Schematics give me a head-ache. When installing a 1-wire alternator, i know the '1 wire' goes to the battery side of the solenoid, but what do i do about the wires coming from the old voltage regulator when I remove it?
It's a GM-style internally regulated 100 amp alternator. I know I'm not the first to do it, so nobody yell at me. :bananaman
Get rid of the whole wiring harness that went with the external regulator, unless you want to figure out how to make the ALT idiot light work.
Thanks Barry. I don't really care much about that idiot light, but I would like an indication of charging system failure -- will a volt meter show that correctly or is an ammeter required for that?
how do you make the idiot light work on a ford truck 94 amp one wire ? i have it on my grabber but the alt. light want go out... thanks... frank...
All you need to do to make a chevie alt work is hook the small wire coming out of the alt onto the big one BUT it should go through the ignition switch too so the regulator isnt powered up when the ignition is off . Sometimes you have to put a diode in the line after the alt. but before the ignition system so the battery doesn't go dead from the ignition draining it . A voltmeter will tell you if the alt is charging ,just not how much .
I think you would have to find the resistance value for the light in the mav then put the correct resistor in the wire . I dont know where you would get that info .
You can get a indication if your charging system is working from the voltmeter. The battery's normal voltage is approx. 13.2 volts. When the alternator is charging you should see about 14.5 volts on the meter. Mine actually shows almost 15 volts when charging. Besides I'm not sure where you could get a 100 amp ammeter, and even if you did find one, that much current traveling through all the wire to the meter and back to the battery would cause a pretty significant voltage drop. Plus you would need 8 AWG wire or larger.
A volt meter is a much better indication of your charging system for several reasons. As Barry stated, normal charging should be around 13.8volts. If thats what your reading, the alt is charging and the regulator is working correctly. If you just had an amp meter and had a faulty voltage regulator, you could be over charging your system and you would never know. You'd fry your battery among other things. Neither gauge will tell you which is bad if your not charging at all.
Alt Light ok, new Alt, new, regulator, new battery...and my Alt light doesnt go off....I read somewhere that the charging circuit needs the resistance of the idiot light bulb (ALT Bulb ?) to function properly...Where is located? on my 1971 Maverick 200 I6....HELP PLease!!!!
the alt light is the bulb that provides the resistance that your looking for. so if its on then the bulb is good. you most likely have a wireng problem at the alt or voltage regulator.
