Need alternator and electrical help, ASAP
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 2,699
Likes: 2
From: The Black Hole LA
Need alternator and electrical help, ASAP
Last night my dist. coil went out on the car. All of a sudden I had no fire to any cylinder. No big deal I just replaced it today with a spare one that I had here from another time. Then I went for a drive and the alternator was showing 11.5 volts. Alright I changed the alternator (still under warranty). Now it is only showing 13-13.5 volts and the positive wire on the back of the alternator is red hot, burnt the hell out of my finger on it. I unhooked the amp from the battery(optima red top) thinking maybe that was the problem, no luck. I can run the car for all of a minute and the wire is red hot, I know this is not right.
I am wondering if the coil had anything to do with it or if it is two different things that happenned at the same time.
Any suggestion on where to start? I traced the wire from the alt. to the battery, or behind the battery rather, and it is not burnt anywhere.
No I don't have an ohm meter, it broke a while back and haven't got a new one.
Thanks guys.
I am wondering if the coil had anything to do with it or if it is two different things that happenned at the same time.
Any suggestion on where to start? I traced the wire from the alt. to the battery, or behind the battery rather, and it is not burnt anywhere.
No I don't have an ohm meter, it broke a while back and haven't got a new one.
Thanks guys.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 8,540
Likes: 1
From: And on the fifth day, subpoenas were served to Obama senior staff
Re: Need alternator and electrical help, ASAP (hz900)
That lead is usually protected by a fusable link located on a connection block below the battery. That wire should not be red hot. I amagine somebody has replaced the fuseable link with a section of wire. This is dangerous and can cause a fire.
It is very unlikey that this problem has anything to do with the alternator.
Personally, I would use a clamp on ammeter and determine the current flow on that wire before driving the car.
It is likely that you have a short or other point of high current usage. You should find this and fix it as I fear that the fuseing in your car has been compromised. This is how fires start.
It is very unlikey that this problem has anything to do with the alternator.
Personally, I would use a clamp on ammeter and determine the current flow on that wire before driving the car.
It is likely that you have a short or other point of high current usage. You should find this and fix it as I fear that the fuseing in your car has been compromised. This is how fires start.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 2,699
Likes: 2
From: The Black Hole LA
Re: Need alternator and electrical help, ASAP (PeteL)
That lead is usually protected by a fusable link located on a connection block below the battery. That wire should not be red hot. I amagine somebody has replaced the fuseable link with a section of wire. This is dangerous and can cause a fire.
It is very unlikey that this problem has anything to do with the alternator.
Personally, I would use a clamp on ammeter and determine the current flow on that wire before driving the car.
It is likely that you have a short or other point of high current usage. You should find this and fix it as I fear that the fuseing in your car has been compromised. This is how fires start.
It is very unlikey that this problem has anything to do with the alternator.
Personally, I would use a clamp on ammeter and determine the current flow on that wire before driving the car.
It is likely that you have a short or other point of high current usage. You should find this and fix it as I fear that the fuseing in your car has been compromised. This is how fires start.
I am not driving the car because I am afraid of a fire, or at the very least burning the wire in two and leaving me stranded.
I'll post what the results are tomorrow.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 54,124
Likes: 30
From: Cincinnati, Oh USA
Re: Need alternator and electrical help, ASAP (hz900)
You might have a battery with a shorted cell. If so, the battery terminal voltage will be 10 volts or less instead of 12 to 13 volts when the engine is not running. Your alternator is current limited at its current rating because it is trying to maintain 14.7 volts across a 10 volt battery which causes very high charging current. The fusible link on the alternator should be able to hold up under the alternator maximum current rating, but I would definetely check to see if someone bypassed the fusible link. Measure your battery voltage with the engine off.
Intermediate
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 43
Likes: 0
From: Fort Worth Texas
Re: Need alternator and electrical help, ASAP (hz900)
Make sure you charge the battery. If you fail to do this, the battery is being charged by the alternator. This puts a big strain on the alternator and the wiring. Your alternator could be 105 amps and if the battery is not properly charged, your alternator could be putting out 75-100 amps and the system is not designed to carry that much current for a long time (at least not enough time to recharge a dead battery).
Joe
Joe
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 2,699
Likes: 2
From: The Black Hole LA
Re: Need alternator and electrical help, ASAP (hz900)
I think that I found a wire next to the dist. that might have been rubbing on the air pump pulley after it started working right(long story in another post). I taped it up and put it back in the wire loom where it belonged. So far no problems. Been driving it since last night.
