Alternator problems
 

I need some help....

Here's the situation:

1. One day, my battery started dying with little or no warning. I did NOT get the flashing dash lights symptom. I got a new battery and had the alternator tested. The alternator was shot. I had it rebuilt at an alternator shop, and reinstalled it, and all was as it should be.

2. About a month later, the dash light symptom started (steering, battery, stop lamp, brake, abs lights flashing). I have previously learned about this symptom, so I knew it was the alternator.

3. I took the alternator back to the rebuild shop, and it tested fine. I put it back in, still had flashing lights, and ordered a new one online.

4. Yesterday, I installed the new one (bosch), and did the alternator wire mod. After running for a bit, the lights started up again. After awhile, they just stayed on all the time. After checking the voltage, I know that it is not charging while the dash lights are all on.

My guess (and my hope) is that it's the connecter that plugs into the alternator. I can clearly see that it's in bad shape, but the wires do appear to still be intact going into the connector. But I know I trashed it a bit trying to get it out 3 different times.

Does anyone know of any other reason besides that connector that might cause the flashing dash light symptom with a brand new alternator installed?

Also, while I had the battery disconnected, I went ahead and touched the battery cables together, then left it disconnected for a couple hours. So, the ECU should be discharged and reset.

Any help with this would be greatly appreciated, as I now have 2 SVX's that I can't drive!

Thanks

Re: Alternator problems
 

I would think the alternator mod would've fixed the problem, but, it never hurts to go ahead and check your ground and any other connections to the engine block. Also, if there's a short somewhere, it should show up if you remove the ground terminal from the post, touch one end of a test light to the post and the other to the terminal. If it lights, then you've got a short . . . somewhere. Happy hunting. Oh, and one more thing to check: You're gonna think this is nuts, but, pull the "elbow covers" off the sun visors. Check the wiring that goes to the mirrors on both sides. Amazingly, a short in these wires can shut your car down deader than 9 o'clock. As a matter of fact, if a short shows up wit the test light, check the mirror wires first.

Re: Alternator problems
 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by driverdave
[B]I need some help....

Here's the situation:



4. Yesterday, I installed the new one (bosch), and did the alternator wire mod. After running for a bit, the lights started up again. After awhile, they just stayed on all the time. After checking the voltage, I know that it is not charging while the dash lights are all on.

My guess (and my hope) is that it's the connecter that plugs into the alternator. I can clearly see that it's in bad shape, but the wires do appear to still be intact going into the connector. But I know I trashed it a bit trying to get it out 3 different times.

Does it charge with the dash lights off ? If so the problem is rather obscure.

You say you have "trashed the connector a bit" ! If you mean you have damaged things to the extent that the connections are faulty it stands to reason that this is your problem.

I had the same problem a while ago, after all it came out to be the ground to the battery I installed awire from the battery ground to the screw behind the battry on the fender and it works great.

When I did the alternator wire mod, I only did a positve wire. I haven't done the ground wire to the compressor mount yet. Perhaps I should do that first.

I'm pretty much planning on replacing that connecter no matter what. But with the way my luck has been lately, I wanna have some other ideas ready if it doesn't fix it.

Thanks for the info so far...I'll let you know if it works.

I'm gonna ramble on here a bit, see if anything makes sense...

Either replace or remove the cable between the neg post of the battery and the body. On my 92 the connection to the frame is right there in front of the battery and the part bolted to the frame had more corrosion than any other connection point in the system. Just take the ends loose, clean them and their mount points, and reattach as a first trial (that's a free step). I suggest this as it's battery to frame ground that anchors ground for all the rest of the system, i.e., dash lights etc.

The other ground wire runs back to near the starter and is already 4-gauge, so I have no doubts as to the advantage of running another wire to the A/C compressor mount. Also, I believe the battery to engine cable is probably good as you report no starting or running problems with the engine. Still can't hurt to remove and clean connections.

If this doesn't fix it then I would use a VOM to trace out all three wires to the alternator. When I changed out my alternator I checked the wires and they had very brittle insulation - I guess the heat had cooked them over time.

I would do all of the wires in the Alt upgrade. The ground is a very important one too! :)

I just did the ground wire, yesterday, but the lights seemed to have gone out on their own, even before that. I hate when problems fix themselves. I'm still looking for a new connector, but it seems to be ok for now.

Thanks again for the info