Charging issues
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Charging issues I am having charging issues 98 camaro with Big stuff 3. I have a cut off switch, brand new alternator, I've tried a couple batteries, and I still loose voltage when the car is running. (13.3 - when the car is not running, and 10.8 when the car is running) I never changed anything over the winter. I did freshen the engine and I think I hooked everything back up properly. I am looking for trouble shooting ideas from you guy's. Here is the set up... I have a #2 cable from the alternator to the kill switch. Then a #0/1 cable from the switch to the battery. It is a stock AC Delco alternator. The only other thing I can think of is a ground. Does the alternator have a ground cable that I forgot to reconnect? Feel free to shoot me more quesions if I left anything out. ANy help would be appreciated, thanks
Test the voltage at the alternator itself, and on both sides of the switch, shouldn't be anything to forget to connect on the alternator it just uses the weather connect plug in right? Or is it one other than the OE style alternator?
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Ya it just uses the stock wheather connecting plug. How do I check the alternator itself. Do I unhook the #2 Aug cable from the alternator and start the car up and check voltage at the "hot pole" ( I think that is what it is called). I don't have a volt meter, I am using my new "big fancy" battery charger to check the voltage the alternator is putting out. So i guess i hook up the posative cable (from the charger) to the "hot pole" on the alternator and the black cable to the ground on the car. That will show me what the alternator is putting out right?
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I did a bunch of wire removal in the winter but I don't think any of that wire should affect the alternator charging the battery. Also, while the engine was out getting freshed, I was doing some wiring and the #2 line from the switch to the alternator (that wasn't connected) ground out on the frame and needless to say there was some smoke in the garage. Is it possible that the #2 cable is the issue. I don't remember seeing a inline fuse on that cable. I'm at work today, but I guess I will check that first.
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From: Cecil County Raceway!!!
you have to send a reference signal to the alternator plug to start charging. the stock ECU used to do that... a 470-500 ohm resistor on a switched 12V source to the stock plug on the alternator (there was only one wire on that plug) should get you going.
Other option is to have your alternator converted to a "self-exciting" style which any competent alternator rebuilder should be able to do...
Other option is to have your alternator converted to a "self-exciting" style which any competent alternator rebuilder should be able to do...
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I still have the stock computer with that single red wire going to the alt. That never changed. but I did take out other wiring to the computer. I wonder if the problem lies in some of the oter wiring I cut out. I looked in my helms manual and basically i cut out all the stuff to the guage cluseter, for that circuit ( I think). I'd have to look at the wiring diagram again to see if there was anything else, but ya that single red wire is still hooked up from the alt to the stock ECU.
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From: Cecil County Raceway!!!
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It's the everything else that I think is the issue. So the resistor is built into the stock computer?
So All i need is a reference signal wire to the alt, then from the alt to the switch, and from the switch to the battery right. All the other **** has nothing to do with actually charging the battery.
So All i need is a reference signal wire to the alt, then from the alt to the switch, and from the switch to the battery right. All the other **** has nothing to do with actually charging the battery.
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so I hooked up a wire to a pink "switched" power wire and then to a 470 ohm resistor then to the stock red wire that goes to the alt and still nothing. The way I had it hooked up was 12v constant to the red wire. That was until I noticed it today. Is it possible that I fried the voltage regulator in the new alt? Would a 12v constant with no resistor in line fry the voltage regulator? do i have to go and buy another alt? Any opinions?
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From: Cecil County Raceway!!!
so I hooked up a wire to a pink "switched" power wire and then to a 470 ohm resistor then to the stock red wire that goes to the alt and still nothing. The way I had it hooked up was 12v constant to the red wire. That was until I noticed it today. Is it possible that I fried the voltage regulator in the new alt? Would a 12v constant with no resistor in line fry the voltage regulator? do i have to go and buy another alt? Any opinions?
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well I tried putting a 470 ohm resistor in line with a switched 12v and still nothing. so then I tried 2 470 ohm resistors twisted together at each end to send a little more wattage through ( because they were only .25 w resistors) and still nothing. So then i took the ****** resistors out and wired it up to a straight 12 v supply and finnaly it helped a little. it went from 13 not started to 10.8 started , then when I hooked it up to 12v direct it was sending a "partial charge" of 11.8 - 12.2. while it was started. Shouldn't it jump up to like 13.5-13.8 if it was sending a full charge to the battery? i had everything I could running. Fans, fuel pumps head lights - just to try and draw as much as I could so the alt would send a max charge. Any thoughts?
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From: Cecil County Raceway!!!
well I tried putting a 470 ohm resistor in line with a switched 12v and still nothing. so then I tried 2 470 ohm resistors twisted together at each end to send a little more wattage through ( because they were only .25 w resistors) and still nothing. So then i took the ****** resistors out and wired it up to a straight 12 v supply and finnaly it helped a little. it went from 13 not started to 10.8 started , then when I hooked it up to 12v direct it was sending a "partial charge" of 11.8 - 12.2. while it was started. Shouldn't it jump up to like 13.5-13.8 if it was sending a full charge to the battery? i had everything I could running. Fans, fuel pumps head lights - just to try and draw as much as I could so the alt would send a max charge. Any thoughts?
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I have a 98. So is there a schematic showing which pin or color wire it is on the cluster or ? I Thought on the 98's that red wire went to the stock PCM, I just haven't had time to trace it. This is starting to make sense because I was looking for a red wire on the stock PCM on the engine management side. I guess I will take a look at the stock guage cluster for a red wire. Is there already a resistor built into that stock red wire? Thanks Harlan, you are saving me from sleepless nights, and huge headacks.
Last edited by slowmaro98; Jun 16, 2008 at 02:28 PM.
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you have to send a reference signal to the alternator plug to start charging. the stock ECU used to do that... a 470-500 ohm resistor on a switched 12V source to the stock plug on the alternator (there was only one wire on that plug) should get you going.
Other option is to have your alternator converted to a "self-exciting" style which any competent alternator rebuilder should be able to do...
Other option is to have your alternator converted to a "self-exciting" style which any competent alternator rebuilder should be able to do...
Well I took both alternators in to get load tested and one was good the other one wasn't. I put the good one back in the car and used a 470 ohm resistor inline between the red alt wire and a switched 12 V. It worked right away. Thanks for your help it was greatly appreciated.
