Cascade Crew

jchaussee · Member Joined: 14 Nov 2010 Posts: 1318 Location: renton

So when I rev car volts are good, as soon as I put into drive they drop. Idles decent also unless I turn on radio, lights, blinkers, etc. Seems to bounce up and down to the beat of my radio, or to the flicker of my blinkers. I want to start with free checks before I start replacing stuff. I am an electrical idiot, but I follow directions well

turbo_jimi · Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2011 6:48 pm Post subject:

Did you reconnect that wire you cut from the altenator? You mentioned you did that previously. Also sounds like a grounding problem.

Al Hasse · Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2011 6:56 pm Post subject:

Problem could be a weak battery, voltage regulator (in the alternator), or even bad grounds - check your battery terminals.

To check the regulator, measure the output post of the alternator (big wire on the back side) with a volt meter or digital multimeter set to DC volts. with the car motor running, you should see about 14 volts. It should stay relatively steady at 14 volts as the RPMs increase.

jchaussee · Member Joined: 14 Nov 2010 Posts: 1318 Location: renton

I haven't reconnected wire yet, but I did this previous to cutting it. And as far as big wire on alternator, would that be one coming fom my battery. I have several wires connected to my alternator on a bolt . Not a plug like on my truck

turbo_jimi · Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2011 7:44 pm Post subject:

I don't think there should be several wires connected there. there are 2 wires connected to the back bolt, a wire going to the positive battery cable, and a wire going into a loom to the auxillary components like guages, electric choke, ect. You can follow this on the wiring diagram I posted in your other inquiry.

Alphius · Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2011 8:05 pm Post subject:

That's standard behavior for an old-style alternator with the reference wire disconnected. If you don't have a smallish two-wire plug plugged into your alt, then that would be why.

aaron_sK · Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2011 8:17 pm Post subject:

jchaussee · Member Joined: 14 Nov 2010 Posts: 1318 Location: renton

It still did same thing before I cut wire, I will put it back, but problem will remain. And it looks as if some redneck wires it because it has three wires connected to a bolt and none of them have fuses. The one I cut is spliced into some blue wire and the fan relay was also spliced into it before I cut it out. I will look at it more closely tommorow and see where all wires are going. I started new thread so I can fix the whole problem, because as stated before, nothing at all changed when I cut the wire.

aaron_sK · Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2011 8:52 pm Post subject:

Sounds like it was rednecks vs. logic under there, man. Laughing

Time to start tracing wires, kill what you don't need, and run things you do need correctly. Everything needs to have a fuse or a fusable link, and it needs to come from someplace where the sense wire can detect the draw.

jchaussee · Member Joined: 14 Nov 2010 Posts: 1318 Location: renton

Ya. I am going to start tommorow. I was also reading up on alternators and they mentioned an " exiter wire"???? I just want to get this damn thing running right

aaron_sK · Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2011 9:17 pm Post subject:

Yup.

Exciter wire / trigger wire / ect. Smallest wire. Brown or green usually. Turns the alternator regulator on and off. Connected to ignition switch.

Sense / reference / ect. Larger of the two small wires. Red or orange. Senses amount of voltage being put out by alt, and voltage draw. Adjusts regulator accordingly. Connected to the main lug on the starter solenoid, or other large connector where the alternator power and fusebox meet.

Output. Largest wire off of large lug. Feeds all electrical accessories on car, charges battery. Should be headed for the starter relay.

Ground: Some alternators have a ground strap if they're not grounded to the engine.

jchaussee · Member Joined: 14 Nov 2010 Posts: 1318 Location: renton

so it does have a plug. With two wires going into it. A small brown one that is spliced to the brown one that I cut when chopping out my ecm wires. That brown wire goes somewhere towards my driver side. Then the othr plug wire is a maybe 10 gauge or so red wire that loops to the bolt on my alternator. Then on bolt is another wire that connects to possitive side of battery. The battery itself is grounded out on the bolt that connects my alternator to the head.

91RSVert · Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 3:08 pm Post subject:

I'm looking at my diagrams. Not knowing what year you have, I'm going by 90+ since your saying it has 3 wires.

The brown one goes to a fuse panel. It needs 20a.

The red one in the plug should go to some fusible links down by the starter.

The red lug on the back, should also go to some different fusible links, down by the starter.

Also check and make sure all your battery wires have never had corrosion. If they have, Ive seen ALOT lately that the wire was damaged down inside the sheathing due to previous corrosion.

jchaussee · Member Joined: 14 Nov 2010 Posts: 1318 Location: renton

Ya. It is obviosly messed up. I don't really need it to match a specific year, I just want it to function the way an alternator does. It is an 85, but has a swapped in 327. But nothing goes towars starter or any fusible links.

Al Hasse · Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 3:12 pm Post subject:

Alphius · Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 3:45 pm Post subject:

jchaussee · Member Joined: 14 Nov 2010 Posts: 1318 Location: renton

Can I then assume that the fat wire that comes out of the plug and loops itself to the lug on the back of the alternator is wrong. ??

turbo_jimi · Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 4:33 pm Post subject:

Let's look at the 1985 diagram that is attached and start from the ignition switch.

Yellow wire goes from ignition switch to "clutch start" switch, then purple wire goes from "clutch start" switch to starter solenoid.

Now black wire runs from ignition switch through fusible link into starter (or solenoid...can't tell), then, to positive battery terminal then to altenator (on the back bolt.

Now there is the plug that goes into the altenator with red and black wiring...the red to power and black to ground.

The last wire is brown (or faded tan/rust color from age) that connects to the bolt on the altenator and goes to the automatic choke and the guages(including idiot lights).

It will not look like it's going in any one direction being that it's loomed.

The diagram is pretty explanatory except the brown wire goes off of the page near the lower left, but reappears about 2/3s the way up...it is the only brown wire.

aaron_sK · Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 4:44 pm Post subject:

jchaussee · Member Joined: 14 Nov 2010 Posts: 1318 Location: renton

the positive side of the battery has the wire that splits to the alternator and starter. And as far as fusible links go because I will be installing them myself , for there are none, do I get the kind that have spade fuses, or the twisty kind with the glass fuses, o does it matter, and what guage of wire??