[DML] Re: Alternator problems

["cruznmd" <racuti1@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I agree with what Dave T. is saying, except that didn't you say that 
you tried a couple other alternators and regulators? I doubt they're 
all bad.

I would definitely do the A/C voltage test to check for A/C ripple.

I've yet to see a car with the Motorola and the regulator. Is the 
regulator external? Where is is mounted?

Also, forgive me for saying this:

You -have- ensured that you're hooking up the small (field?) wire for 
the light to the right contact right? I know you've done this a 
million times but when fatigue sets in...I hooked up my little wire 
to the wrong stud and the light stayed on. I freaked out until I 
figured out what I'd done.

I look forward to hearing the resolution.

Rich A.

--- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "Dave Swingle" <swingle@xxxx> wrote:
> Rich and I were working on an alternator issue today that I've 
never 
> run into. I know how to look for the usual stuff, but this one has 
me 
> stumped.
> 
> Start car - alternator light stays on, charging system at 12.1 
volts 
> (DVM, not the dash gauge. Dash gauge looks to be about 9 volts). 
> 
> Rev Engine - charging system jumps to 13.9 volts, light stays on. 
> 
> Let it idle back down, stays at 13.9, light stays on. (Dash just 
> above the 13). 
> 
> Things we tried - remove light bulb - acts exactly the same (but 
with 
> no light - duh). Checked wire (brown w/yellow trace) from 
alternator 
> to idiot light with both ends disconnected - no shorts to ground, 
> overall resistance of the wire less than an ohm. Cleaned up 
bulkhead-
> to-frame ground, bypassed engine-to-frame ground, check all 
> connections at instrument cluster. Checked connections at 
alternator 
> (all those stupid brown wires). Tried another battery. Keep in mind 
> that the car starts and runs fine, which rules out most of the 
> grounding issues since the starter ground and alternator ground are 
> essentially the same path. 
> 
> I'm suspecting that the regulator in the alternator is bad, but we 
> tried three different used OEM Motorola alternators (all of 
> admittedly suspect quality). Unfortunately I'm not sure the other 
two 
> worked the same - we didn't try reving the engine with those. In 
all 
> the cases the idiot light was on brightly. 
> 
> Next step is to replace the alternator with a new one, but did I 
miss 
> anything? 
> 
> Dave S




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