Alternator?
CJ
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If your voltage is going from 12 to 18, the regulator most likely is bad.
Alright, I rewired it as in removed all the old wiring.
I used a dedicated ground first to the battery.
Again, EXACTLY CORRECT!A new cable from the {ALTERNATOR} batt terminal to the battery {CABLE} side of the starter solenoid with a fuseable link.
Now. WHAT SIZE RESISTOR?A new white wire with a resistor and LED idiot light.
That would be the 'Sense' or 'Sample' wire.A new red wire that goes to a fused hot wire under the dash also with a fuseable link or fuse wire what ever you want to call it
LED's have a very specific polarity, and not all of them hook up the direction you want to go with the power (out to the alternator),Other than the LED idiot light everthing is hooked up like diagrams I've seen on the net.
'Stock Jeep' means an Delco SI series alternator, so the resistor isn't a big woop... but they take more power to 'Exicte' than the CS seires, so a LED 'Idiot' light might be the restriction in the line that's causing problems...At this time there is a NEW stock jeep alternator in it.
So you aren't relying on Jeep Volt gauge for readings!I get 12+v while idleing when the idiot light is on using a voltmeter,
measured at the batt.
Just for testing purposes......and at the alt. When the idiot light is off and the jeep volt guage is over around 16 -18v I haven't had a chance to measure it at the battery or alt. It's always on the way to work or pitch black dark outside.
When you choke the input for the 'Excite' wire down to where it's not working, the alternator will eventually start charging on the residual magnetism in the rotor...But having the idiot light stay on or off during a ride and watching the jeep volt gauge go from around 12 to around 18 tells me somethign isn't right.
I used proper soldering techniques and used the matte finish heat shrink on all connections.
Well after reading thru the painfully complete directions/troubleshooting discussed here, I need to re-think the way my prototype dash is set up. Right now I have LEDs for all the warning lights, working with the full guages. So, since I want all the warning lights to match, I have to go with regular incandencent bulbs in all of them.
Good thing I found this out before I ruined another sheet of $23 diamond plate!
HOLD UP!
If jumping the LED fixes your problem, I can figure out a way to make the LED work...!
We do it for street rods all the time!
mylittlecj5, the LED is only a problem when using it as an idiot (warning) light for the alternator (as they do not load the sensing circuit correctly). When using them as warning lights for the other gauging (like an oil pressure switch) you don't have to worry about what was done for the alternator wiring, you most likely will not have any problems as the switches are mechanical and simply close a circuit.
This problem has nothing to do with a warning light for any other gauging except for a warning light for a SI alternator.
Hmm OK but I havent got that far yet...
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