Cable ID please

[skiver]

The car has been running rough and misfiring and while trying to trace the problem today found a loose wire and connector.The wire is coming from the loom running alongside the o/s rocker cover, is brown/yellow and has a captive nut on the end. It's hanging down behind the alternator and about 6" long so must be local to the alternator.
Before I start dismantling,could some kind soul ID this.
Hopefully it's the cause of the rough running.
Thanks

[QBee]

skiver said:

The car has been running rough and misfiring and while trying to trace the problem today found a loose wire and connector.The wire is coming from the loom running alongside the o/s rocker cover, is brown/yellow and has a captive nut on the end. It's hanging down behind the alternator and about 6" long so must be local to the alternator.
Before I start dismantling,could some kind soul ID this.
Hopefully it's the cause of the rough running.
Thanks

Any chance of a photo and i will look at about 7.00 when I get home?

[skiver]

Not able to include pics at the mo but it emerges from the loom at the front end of the rocker cover as described.The nut on the end turns so there must be a threaded stud somewhere in the vicinity.

[phazed]

Isn't that the third wire that is sometimes used on alternators, not required on yours iirc.

[skiver]

I've not noticed it before but I replaced the coil over the weekend so I could have dislodged it if it was tucked away somewhere.

[spend]

It bolts on the alternator ~ your charge warning light won't work without it (also importantly tells you straight away if the fan belt breaks ~ hence no water pump!).

Secondarily it will start the alt charging before 2000rpm is blipped ~ probably not so important.

[skiver]

Thanks spend, so not the cause of the problem then

[spend]

skiver said:

Thanks spend, so not the cause of the problem then

It could be? IIRC the alt senses battery voltage through that wire so smooths output voltage based on it ~ without it your voltage VBat might be jumping all over the place which can cause odd effects.

Just screw it back on the studs on the alt have different thread sizes so it's fairly foolproof.

[QBee]

Is the car kept indoors or out? Mine is always rough at first if left out in the rain. So am I for that matter

[skiver]

It's bolted back on now,there was one free stud and the battery light is lit, but I won't run it until tomorrow when I'm going to fit a new water temperature sensor,this being a cheap chance of solving the problem.The stepper motor's clean and I'll check the leads in the dark tonight. If it's not these I'll get an ecumate or rover gauge rather than throwing money at replacement parts.

Qbee, the car's garaged and the shunting/cutting out at low revs happens when the car's up to temperature so that's why I replaced the coil. It's ok on start-up and at higher revs.

Edited by skiver on Monday 11th August 19:47