Help asap!!! Alternator related

[onefast2gdsm]

Ok so on the way to work today my car lost all voltage to te battery and was running on the alternator. Pulled the car into the shop and starting checkig connections, had the car idling and it died. I thought it was the alternator so i swapped a known working one in and the alternator is only outputting 7 volts. Im at a loss as to what it could be.

Mods that matter: battery relocated
200amp fuse
Jegs 300amp kill switch
Fusebox relocated to passenger firewall
Distribution block 0gauge to 4 4gauge
0gauge from battery to fuse to killswitch to distribution block
4 gauge from distributio block to starter
4 gaue from distribution block to fuse box
Saturn alternator
S wire hooked to distribution block

 

[wrencher]

How long of a run(length) would you say that 4 gauge cable is?
You could have a significant voltage drop between the block & the starter.
I would check all that out really well.

I have done battery relocations on quite a few different vehicles, only cable I'll use is 00 gauge for a long run to keep the voltage drop in check.

This works pretty good for wiring to ensure your circuits/wiring choices are proper;
All though it lists voltage drop specs @ 10% that's high, .3-.35 volts is high in my book.

Voltage Drop Calculator

 

[onefast2gdsm]

I dont think its a dropped voltage problem, as it worked this way for months. The alternator isnt charging for some reason and its doing it on 2 different alternators.

 

[dsm92gsx]

is your fuse and relay good? Im having the same issue on my gsx with it not charging the battery. just put in a different one last night. Ran for 20-30 minutes and car died with battery light coming on.

 

[onefast2gdsm]

Fuse looks like it is not blown. Where is the relay

 

[dsm92gsx]

Fuse looks like it is not blown. Where is the relay

its in the same box on the top left corner. at least that is where it is on my 1g gsx.

 

[talonalex92]

Are you getting constant 12v at the B terminal of the alternator? It should be there whether the cars on or off. If yes, see if its at the fuse. Just keep following the main cable back to the battery checking for 12v the whole way. If you do have it to the battery, check to see if you have voltage at the regulator to turn it on via the alternator plug itself. If yes, then its a battery issue. Just because the car isnt charging doesnt mean the alternator is to blame. Other thing to look at, is what kind of voltage you have at the B terminal when its running. Report back with findings.

 

[onefast2gdsm]

After im off work im pushing it back in the shop and checking everything with a multimeter. Thanks for the replies. Anything else it could be?

 

[onefast2gdsm]

Well the mew alternator is definitley fried. Put the car on the lift and found a thick green wire with a white stripe was completly chewed up. Fixed the wire, but have yet to put another alternator in to see if it fixed the problem. Putting a 1g alternator in tonight so ill know then.

 

[onefast2gdsm]

Swapped in a 1g alternator with no luck. Changed the alternator fuse and that wasnt the problem either. I tested with a multimeter and the alternator is not charging the battery. This is 3 alternatirs that arent charging the battery. Im at a loss.

 

[mike orlando]

i heard running a saturn alternator gives more power.

 

[onefast2gdsm]

I heard newbs love crankwalk and it adds 100hp

 

[dsm'r sk1mp]

i heard running a saturn alternator gives more power.[/QUOTE

First, please use proper puctuation, grammer, and capatalization. Second before giving information out, read the thread and also the rules( rules states specificaly do not post in a tech thread with a "I think" or "I heard")

OP have you made sure you have good connections with ALL grounds, and have you checked to see if you have any breaks or large cuts in any of the alternator wires. My advise, start at the alternator and track back to the battery. You have had to have missed something.

 

[dsm'r sk1mp]

I ran into this same problem with my AWD talon 1g. It ended up being bad ground wires completly for the alternator.

 

[onefast2gdsm]

I will be tearing apart the harness and tracing all the wires. I dont have ground wires on the alternator, and havent since i built the car. It was my underdtandig that the alternator is grounded through the bracket.

 

[dsm'r sk1mp]

your right, let me explain why i asked about your grounds. My talon had gone through three saturn alt, two 1g alts, and a BRAND NEW gauranteed alt. I re ran all my alternator wires and the next two blew up as well. I replaced all ground wires on the head battery terminal and i never had an alternator problem with that car again. Yes you are correct the alt is grounded already buy for some reason my grounds were blowing everything I put on that car up.

 

[Mr PopUps]

Just because the fusible link LOOKS good doesnt mean it is. Try that first, its $10+/- but the easiest thing to fix.

 

[gusu]

One way to tell if a fuseable link might be bad is giving a tug on the wires and see if they pull out at all. If not then use a multumeter and a power source to see if any current flows through. Just in case someone didn't already know.

 

[Mr PopUps]

One way to tell if a fuseable link might be bad is giving a tug on the wires and see if they pull out at all. If not then use a multumeter and a power source to see if any current flows through. Just in case someone didn't already know.

Uh... what wires? And the ALT fusible link is bolted in.

 

[Lofty]

Why not completely rewire the alternator? Run it back to the fusible links.

Easy

 

[onefast2gdsm]

The fusible link isnt the problem, i swapped it with known good working one right off my buddys 2g last night and it didnt make a difference. Guess i gotta tear the harness apart.

 

[talonalex92]

I would take the alt's to a parts store and have them bench tested to see what exactly is causing them to fail. that will point you in a good direction before you chase wires.

 

[onefast2gdsm]

Update. Getting full power on the S wire to 1g alternator. Not getting full power on the wire to the dash. I jumped the two wires together and started the car, alternator still wasnt charging. Any ideas?

 

[Duece McCracken]

It seems that you are having a wiring fault of sorts.

The fact that you relocated everything leaves even more variables to be checked.

I would check continuity of all your grounds and hot leads at each of your relocated devices. At the fuse box, at the battery, etc.

I would also check for internal corrosion of any old factory grounds or hot leads. Disconnect your battery, then pull the terminations, wire brush them, check at the insulation for any tell tale deterioration of the conductors at the insulation line. Then apply an anti-oxidant compound and re-connect.

I would also check for physical damage at any firewall penetration, i would shimmy some slack on the wires through any grommets and look for physical damage, the shimmy is important due to the grommet could be hiding the damage, so make sure to reveal the wire that actually sits in the grommet.

Check for continuity across all of your fusible links or fuses pertaining to the charging system. Visual inspections can be misleading once in a great while. Check for corrosion here as well.

Check all crimped connections, give them a tug and a wiggle to check for looseness.

Let us know how this goes for you. Its slightly tedious, but will either eliminate a ton of variables, or actually point out/repair your problem.

 

[onefast2gdsm]

The battery light on the dash isnt coming on with the 1g alt. even with the key on engine off the light is not on. I traced the black/yellow wire of the alternatir to the alternator relay, and put a new relay in with no change. The battery light was on with the 2 saturn alternators. Im still getting low voltage on the black/yellow wire, is that supposed to show low voltage? Im bringing both saturn alternators to autozone tomorrow to be tested.