Need alt. advise.

Doc90

New Member
Apr 18, 2006
38
0
0
texas
hey guys its been a while since ive been on here but i started out with the atock alt it wasnt enough so i went to a 3g and my second one just went out it will kick on for a few minutes but then it will just go off should i replace the alternator and i was gonna replace all the wires from the alt. and battery to bigger wire but this is my daily driver so i need to figure this out quick. any questions just ask thanks alot.
 
  • Sponsors (?)


hey guys its been a while since ive been on here but i started out with the atock alt it wasnt enough so i went to a 3g and my second one just went out it will kick on for a few minutes but then it will just go off should i replace the alternator and i was gonna replace all the wires from the alt. and battery to bigger wire but this is my daily driver so i need to figure this out quick. any questions just ask thanks alot.

you were running a 3g alt with all stock wiring!!????:nono:
you definately need to upgrade the wiring. theres lots of info on exactly how to do a 3g the proper way on here. just do search
you should be running a 4ga power, and a 4ga ground
 
Why does your old one 'kick off' after a few minutes? Did the alt fail when tested or do you have a wiring issue in the car?

BB is right about the wiring.

Please use punctuation.

Good luck.
 
the wiring is 4ga but its all old i am gonna get it replaced but i still cant figure out why the alternator will kick on at certain times and then just off i dont really get it the wiring in the car isnt the greatest its been chopped and cut up so i dont really know what goes to what ill try to get some pics on here so you can see.
 
the wiring is 4ga but its all old i am gonna get it replaced but i still cant figure out why the alternator will kick on at certain times and then just off i dont really get it the wiring in the car isnt the greatest its been chopped and cut up so i dont really know what goes to what ill try to get some pics on here so you can see.

Hissin50 said:
Please use punctuation.
 
hey everybody i have replaced all the wiring to the alt. and battery. i have two 3gs and ive had them both tested. both passed and i can go start the car and it will be working i can stop turn it off and it will either not work or it will. ive checked all connections and grounds i can find. im lost i dont really know what it could be.
 
What do you mean about it just 'going off'? The alternator stops charging or the car shuts off?

WHen the car acts up, what is the voltage reading at the back of your alternator? What is the battery voltage?

Good luck.
 
I apologize for beating a dead horse but it's really very difficult to figure out what it is that you're trying to say. Commas and periods etc. are your friend! I've read through your posts and after a bit if head scratching, I think that I've deciphered that your alternator is charging but is intermittent.

It's shutting down when it feels like it and there's no rhyme or reason as to why acting this way.

There are a couple of thinks that I can think of to check, if that is the case.

The diode would be the first. Usually, this isn't a problem with intermittent charging so long as the motor is turning. Since your problem comes and goes, I wouldn't totally rule it out.

The other and probably more likely culprit, is the wiring for your exciter/regulator/stator. It's the small white wire that clips on to the blade connector. I might disconnect that wire, disconnect the battery, and run an ohm check on it while moving the wiring harness around to check for a break in the wire somewhere.

You can also "hotwire" the stator wire so that the alternator is always on. You only want to do this to assist in trouble shooting. Daily driving with the stator wire hot isn't a great idea.

Check the Paperformance website for wiring diagrams on how to hotwire the stator if you're unable to find a break in your harness.
 
To touch upon something else Daggar mentioned, ensure the switch wire (red/lt green and vice verse) is seeing voltage when it acts up. A bad connection here can cause issue.

Do we know if your amp light comes on when it acts up?

Good luck.