Charging system

[MK1Scirocco16v at comcast.net (Dave Ewing)]

First, I have had alternators checked out at shops (where you bring the
alternator in and they hook it up on their "alternator machine") where they
will tell you the alternator is fine but isn't.  As we speak, a friend of
mine bought an alternator at Schuck's and had problems with the battery
going dead after he installed it.  He took it back to them and it tested OK
but on the truck, the charging system only has 12.5v before and after it
starts.  This particular setup is on an early 70's Ford and there is really
nothing to the system so it has to be the alternator.

What you can do is apply 12v to the to the D+ terminal and check the voltage
(you should be able to tell it's charging by a slight reduction in the idle
speed).  On the early alternators you have to pull the wire coming from the
diode assy and apply batt. voldate there on the later alternators the D+
will have it's own connector through a hole in the housing.  IF you have an
early alt and it starts charging the diode assy is bad, if you have an later
alt and it starts charging then your exciter wire has a problem.  HTH!

Dave
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Drew Teague" <roccnroll@hotmail.com>
To: <scirocco-l@scirocco.org>
Sent: Monday, August 25, 2003 7:38 PM
Subject: Charging system


> I have had charging system problems for a while now.  I have two known
> working alternators (I had them checked at a shop), and three good
> alternator wire sets.  No combination of any of these will do the trick.
> Sometimes the battery light and such will come on, and sometimes it won't,
> but the car runs off the battery until the charge is gone, and then
nothing.
>   The only thing I think it might be is a while ago, I noticed the exciter
> wire had been severed by my fan, so I replaced it.  Before this, the car
> would run off the alternator, but the battery would not recharge.
Thinking
> this was my problem, I fixed all this and nothing.  What else could have
> gone bad to make this happen?
>
> TIA
>
> **Drew Teague**
> Harrisburg, PA
>
> '84 8v Rocco --  "Bruise"
> '85 BMW 318i
>
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