Please HELP, getting no charge from the alt to the battery

9

97quadcam

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Ok put the new plug wires on the car today and then realized that the rear bags decided to hold air. So I figured I'd drive her down the road to see how it was. Before I get out of the drive everything starts to shut down. Indicating on the message panel to check the charging system. So I immediately assume it's the altenator. Changed the altenator and the battery is new so it must be good right? No I'm not getting charge from the alt to the battery. Please tell me what to check. I have a meter so I can run some tests, but time is short and I need to know what to look for. I just finished putting this car together and I need it driveable to move to Houston next week.

Justin
 
RE: Please HELP, getting no charge from the alt to the battery

When you changed the alternator, did you FULLY charge the battery before starting the car again?

If not, you likely fried your new alternator.

Other problems might be a loose wire on the alternator or a bad connection at the battery.
 
RE: Please HELP, getting no charge from the alt to the battery

Nope, don't have a charger. Where do I test the new altenator to see if it's good or not? I have a mulitmeter, but don't know what to check for.
 
RE: Please HELP, getting no charge from the alt to the battery

Here's what you need to do.

1. Engine off - battery standing voltage.
With the engine off and fully charged battery, hook up the meter directly to the battery terminals(not clamp, bolt, nut, etc...). Read the meter as volts DC.

2. Engine running - lo idle - no load charging voltage.
Engine running at idle, all lights, accessories and AC off. Read the meter after voltage stabilizes from starting engine. Should be higher than standing voltage.

3. Engine running - hi idle - no load charging voltage.
Engine running at 1500 RPM, all lights, accessories and AC off. Read the meter. SHOULD BE NO MORE THAN 2 VOLTS OVER STANDING VOLTAGE.

4. Engine running - full load charging voltage.
Engine running at 2000 RPM, lights on high beams, AC on MAX(blower on high). Read the meter. Will be lower than hi idle no load charging voltage but should be higher than lo idle - no load charging voltage.

These readings give a good indication of the charging system. Let us know what your readings are.
 
RE: Please HELP, getting no charge from the alt to the battery

OK couldn't get the battery fully charged in the time, but it's holding strong at nearly 13 volts. When the car is started it drops nearly .5 volts. From the large wire on the altenator I'm getting 33 volts. I'm assumeing it's the pigtail...got a new one and I'll try it tomorrow. Since I'm getting 0 voltage increase from the alt. to the battery.

Any more suggestions.
 
RE: Please HELP, getting no charge from the alt to the battery

[div class="dcquote"][strong]Quote[/strong]
... From the large wire on the altenator I'm getting 33 volts.
[/div]

That's seriously overcharging. Are you using a digital voltmeter? If so, a normal standing voltage as described in the prior post should be about 12.3 to 12.7 volts depending upon charge and temperature. So the max you should see at no-load charging would be 14.7 volts. These readings are all taken directly from the battery terminals.
 
RE: Please HELP, getting no charge from the alt to the battery

Well, I was checking directly at the altenator. When checking at the battery it was just 12.05 while running, when not running it was 12.7... So I take it that it's a good thing that I'm not getting that much voltage to the battery.
 
RE: Please HELP, getting no charge from the alt to the battery

Sounds like from your description the alternator either needs replaced or there are wiring problems.
 
RE: Please HELP, getting no charge from the alt to the battery

OK, I'm getting no use from the voltage regulator. So I really need a wiring diagram for this system. I had the alt checked and it tested fine. The only thing I can figure is that the wiring to the voltage regulator is faulty. I installed and wired in a new pigtail, but to no avail. So there has to be something in that system ie-fusable link, fuse, relay that allows current to flow through that circuit to complete the regulator's circuit. Does anyone know if there is a fuse, fusable link, or relay that's in that circuit? If so where is it located at?
 
RE: Please HELP, getting no charge from the alt to the battery

1. With the engie off and the key off, a fully charged battery should be at 12.6 volts when read with a digital volt meter.

2. With the engine running the battery voltage should read at least 14.1 to 14.7 volts when read by the digital volt meter.

