Author Topic: Alternator won't keep car running on my 2.3 turbo...HELP PLEASE!!!! (Read 5433 times)

uncleamin · « **on:** May 05, 2008, 10:19:12 PM »

I finally seem to have everything working with the pinto. Except now the Alternator isn't doing it's job. It's brand new and I just retested it at autozone to see if it was good. It is. I also replaced the voltage regulator with a brand new one, which FIXED this same problem when the car was a N/A 2.3. I replaced both pigtails...the alt and the volt reg.
The only way I know how to test and see if it's working is take off one of the battery terminals while the car is running. I was told if the alternator is doing its job the car should stay running. It dies every time.
I'm using a pinto alternator. I even took a test light to all the plugs, and they all light up.

Any ideas???

71pintoracer · « **Reply #1 on:** May 05, 2008, 10:27:12 PM »

What is the voltage output at the battery? Is the alt light on? Some cars wont run w/o the battery hooked up, others I've drift started and driven with no battery at all. Just wondering why you think the alt is not charging.

uncleamin · « **Reply #2 on:** May 05, 2008, 10:51:52 PM »

Well not sure about the voltage at the battery b/c I don't have a voltmeter. But the reason I think it's not charging is b/c the other night I after I changed out the turbo, I started it up and took it for a ride down the street. It seemed to start up fine but once I got down the road to lay into it I noticed I was losing power.....and then it just died. It would only click when I started it back up. But this was before I changed out the Volt Reg and pigtails.
I charged the battery all night that night and when I went to start it the next day it just clicked again. I examined the terminals and found some corrosion...on ce I cleaned them it fired right up. Would the Corrosion make it die like that??

It makes me wonder now though b/c you said some cars die regardless when you take the battery terminal off.

How else would I be able to check to see if it is working??

I don't have my instrument panel in right now. I guess I could put that back in to see if the light comes on.

I am stumped though......

Pintony · « **Reply #3 on:** May 05, 2008, 10:55:13 PM »

Hello uncleamin,
Is the belt tight?
Is your engine fuel injected?
From Pintony

uncleamin · « **Reply #4 on:** May 05, 2008, 11:19:03 PM »

Hey,

Yes I thought the belt was tight. How tight does it need to be?
It is fuel injected. It's a 1988 TC engine powered by an LA3 computer.

77turbopinto · « **Reply #5 on:** May 06, 2008, 06:52:14 AM »

You NEED a volt meter, go to Wal-Mart and get one, they are under 10 bucks. Start the car and test the battery with it.

Un-hooking the battery with the car running is NEVER a good idea.

Check all your battery cable connections and your ground wires; don't forget about the engine to body one.

Is your battery re-located?

Have you checked for codes?

If you wired the reg. incorrectly it will not turn on the alt., but with what you wrote I don't think that is the problem.

Bill

uncleamin · « **Reply #6 on:** May 06, 2008, 12:09:11 PM »

Ok I will go get a voltmeter. Once I have it, what exactly is the procedure for checking the alternator to see if it is good? Yes, the battery is in the back of the car. I am almost positive that all my grounds are good. But I will double check. Does the alternator itself have a ground that I'm missing. I just have the 3-prong plug connected from the pinto's original wiring harness connected to the alternator, nothing else.
I will get the voltmeter and let you guys know what I find. Thanks.

beegle55 · « **Reply #7 on:** May 06, 2008, 12:26:34 PM »

I'm thinking that the alternator should be grounded but I'm not 100% sure... But as far as dirty, corroded terminals and cables go... that will effect the contact majorly and cause poor connection and no juice being able to go where it needs to go. Be sure the cables, terminals, and posts are all cleaned with battery cleaner.

-beegle55

77turbopinto · « **Reply #8 on:** May 06, 2008, 03:49:09 PM »

To test the alt. & reg.: Start the car and test the voltage of the battery. It should be somewhere between 13-14 volts +or-.

How did you wire it all up? I just made my own alt.-reg. harness in my Bobcat auto-X car; easy.

What year is your car? The 78 and later ones are a little weird, you need to grab one of the wires on the carb. to get the alt to 'turn-on'. The other ones have it in the regular harness to the alt.

If you charge the battery and it still won't run for long, you have other issues.

The alt. is self grounding, but you can add one to be sure.

