alternator help needed.

[clive f]

please can someone be kind enough to have a look at the back of their alternator and let me know in which order the three wires are connecting to it please.
having just put this back on the car I forgot what went where, the thick cable can only go in one place because of the size of the connector and stud that it it bolted to, but the other two wires consist of a thin black wire with a spade connector on the end and a medium thickness cable that then attatches to either of the two studs next to the main powercable, thickest wire.
at the moment the medium cable is attatched to the stud next to the main connector, but wonder if it should be on the 3rd stud furthest away from the main one.
very confusing trying to explain this, but a quick look would confirm what I`m trying to sort out.
problem I have found is that all seemed normal, volt meter in car reading 13-14 volts when engine running, but went on a long run tonight, headlights and heater on and noticed after about 20 minutes that volt meter reading was 15volts, and the red ignition light, the top one between the speedo and rev counter, kept flashing on and off, and the dash lights seemed to pulsate.
if I stop the car and turn of the ignition and then start it up again every thing seemed fine and volts reading 13v, so it must be an incorrectly wired up alternator, I hope.

if your bored waiting for santa to come, or fed up with your beer an turkey tommorrow please look at yours and let me know

thanks, must go now, can hear santa on the roof.

[tvr4ever]

One of the great features of PH is that you can do a search, it's one of the buttons on the top. When you search for alternator one of the results that come up is this posting, maybe this helps.

www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=298779&f=9&h=0&hw=alternator

Fred

[Paul V]

Looks like that alternator in the topic discussed has a different layout to yours Clive, Just checked mine and it has 3 posts, 3 thick brown power cables go to the big post, the thin brown goes to the middle but my thin black actually goes to the body housing, not sure if that how it should be though as my dash light often glows slightly, might try changing it to how you have it. The end post isn't used on my car btw.

[clive f]

thanks paul, the two brown cables on mine are as you have described yours, but do you know where on the housing the black cable with the spade connector actually fits to?
this may be the cause of my problem, as according to the bible, this runs to the volt meter and ignition light, and I may have it in the wrong place as when I stripped it down I removed the connector from the back of the alternator and may have positioned this on the wrong post.
thanks for your help.
clive.

[Pasco]

Clive have you sorted this yet Hic But i have had tooooooooo muchhhh beeeeer too helpppp me thinkks mmm yesss mmmm yessss Merrry xxmasss.hhmm yesss

Passsssssco

How Saaaaaaaaad am i to be on this nowwww Yess Wellll Saddd !! And Welll P ****sed

Merry Xmas to all My Mates xxxxxxxx LOL

Pasco Hic

[Ricardo Bertone]

Sorry Clivef can't help with this one even if I put on ladies clothing and high heels.

Merry Christmas anyway and to that old drunk Pasco as well.

Ricardo

[clive f]

anyone able to have a look at their alternator??

[shpub]

Just got your message - I'll have a look this morning.

[Paul V]

My black wire fit's onto one of the posts that hold the plastic casing on, basically just earths it, that's how it has always been on my car but can't guarantee it's correct so will be interested to she how Steve's is connected.

[shpub]

Clive you have mail. I have a Marelli alternator and can't even get to the connectors as the PAS and Aircon get in the way. Personally I think you alternator has died if the lights are pulsing and you are getting 15 volts. Symptomatic of a duff electyronics pack inside the alternator.

[dnb]

Clive - if you want to borrow an altenator for testing, then let me know - the Griff is off the road for the new cam & stuff at the moment.

[clive f]

thnks guys, after some help from steve, I have connected the black ,spade connector to the third post, same as yours paul, and all seems well, I`ll take it for a run tommorrow and see how it behaves when it all warms up.

dave, you home tommorrow, I`ve heard you make good coffee!!

[dnb]

Will be home in the morning, but I expect I'll be in the workshop in the afternoon. Coffee pot will be ready

[Paul V]

clive f said:

thnks guys, after some help from steve, I have connected the black ,spade connector to the third post, same as yours paul, and all seems well, I`ll take it for a run tommorrow and see how it behaves when it all warms up.

dave, you home tommorrow, I`ve heard you make good coffee!!

Mine doesn't connect to the third post in the block, but actually connects to the body but let me know how you get on.

[clive f]

gave the car a good run today, heater on lights on ect, no problems at all, I went round to dnb `s and his alternator is wired up the same as mine with the spade connector on the 3rd post, so fingers crossed problem solved.

Edited by clive f on Thursday 28th December 19:54

[Ballistic Banana]

Glad you got it sorted Clive

BB