Alternator wiring

I just relocated my alt to the AC position after it burned out from being submerged one too many times. I replaced the alt from my 89 with a 98. The setup has power/ground, Then two wires going into a plastic block that the main ground runs through. With the new setup I am only getting 12 volts. I tried two alternators with the same result. The one wire from the 89 is yellow with a black stripe. This wire has power with the battery hooked up and the key on, the other wire is tan with a stripe. Form the alternator I connected the green wire with a stripe to the power wire and the one without a stripe to the tan one.

I have a battery tester, I am not trusting the guage in the dash. Under load, I have bright headlights and my electric fan, the voltage drops to around 11.

It is possible that I have two bad alternators (it has happened before) but the odds of that happening, especially twice to the same perosn in one lifetime, has got to be slim.

Thanks,

PS.. I just spent 15 minutes searching and did not find this so dont yell at me again.

I dont know about the 98's but my 96 has thhe plastic block as you describe. The voltage regulator for that one is in the computer. You may need to rig up some kind of external voltage regulator. Good luck!

the cost is the same so I am just going to set up a single wire alternator and eliminate the two wire plug.

That's what I would do. The GM style alternator.

I think your problem is the 98 alternators are regulated by the PCM.

The Renix cherokees use an internally regulated GM alternator. You don't have anything telling the alternator to charge.

Thanks, Single wire is going to be the way to go.

You've got two options here, since you're trying to use an externally regulated alternator in an internally regulated application.

1) Source an external regulator - Prestolite make a reasonably rugged "universal" regulator for use in this sort of situation. You can find wiring information and a part number on my site (link in sig,) and if you can't find it locally you can order it from San Jose Generator. The regulator information is in the SJG section of the site, if/when you start looking for it.

2) Simply relocate the Delco, and either re-arrange the wiring harness to let the regulator plug reach, or get a unit internally modified to be "self-exciting" (a "one-wire" alternator - you only need to connect the output wire.) This can be done with internally-regulated alternators, but can't be done with externally-regulated units (the internally-regulated alternator is modified slightly - I'm not certain how - to pick up the "regulator sense" signal from inside the alternator case. It may be a different regulator, I'm not sure.)

However, trying to move a Nippondenso (from the late model) into the RENIX application (which used the Delco CS-130 internally-regulated unit) won't work unless you add the external regulator - since your RENIX rig won't have one (it's certainly not in the ECU, as it wasn't necessary.)

If you're doing this to try to get extra capacity, it's easy enough to source an 'upwound' Delco - they're common in the hotrodder's and kitbuilder's world, since the Delco alternators (both the SI and CS series) are apparently easiest to make into one-wire units and are quite rugged. Considering some of the abuse I've seen them put to in industrial applications (including conversions I've done myself,) I'm not surprised that they'd be popular with customs as well. The CS-130 converted to a "one-wire" application was probably my most common mod/upgrade on forklifts and such, where running in a good deal of dust, heat, and dirt was commonplace (and the Delco usually replaced a unit that had been replaced three or four times in the past year due to accelerated wear from heat and crud.) I'd stick with the Delco, about the only thing it doesn't like (as you know by now) is being dunked in water while it's running, and you've solved that problem.

Thanks for the extra info. I was thinkng of just getting a replacement for the renix but the way I have the bracketry it will be easier to get a single wire with the ear hanging off the side. I cant get the renix to hang and keep enough suport on the AC mount.