Where does this wire go and.....

[chicagoavenger]

OK here is the situation. Recently I have had low voltage readings on my car. the logger has been showing 12.something then starts to decrease to where its 8.2 volts. So I replace the alternator(that went bad) and she runs good for awhile then the volts drop low again. So I went and got a new battery. ran at 12.2 volts for awhile then starts reading low. my radar detector says low voltage and when I log it I'm at 10.4 volts. So new alternator, new battery and new alternator fuse but still low voltage. Headlights dim, etc etc. Now just wondering could this wire not hooked up in THE RIGHT place be causing the issue? Its a bolt on the alternator. I had the wire grounded to a bolt by the pulley bracket and figured that was good but its still reading low volts and afraid if I drive it more I may be left stranded. Now on the alternator there is this screw I can loosen and tighten and just wondering if thats where this wire is supposed to go, . Does this wire have to be there? the car is hot now so cant get to it to screw it on there. All help is appreciated.

1st pic is of the wire and the second is the screw on the alternator.

 

[chicagoavenger]

I connected that wire to that nut and its still reading low. On the logger its reading about 11.2 volts and I stepped on the gas and the charge did not go up. The radar still says low voltage about 10.2. I cant even use the radar detector cause it just beeps and says low voltage.Any suggestions? Brand new alt and battery. This just started to happen recently...I checked the wires and nothing seems crossed/fried/shorted...

 

[luv2rallye]

Looking at the DSM 1g backup manual (and my own 2g manual) I suspect that wire comes from the battery 12V positive (thru a 30A fusable link which you probably instantly blew when you connected it to the pulley bracket bolt which is ground). It should be connected to the alternator's "S" terminal which goes to the alternator's internal voltage regulator so it can monitor battery voltage and control alternator output voltage. This is 1 wire of a 2 pin connector to the alt. - the other wire being a black/white to the alt's "L" terminal. Remember to replace the blown fuseable link after the wire is connected.

 

[sweet97]

On my '93
the yellow wire clips onto the "pin" shown in the first pic. You are missing the part from the end of them wire that snaps over that pin so you will need to go to a yard or fashion something. Let us know how you make out! mark
I TAKE BACK THE POSITION OF THE PIN. IT IS ON THE POWER STEERING PUMP. PIN/POST. THE YELLOW WIRE DOES COME FROM THE 2 WIRE CONNECTION THAT CLPS ONTO THE ALTERNATOR. THE PIN ON THE PUMPIS ON THE FRONT JUST BELOW ONE OF THE HOSE CONNECTIONS.

 

[chicagoavenger]

Im confused now, does it go to the alternator like luv2rallye said or the pump like sweet97 said? Im confused. Luv where in the backup cd does it show that? I have that cd but didnt see anything. thanks

 

[steve]

The alternator has a plug in the back that should have two wires. The Yellow runs to pin 1 on that connector (the alternators S terminal). The other wire in the connector should be black w/white stripe. Check the alternator plug and see if both wires are attached. The wire to the PS pump switch is also yellow but smaller than the alternator wire. If the two wires are on the alternator plug then the loose one is for the PS switch.

Steve

 

[chicagoavenger]

yeah thats where that wire goes to the ps pump switch. thanks guys. i understand now. the other 2 are where there supposed to be. Now I looked and the only 30a fusible link by the positive battery terminal just says {ign}..But its not blown. Now the other fuse box there is a 80amp fuse and I replaced that. Now looking at the fuse box in white letters on the upper left hand side it says {alt} I'm assuming this is for the alternator also? How do i know if that relay(thats what it says above it) is blown or not good? Its just a black little box so how can I check that? I'm still reading low volts and I disconnected the positive first and the car died then I tried leaving the positive on and took out the negative while the car was running and it died. This is the second alternator. brand new, tested and all. So I'm assuming something is not right and its not the alternator. Any suggestion on how to look for the issue? thanks for the help again fellas. Right now its just running off the battery.

 

[karnsatron]

Unplug the alternator and take all the leads going to the battery+ off. Put an ohmmeter on the wire that goes to the alternator. It might have a break that makes contact intermittently, or it could just have a couple strands left that are holding it together. Then check your grounds coming off the battery. If the battery, alternator, and fuse all test good, then it's most likely the wiring in between. Good luck, electrical bugs are a pita.

 

[chicagoavenger]

Well gonna try that now will get back to you.



Edit: Did some testing like mentioned above and it was bad alternator well my old one.Shes alive looks like a bad alternator and relay. Switched them out and she runs at 14.4 volts. Thanks for all the help. I love this board you guys have helped me fix alot of things!!