3. Voltage/ State of Charge
12.60/ 100%
12.40/ 75%
12.20/ 50%
12.00/ 25%

4. Perform a base voltage test. Prior to performing the base voltage test, turn the headlights on for 10 to 15 seconds to remove any surface voltage from the battery.

a. Chech battery voltage with no loads on the battery
b. Record the readings. Fully charged is 12.6 volts

5. No load test:
a. read base voltage
b. start engine and run at 1500 rpm with no electrical load
c. read the voltage, should be in the range of 14.1 to 14.7 volts.
d. If the voltage increase is less than 2.5 volts over the base voltage, perform the following "Load Test"

6. Load Test:

a. Engine running, turn A/C on, blower motor on high, lights on with high beam on.
b. Increase engine speed to approximately 2000 rpm.
c. There should be a minimun voltage increase of 0.5 volts.

7. If the voltage increases by 0.5 volts, the charging system is operating normally. If not, you must perfor the "Generator On-Vehicle Tests" and the "Generator Bench Tests."

8. You will need a special equipment to perform those tests. The easiest thing to do if you not have the special testing ewquipment, is to take the generator/alternator to an Autozone where they can bench test the alternator. :)
 
PROBLEM SOLVED

PROBLEM SOLVED

Thanks guys I found and fixed the problem this morning now I have a misfire problem. Unrelated though, but the charging system is working well.
 
RE: PROBLEM SOLVED

RE: PROBLEM SOLVED

Please tell us what you found. It may help someone in the future. ;)
 
RE: PROBLEM SOLVED

RE: PROBLEM SOLVED

Not sure I want to admit this...











I forgot to hook up the wire from the alt to the fuse box ::wtf:: xo ::nono::
 
RE: PROBLEM SOLVED

RE: PROBLEM SOLVED

Very well could be...maybe I forgot to plug something else in and that's what's causing my misfire problem too??? But I doubt it, I've been over this thing with a fine tooth comb.
 
RE: PROBLEM SOLVED

RE: PROBLEM SOLVED

Misfire could be completely unrelated / coincidental. How many miles on the plugs, and the coils? Could also be a cracked coil boot. My Mark started misfiring the weekend I bought it, needed plugs changed. Pulled out the originals at 62k miles.
 
RE: PROBLEM SOLVED

RE: PROBLEM SOLVED

New plugs and wires. Autolite 764's and MSD 8.5 mm wires. This is on my 95. The coil packs have 118k miles on them. Do you think it's the coil packs? How would I go about testing them? Also the miss is worse under load then just at idle or in neutral.
 
RE: PROBLEM SOLVED

RE: PROBLEM SOLVED

After a 118k miles on the coil packs I would just go a head and replace them.
 
RE: PROBLEM SOLVED

RE: PROBLEM SOLVED

make sure none of the wires are popped off. then pull the plugs and see which one(s) look darker. Trace it from there. Swap wires, see if the miss moves. swap plugs, see if the miss moves. if it's two darker plugs on the same coil, good chance it's a coil pack (two plugs are fired at once... each plug is fired on the compression stroke and the exhaust stroke).
 
RE: PROBLEM SOLVED

RE: PROBLEM SOLVED

Craig seems to believe it's the temp sensor that runs to the computer. Because the car is running really rough under a load and the temp starts to creap up after driving just a little ways. Which seems like an improper timing issue not just an ignition problem. I've tried moving the plug wires and it gets considerabley worse. All the plugs and wires were installed last week and I checked and then double checked them to be sure I didn't miss anything. I don't want to buy anything else for this car as I only built it to sell. But if I have to then I will as I don't believe in half a$$ing anything I do. But the car is running like it's in "safe mode" like they do when overheating. But even idleing it never gets above the bottom of the N on Normal. We maybe should move this to my other forum, but if it's easier to keep it here...then I guess that's fine.

Yes I would LIKE to replace the coil packs with the MSD packs, but I can't afford to dump alot of money into this car as I'm near my budget on it and don't want to cut into the little profit I'll potentially make on it. So is there any way to test the coil packs other than running it a while and then checking the plugs? I'll do that next week, but I'd like to know all the diagnostic's I can run myself. And if it's the temp sensor is it the one wire sensor on the driver's side of the coolant crossover tube or is it the 2 wire/pigtail setup on the passenger's side of said tube?

OK for those of you who have been in and out of these engines, would it have caused this problem if I used the knock sensors and adjoining harness from the Cobra long block? The cobra setup is a 4 wire setup and the mark is a 2 wire setup. I looked at the wires and it seemed to correspond with the mark viii wires. So I just used them instead of fighting to get the knock sensors out and worring weither they were damaged during removal or not. If it could be those just tell me what I have to do to rewire the system or if not possible to make them compatable then let me know so I can yank the intake back off and swap them out.

Thanks guys
 
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