Guten Tag,

in the process of installing the alternator on my car and had a few questions.

This the diagram sent with the kit.


It appears the regulator is removed (the alternator should have its own internal one). There is 2 wires that are on the aft side of the regulator (red and black). The red wire will go to the clip to the alternator... However, what happens with the black wire?


Also, do I leave the black wire alone going to the starter? I believe I make a new cable going from the alternator to the battery?


The black wire is highlighted in orange on the original instructions provided...

Any help would be great.

Thanks,

Welcome aboard. As promised, we're small, but we're mighty . I'm going to assume that you're using the SWEM kit and the alternator is a Delco unit (looks like it is). The black wire is a ground (get the multimeter out and verify that this is true - standard practice on old cars...you never know what the IQ of the last person to fix the car was). The red, lights the dash alternator light. Don't hook up an AMP meter, I hate those things. Pushing all the power through a gauge is just not a great practice. A volt meter is all you really need to check charging system function. That black wire that you're diagram lists as a ? goes to the ignition key.

The black wire is going to the ignition and starter (per the wiring diagram). Don't know if it would be grounded out. Will have to investigate per your suggestion. Will hook the battery up to the alternator.

The alternator should go to ground through the engine block...I was just following the old diagram. If this wire goes to the key, it's got to have 12V live. I'd tend to pull the harness apart and put that wire on the starter solenoid where it belongs.

Yes. Just checked and it is hot (12.4v). Starter already has that wire going to it. So I either run it to the positive terminal on the battery or cut and tape it off.

It looks like the diagram for the kit has it going to the positive terminal and eliminating the wire going to the starter?

Thoughts?

Thanks,

Stock wiring diagram:

Do you have 12V at the connector for the alternator? If you do then you're fine.

Yes. Battery is dead. Need a new one. Amp light in dash doesn't work. Will need to troubleshoot some more.

Thanks,

Reversed the connectors on the alternator ( pin 1 and pin 2). Put in a new battery. Amp lights came on when key was in the in position. Car started stayed one till I gave it a wee bit of throttle and went away. Took a few mile drive with no issues.

Noticed the car is still putting out 12.4v off the alternator. This accurate? Thought I would see between 13.5 and 14.5.

Black wire that was hot has been taped off (was going to regulator). The car doesn't appear to need it.

Thoughts?

Thanks,

Uh, that's not right. A running alternator should put out 13.5 - 14V in order to charge your battery. You've still got something not connected properly. I suspect you're running on the battery only. Put you multimeter on the alternator and see what you've got for voltage.

I did. 12.4v.

I have a cable going from the alternator to the positive terminal on the battery.

Will investigate in the AM.