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Alternator Issues, Any Suggestions?

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Old May 18, 2015 | 09:59 AM
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Default Alternator Issues, Any Suggestions?

I have an '02 WS6, A4, my alternator crapped out, so I changed it out with a new 145-amp one. The wires that go into the pigtail broke, buddy of mine who helped me change it out said I only needed the red wire so he put it together. I drove the car yesterday, voltmeter was still low in the red, then all the gauges went dead, radio shut off, and all the warning lights came on like I had just turned the key on. Do I need the other wires plugged into the pigtail connector? Also, someone said I needed to replace the belt, but the one I have seems to fit correctly, any ideas of why I am having issues after changing the alternator out?
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Old May 18, 2015 | 10:26 AM
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Did you swap in a new weatherpack(pigtail) or hack the old one back together?
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Old May 18, 2015 | 10:42 AM
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Originally Posted by blackandgold
Did you swap in a new weatherpack(pigtail) or hack the old one back together?
he put the red wire back in the old one, so I guess you could say it was hacked back together.....
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Old May 19, 2015 | 08:42 AM
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got my new connector, gonna get all 4 wires back in today and hope that solves my issue. does anyone have what order and color the wires go to the 4 leads from the new connector so I connect them correctly where they are supposed to go?
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Old May 19, 2015 | 10:00 AM
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Mine only has the red wire. I added length to that wire, cause I got sick of breaking it.
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Old May 19, 2015 | 10:20 AM
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Originally Posted by Darth_V8r
Mine only has the red wire. I added length to that wire, cause I got sick of breaking it.
what year is yours? mine is an '02. were they different in different years?
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Old May 19, 2015 | 10:36 AM
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Originally Posted by YellowTA1
what year is yours? mine is an '02. were they different in different years?
You only need to connect the red wire into port "B" on the plug. If you kept your old connector you can look at it to see which one had the wire in it. If not, then the new plug may literally have "A,B,C,D" on each of the ports. The other three wires you can cap off or cut (just make sure there is no bare electrical connections. I chose NOT to cut the wires, but instead wrap them up individually with electrical tape, then zip tie them together) because our PCM doesn't need them.

I ran into this issue the other week when I tried to get fancy and do motor mounts without unplugging the alt lol
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Old May 19, 2015 | 11:00 AM
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Originally Posted by an-i-no
You only need to connect the red wire into port "B" on the plug. If you kept your old connector you can look at it to see which one had the wire in it. If not, then the new plug may literally have "A,B,C,D" on each of the ports. The other three wires you can cap off or cut (just make sure there is no bare electrical connections. I chose NOT to cut the wires, but instead wrap them up individually with electrical tape, then zip tie them together) because our PCM doesn't need them.

I ran into this issue the other week when I tried to get fancy and do motor mounts without unplugging the alt lol

I don't know, so that's why I'm asking....I was told you need the 4 wires connected because the alternator needs to be excited in order to charge. So yes, you need to wire all of them back in to the connector....
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Old May 19, 2015 | 12:05 PM
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Originally Posted by YellowTA1
I don't know, so that's why I'm asking....I was told you need the 4 wires connected because the alternator needs to be excited in order to charge. So yes, you need to wire all of them back in to the connector....
Our cars only need the one red exciter wire that was originally connected. The other three are not necessary. I can take a picture of how mine is now and show you if you want? I just have the one wire from terminal B connected to the end of the red wire (that broke off) and the rest taped off and unused. My car charges just like it did before i broke the wire.
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Old May 19, 2015 | 06:15 PM
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To answer your question, no difference in years 98-02 f body alternator wiring to my knowledge
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Old May 20, 2015 | 04:40 AM
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Like the others have said you just need one wire in the "B" port, if you look at your factory connectir it only uses one wire in that location. You can just cut the other three off, that's what i did years ago on my old car
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Old May 20, 2015 | 08:32 PM
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It's because it's a universal connector you must of purchased from the dealer.. The OEM Delphi has just one wire..

The white/tan color connector you get from some gm dealers have all 4 wires, just use the one for your application and delete the others
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Old May 21, 2015 | 09:26 AM
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well, I got everything hooked back up....battery is still not charging....used a test light at the battery, it's good there, and at the alternator, it's good there....i even picked up a new alternator and had them test it before I left with it....any ideas??
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Old May 21, 2015 | 10:05 AM
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The alternator might not be grounding. The circuit has to be complete. Sand a shiney spot on all the mount points on the alternator and brackets. Double check your engine to chassis ground straps.
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