Alternator fuse blowing from alternator ground touching housing?

[Wufei]

I'm stumped. Can the connectors to the alternator ground not touch the alternator housing itself?

My alternator fuse blew today as I was driving, so I pulled over, disconnected the battery, and replaced the fuse. It sparked really bad as I reconnected the battery ground and blew the new (100A) fuse.

I then checked the alternator terminals and noticed the ground terminal's nut was almost off, I tightened it so the ground connectors were touching the housing. I tried to put another alt fuse in then, and it blew too.

I backtracked and loosened the alternator ground nut so the connectors were no longer touching the housing, and things were ok. The battery ground only gave a tiny spark as I reconnected it.

Do I still have a short or am I good?

Thanks!

 

[dlricker]

Well to my knowledge, you only get ground to your alternator from the bracket and not from the wire. Now there is a small stud that does come out of the alternator that has a nut on it which would be on the casing itself, meaning that its grounded. You don't want the battery wire to be on that stud. You want the battery wire on the correct stud on the alternator, that would be the power source and not as you said calling it a "ground". This would explain why you keep blowing your fuse.

 

[My1GLaser]

I'm stumped. Can the connectors to the alternator ground not touch the alternator housing itself?

Thanks!

Like he ^^^ said. That's not a ground. It is the positive wire that runs to your battery for charging. (It runs to the fuse box first where the 100 amp fuse is...thankfully)

 

[jeremylee_7]

I had a 3 week old alternator where that stud for that power wire was busted inside the alternator and it was moving around and allowing the power wire to ground against the body of the alternator, check that stud for free play if you do have the power and ground hooked up correctly.

 

[Wufei]

so I guess right now there are some wires going to that stud and some going to the "main" positive stud with the red boot on. Should all wires go to the "main" positive stud with the red boot and nothing go to the secondary stud (closer to the engine block)?

 

[jeremylee_7]

On 1g it is just the wires to the stud and then the harness connector, and i could not find any other info in dsm manuals to say otherwise.

Most everyone here will strongly suggest that you get either a Haynes or Chilton repair manual and DSM shop manual on cd. The shop manual really helps for electrical issues and tourqe specs and other specific info, but the haynes/chilitons is going to be more informative and helpful on things like this alternator install.