire, it should be connected, but I am wondering if the previous owner disconnected it because the choke was having problems due to a bad heating element / pull-off motor, etc. or it was improperly adjusted. That is something you'll have to investigate and look in your manual or the repair guide on autozone.com and repair / adjust the choke as necessary. I am curious as to whether the previous owner also installed a manual choke cable or not, should be painfully obvious if so.
