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No Charge

EMSJEEP

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Long Island
I’ve been having a no charge issue for some time now, I got the alternator replaced with a Powermaster factory refurb, and added an external voltage regulator, reworked some grounds, including adding an alternator to engine block ground.

I’ve got the ignition source wire to the external regulator free as I’m figuring out where I want that to live eventually, but when I connect it to battery voltage at about 12.2 v I hear the alternator engage, but it’s not outputting anything (DC amp meter), so now I’m out of plans here, I ordered a new alternator but I’d prefer not to spend that much.
 
Ok, so riddle me this - I have a battery isolator, I figure, what the hell, I’ll bypass everything and go direct from alternator to main battery, cause maybe the electrons are jammed somewhere (mind you getting zero to .2 volts at the alternator post. So I disconnect everything and I hit the battery post with the lug from the alternator cable and boom, explosion of sparks. So I’m like...ok...

So I pull the DMM and go ground to alternator terminal and positive to the battery and I’m getting 12.5v ????

I’m thinking, this is wrong, so I turn the car on and I’m getting 70 amps up the alternator cable to nowhere, so, ok screw it back to the battery, some sparks down by the alternator and no everything works... so confused, going to try to add the isolator back and see what happens?
 
Added isolator back, everything works fine - guess my electrons were clogged
 
The only time I've seen anything like that was with a generator (not an alternator). Generators have magnets, the magnets lose their magnetism and the generator stops working. You can flash magnetize the magnets and the generator may start working again.

In your case, I'd lean towards a loose connection. Maybe it makes sporadic contact, maybe it partially makes flash contact and the flash contact doesn't hold. Maybe a crimp connector that is making iffy contact.

A common trouble spot is where the field wire bolts up to an alternator. If you over tighten it you can spin the stud and break the field wire inside the alternator, the broken field wire may or may not make contact (iffy contact) with the stud and field current supply.
 
The only time I've seen anything like that was with a generator (not an alternator). Generators have magnets, the magnets lose their magnetism and the generator stops working. You can flash magnetize the magnets and the generator may start working again.

In your case, I'd lean towards a loose connection. Maybe it makes sporadic contact, maybe it partially makes flash contact and the flash contact doesn't hold. Maybe a crimp connector that is making iffy contact.

A common trouble spot is where the field wire bolts up to an alternator. If you over tighten it you can spin the stud and break the field wire inside the alternator, the broken field wire may or may not make contact (iffy contact) with the stud and field current supply.

Interesting thought, if it’s a problem it’s the stud or prior to the stud, I’m metering off of it (ie. not the cables).
 
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