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alternator not excited

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Old Dec 5, 2010 | 09:17 PM
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Default alternator not excited

alternator not working checked for voltage on brown wire out at alternator (circuit 25) while engine running, nothing. this happened to me before then mysteriously starting working again but now not so much. anybody run into this issue with the brown exciter wire 0 voltage? alternator resently gone though, and cluster printed circuit board replaced. but this happened to me before these replacements, any guesses?
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Old Dec 5, 2010 | 10:36 PM
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Originally Posted by straub18045
alternator not working checked for voltage on brown wire out at alternator (circuit 25) while engine running, nothing. this happened to me before then mysteriously starting working again but now not so much. anybody run into this issue with the brown exciter wire 0 voltage? alternator resently gone though, and cluster printed circuit board replaced. but this happened to me before these replacements, any guesses?
Check the plug in connector, sometimes the terminal ends break and no juice.
Alternately you can just jumper it over to the larger pos term on the back of the alternator or chase it down in the harness. It usually doesn't run too far depending on year.
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Old Dec 5, 2010 | 10:47 PM
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You can always take the alt to any parts store and they should be able to test it.
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Old Dec 5, 2010 | 10:49 PM
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That little brown wire can break internally right at the connector and look fine but no current path. Back up into the harness 6 inches and check again.

I missed what year- some of the later (80-81-81?) had an electric heated choke. If the choke heater relay or fuse is inop the alternator won't charge- no juice to the brown wire.
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Old Dec 6, 2010 | 08:57 AM
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alternator just rebuilt, but wont count out, wire diagram for '79 says brn wire goes from alternator basically rite to printed circuit board, guess will check continiuty, diagram for '80 shows a choke heater relay involved interesting. and im guess the 'gauges' fuse is involved with the brn wire (ckt 25) but cant tell for sure these factory diagrams suck. o ya alt. lite not on.
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Old Dec 6, 2010 | 09:10 AM
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Originally Posted by TimAT

That little brown wire can break internally right at the connector and look fine but no current path. Back up into the harness 6 inches and check again.

I missed what year- some of the later (80-81-81?) had an electric heated choke. If the choke heater relay or fuse is inop the alternator won't charge- no juice to the brown wire.
Happened to me this summer.
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Old Dec 6, 2010 | 01:28 PM
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Can you excite the alt using a test light like this ? This is the basic circuit.
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Old Dec 6, 2010 | 02:44 PM
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update. checked for continuity between brown wire out at under hood and back at harness were it goes to printed circuit board, tested good. so then put the original alternator on and wham charging. so wondering what the heck and realized im using a cs130 alternator with pigtail adapter, checked adapter and no continuity from end to end. found a resister looks like in middle of wire that went so im going to change that resister and see whats up
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