Bad Alternator?

[Mylesofsmyles]

It appears my alternator has died...

Trying to find one to replace it...

Serpentine belt model for external regulator.

It's for a '85 2.3L EFI motor.

Any advise on amperage, or a Internal Regulator conversion?

 

[Mylesofsmyles]

Hmm. Pulled alternator and had Oriely auto test it...they said all is good.

Bought a new voltage regulator...quick install.

The voltage regulator didn't solve the problem.

With engine running, I get about 11.4v at battery terminals.

Despite the positive test, I'm still thinking alternator.

 

[ab_slack]

Are you getting voltage to the field coil in the alternator when you turn on your ignition switch? IIRC once running it feeds power to the field coil itself but it needs that initial feed energy to get it started. If not, the alternator will not generate any voltage.

 

[Mylesofsmyles]

Confused. There is switched power from ignition switch to alternator? Is it one of the two wires between alternator and regulator?

I'm considering a new alternator all together. Maybe one from a late model Ranger will work, that has the regulator internally.

I will test some more tomorrow to try and save this one.

 

[Road Angels]

you need power to excite the fields so that it charges, is what he is telling you, with out my book in front of me I cant tell you what and where the points that need to be checked. if you have a manual its easy to trace down with a multi meter or a test light, some one here may know if there is a single wire one that will work on your year

 

[kimcrwbr1]

http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/chargingsystem.htm
Read this all the way through twice and then attack it just sounds like a wiring issue to me also. Are you getting battery voltage at the large terminal on the alternator with the key off. It sounds like the motor is running off the battery not the alternator make sure the battery is fully charged before doing the load/noload tests. If you want simple and upgrade amps get a 1 wire alternator easy peezy. Upgrading battery cables and grounds to larger wire size never hurts and adding a ground from the alternator body to battery neg 10 guage wire helps also.

 

[kimcrwbr1]

http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/EDiagrams/files/diagram_charging_1983to1985_1.JPG
One common mistake guys make is putting the bat wire from the alternator on the wrong side of the start solenoid? It needs to be on the battery side not the starter side.

 

[kimcrwbr1]

Thats the large guage black/orang stripe wire goes to batt pos side of start solenoid?

 

[Mylesofsmyles]

The large wire from the alternator goes to a post on the starter solenoid...

There are four posts on solenoid, batt, ignition exciter, starter output and a fourth, which I believe is just bridged to batt. As per the previous owner, alt cable is on the fourth post, with the fuse able links.....should I switch it to be directly on batt cable?

There are two small wires from alt...one to regulator, and I'm yet to identify the other.
Could there be a blown fuse, causing the alt to not get its initial power with key on?

 

[Mylesofsmyles]

Today, I checked all wiring and everything looked great!

Found a butt connector, buried under electrical tape.

Tested everything and all seemed in order.

All is good all of a sudden...maybe it was a loose wire.

I wish I found some distinctly wrong...now I'll never know what it was...

Until it happens again.

 

[kimcrwbr1]

There are three posts on the alternator one goes to battery pos and one goes to the regulator, the third is not used on your system trace it up to the grey 8 wire connector and you will see it terminates there. you can check it with the engine running it used to be used for the electric choke it should have around 8 volts coming out when the engine is running only. You probably have a loose connection or a bad wire somewhere under the insulation. wiggle and bend the wires end to end and at the lug connectors and repair any weak spots. You have an idea where the problem is I`m guessing by the start solenoid somewhere? Glad you got it working tho those gremlins can be a bitch to find somtimes.

 

[70roadrunner]

iirc, there is a fusable link in the wiring to the alt. I would test the wire. disconnect both ends, and use an ohm meter. the needle should swing all the way if I have an analog meter, or read 0 on a digital meter21