Alternator Question

[Gwagensteve]

Yes, I have searched

I have just put a 1,000,000 amp EL falcon alternator in my car, which was originally a 1.0

As such, it had an external regulator. The new alternator is internally regulated.

Christover spoke of 6 packs and sparkies and 5 minutes, but he's not the only person who has swapped to an interally regulated alternator in a 1.0 sierra.

I have tried various combinations of wire swapping both at the regulator and at the alternator, but I can't get any sense out of the charge light.

I can get it to charge.
I can get the light out, but not together.

I can also get the light off but the alternator not charging

I can't get the light on when the engine is not running and the light off when the engine is running and the alternator is charging.

A) What did the sparky do to Christovers car?
B) can anyone tell me what to bridge/cut/whatever in the regulator????


Steve.

[Rhett]

get it charging and take the bulb out of the dash

[Gwagensteve]

Yeah thanks

The version of that I can do is to set it up so it's charging but the light does nothing, but that makes me nervous so me being me, I would like it to work properly*

Steve.



* disclaimer* Currently the check engine light is doing nothing and the fuel pump signal wire isn't working either, (but the car runs fine) so clearly my standards are slipping

[nicbeer]

check engine light only should come on when ign on and on start for few secs

can u check out a 1.3 wiring diagram and copy it there into the 1L

[christover1]

I'll try to get a photo of the bridged wires on the reg if I can tomorro.

I've had a few bods come round to look at the reg with note pads then go away smiling.

christover

[mr green]

the el should have only 2 wires plus the charge wire. one wire goes straight to the battery(via fusible link) the other goes to charge light , then to ignition power on the other side of the bulb. i can't remember which way around they are but trial and error should should not bugger anything in this case.
jason

[Gwagensteve]

Thanks Mr Green, I came to a similar conclusion about 20 minutes ago. Everything still runs with the regulator completey unplugged, and I have a spare regulator to use as a dummy plug, so I can keep fiddling around until I get it to work.

I let people know what I figure out., but Chris, if you could post a photo of your bridged regulator that would be grouse.

*self thread hijack*

nicbeer - Normally check engine lights have ign+ on one side and the ecu on the other. I have hooked mine up this way and it doesn't light at all. I don't have a wiring diagram as this is a JDM only model. It runs no O2 sensor- It's about as simple as EFI gets- runs in open loop constantly.

I think that the ecu is kinda crook - it's not driving the fuel pump signal wire either. Surprisingly, it runs spot on - I have had it hot, the (too small) turbo makes a little boost when free revving and that's not shutting it down, so it seems happy enough- it doesn't stumble, timing is rock steady at 10 degrees.

PS - i've just had an idea - both check engine and fuel pump drive require an earth, and there is no early directly out of the computer. The various sensors are earthed on the block. I wonder if the computer needs a clean bolted earth on its mount? the mounts have been cut off the ecu box in the previous install so the computer is just floating about.... I'll be trying that in a second too. Might pull the cover off the ecu again and have a search for an earth off the cover.

Steve.

[PJ.zook]

You may have a voltage loss in one of the wires going to the bulb. Basically one side of the bulb is connected to B+ and the other to the regulator. When the alternator isnt charging (ie engine off), the regulator grounds the bulb wire which creates potential over the globe, causing it to light up, but when the regulator is charging it sends the charging voltage (<14v) down the wire, which then should be teh same as the battery voltage, so then theres no potential over the bulb, and it goes out.
So most likely either youre regulator isnt working properly, or youre losing voltage over one of the wires causing the bulb to light dull.

[christover1]

Regulator is just unplugged and wire left hanging, with the female part of plug (from engine) bridged.

[Gwagensteve]

You're a legend Chris - I'll give that a go. I currently have it charging a treat but no activity from the light at all. I'd like the light to tell me something useful.

Steve.

[Gwagensteve]

OK update-

Turns out I had already tried that arrangement of bridging the terminals, but not with the wires on the alternator around the right way.

It's all good now. spot on 14.5volts regardless of load, light works properly.

Thanks Chris.

I'll get this popped into the bible - this must come up from time to time and now we have an answer.

Steve.

[cj]

So your junk will be ready for the snow then by the sounds of it

[lay80n]

Bible bound be this thread

Layto....