A1 alternator, need advice

Take the alt. to a good shop and see if they can check it out for you and have them put in a Transpo adjustable voltage regulator after they're done fixing whatever's wrong. Also check your wiring to the battery, chassis ground, etc. corroded battery cables can really screw with you. also maybe run a heavier gauge wire from the alt. to the post on the starter. Sounds like your alt. isn't pumping the juice, no way is even a 500W (RMS) stereo actually drawing 40 amps from the alt.

Also might want to consider a capacitor for your amplifier, that will make the bass hit harder and at the same time be kinder to the alt.

Finally your dash gauge may be inaccurate, whip out your Fluke and check voltage at the alt. - my old GTI exhibited the exact same behavior but I drove it for 3 years without a jump start, so it obviously never actually dipped under 12.5V at the battery. Could be an inaccurate gauge or also old, cruddy connections between the engine bay and the dash.

One last thing, is your idiot light working? (i.e. does it come on before you start the engine?) having to rev to 3K to energize makes me think you may have a "blue wire" fault, although it could also be a dying regulator.

good luck

nate

Hey, Im glad you mentioned the idiot light. This is wierd. It is on when I turn the key on. I then goes out when the engine starts. It then turns back on when I rev the hell out of it. The volt guage also jumps more than a volt.

wait, that might not be right.. I cant remember exactly how the light behaves. I think that it is normal. I am trying to of all the malfunctioning dash lights Ive dealt with in my truck.

Jim B.

The rubber bushing went to hell, so I jamed a big nut into its place. This isnt that good of a ground, so I will try the ground strap from alternator to engine, and chassis. Does an old alternator still put out 65 amps?

What is a "blue wire fault"...on my 01 diesel I have no alternator light with key in on position before start, and then have to rev to 3000 rpm to get any voltage from alt.

Bad as*s stereo... you need AMPS and a lot of them! It's not the voltage but the amps. As an example the new Touareg and Phaeton alternators can put out over 200 amps with easy and still only have a voltage of 13.8 14.1 volts. So find yourself the biggest hi AMP alt along with a big cable from the alt to your battery and then crank up the volume.

There is a blue wire that runs from the back of the alternator to the idiot light in the dash... not only does it make the idiot light work, but it also provides the 12V (through the idiot light) that the alternator uses as a reference for system voltage. If the wire is broken or disconnected, it will work exactly like you are describing. Had this problem on Michele's Corrado, it ended up being a single wire connector being unplugged near the "frame" rail behind the driver's side headlight. (of course I didn't find this out until I'd already popped out the gauge panel. No matter, I needed to fix the odometer anyway...)

nate

As the brushes and slip rings wear, you can get increased resistance. This will lead to reduced field current and lowered output current.

Actually the blue wire is also known as an 'Exciter Wire'.

Yes it supplies 12v to the Alt during start up, and Yes it is wired through the 'idiot light', it's main function is to provide a source of electromagnetic power through the coils in the Alt until such time as it's mechanical motion can start putting out power in the opposite direction.

One thing to consider; if you don't have the blue wire/light hooked up the Alt can still 'latch', but you'll need to rev the motor up and long enough to start generating electricity from the rotation.

In closing I'd like to paraphrase from the good book of the Church of the Free Electron; being Grounded is Primary, Manage the Hot Side with a Large Capacity and Cleanliness w/ Good Mechanical Connections are key.

TBerk

to the stock, so that it remains boiling the whole time. Cover the pot and simmer till vegetables are tender (2 hours approximately). Continue seasoning to taste. Before serving, add butter and pasta, serve piping with hot bread and butter.

Offspring Rolls

Similar to Vietnamese style fried rolls, they have lots of meat (of course this can consist of chicken, beef, pork, or shrimp). Who can resist this classic appetizer; or light lunch served with a fresh salad? Versatility is probably this recipe?s greatest virtue, as one can use the best part of a prime, rare, yearling, or the morticians occasional horror: a small miracle stopped short by a drunk driver, or the innocent victim of a drive-by shooting...

Make the stuffing: Marinate the flesh in a mixture of soy and teriyaki sauces then stir fry in hot oil for till brown - about 1 minute, remove. Stir-fry the vegetables. Put the meat back into the wo

ground beef to be found there instead.

Boil the cabbage leaves for 2 minutes to soften. In skillet, brown the meat in a little olive oil, then add onions, peppers, and celery (all chopped finely) and season well. Place in a large bowl and cool. Add seasoned breadcrumbs and a little of the tomato gravy, enough to make the mixture pliable. Divide the stuffing among the cabbage leaves then roll. Place seam down in a baking pan. Ladle tomato gravy on top, and bake at 325° for 30 - 45 minutes.

Umbilical Cordon Bleu

Nothing is so beautiful as the bond between mother and child, so why not consume it? Children or chicken breasts will work wonderfully also.

Pound the breasts flat (parboil first if using umbilical cords so they won?t be tough). Place a slice of ham and cheese on each, along with some minced onion then fold in half, trimming neatly. Dredge in flour, eggwash, then seasoned breadcrumbs; allow to sit for a few minutes. Sauté in butter and olive oil until golden brown, about 6 minutes on each side.

Shish Kababes

As old as the hills, this technique has employed seafood, beef, pork, lamb, poultry, and vegetables; just about anything can be grilled, and young humans are no exception!

High quality marinade (Teriyaki and garlic perhaps)

Voltage

You need to follow this flowchart like so many other people on this NG. :)

Jim B.

Add a good grounding cable to the alternator. Possibly add or increase the size of the neg battery cable. Make sure the grounding contacts are clean and tight. Test the voltage at the alternator (both + and neg at the alt,), then check the ground at the engine, body and battery and note any changes. Do the same with the + from the alternator, check it at the alternator and also at the battery. You might even want to check it as it goes inside the vehicle.

I recently found an extra volt from my alternator when I only cleaned my alternator's grounding points. Went from 13 to 14 volts just by cleaning things up. I like the cheap easy fixes. ;-)

later, dave (One out of many Daves)