Bill

uncleamin · « **Reply #9 on:** May 06, 2008, 03:58:55 PM »

I have a 79'. This wire from the carb has me wondering. I don't remember any wire going from the carb to the alternator. I'm going out to test the voltage in little bit. Do you have any pics of the wire involved with the carb?

77turbopinto · « **Reply #10 on:** May 06, 2008, 04:09:11 PM »

IIRC: The choke power connection on the carb. (keyed) is where the power wire to turn on the alt. comes from (it goes from the choke to the reg.). I found this out when I did the turbo swap in my wife's '78. It took me a little while to find out why the alt. was not working. The LATE '77's and later 2.3 cars have the alt connection above the V/C next to the firewall. The earlier cars had it right next to the alt.

It has been so long.......

Bill

uncleamin · « **Reply #11 on:** May 06, 2008, 07:07:55 PM »

Man......I bought the voltmeter. I have right around 11.2 to 11.4 volts when the car is running. So I guess that means it's not working. I looked everywhere for this wire that's supposed to be coming from the carb but could not find it. I see the wires going to the regulator and those come straight out of the pinto harness and into the reg. The only thing that is connecting my alt to the pinto harness is one three prong plug. Would you happen to have any pics you can post of this wire that turns on the alternator??? That would be awesome if you did. Thanks.

- Amin

77turbopinto · « **Reply #12 on:** May 06, 2008, 08:58:31 PM »

I modified the car and the turbo engine is in it now.

Maybe that wire did run to the alt., I think it was one of the three, but it had a juntion at the electric choke (on the valve cover side of the carb.).

Anyway, where is that 3 prong connnector on your car, is it were I said? I should ask if all the wires in the alt. harness go to the alt. first, and how long the harness is.

There are three wires FROM the alt. in the alt. harness. IF you don't have a FACTORY ammeter, one of the wires dead-ends at the connector. One of the 'remaining' two (the big black one with the orange line) goes directly to the battery (via the starter relay), the other goes to the regulator. There are 4 at the reg.: One is directly to the battery, one feeds 12 volts IN from the ignition switch (from the e-choke on the later cars), one feeds 12 volts OUT to the alt. (to it turn on), and the 4th goes to the idiot light (if there is no ammeter).

You still might have a bad regulator, battery, or connection somewhere. That voltage is what a fully charged car battery should have with the car off so there is something wrong (I am sure you know that).

Bill

dholvrsn · « **Reply #13 on:** May 06, 2008, 09:00:11 PM »

You should have a big wire from the out put of the alternator to the hot side of the solenoid.

77turbopinto · « **Reply #14 on:** May 06, 2008, 09:38:37 PM »

Quote from: dholvrsn on May 06, 2008, 09:00:11 PM

You should have a big wire from the out put of the alternator to the hot side of the solenoid.

Quote from: 77turbopinto on May 06, 2008, 08:58:31 PM

...One of the 'remaining' two (the big black one with the orange line) goes directly to the battery (via the starter relay)...

Bill

uncleamin · « **Reply #15 on:** May 06, 2008, 11:16:18 PM »

I will take some pics tomorrow to show you what my wiring looks like. On the plug that goes from the alternator to the pinto harness. I have the big black wire which as you said goes to the celenoid. The other two i think go to the voltage regulator. I took a test light and checked to see what had juice. The big black wire did. I pulled the plug from the Volt Reg and stuck the test light needle in there to see which of the 4 had juice. Only one wire made the light come on. Is this right? Also, I thought my battery was good but now I'm wondering. Could this be the problem? It did get some rain on it while it was in the trunk b/c of a leak I had. Would that kill a battery? Thanks for your help....if nothing else it is helping me eliminate potential problems.

77turbopinto · « **Reply #16 on:** May 07, 2008, 05:24:33 AM »

Quote from: 77turbopinto on May 06, 2008, 08:58:31 PM

...You still might have a bad regulator, battery, or connection somewhere....

I doubt that being rained on would hurt it.

WHERE is you battery mounted? How is it grounded?

Did you have just that one wire with power when the key was 'off'?

Bill

uncleamin · « **Reply #17 on:** May 07, 2008, 11:51:12 AM »

No that was with the key on that I had the one wire at the voltage reg with power. The battery is in the trunk with a ground being secured straight through the body.

Someone was telling me that I could get a alternator that has a voltage regulator already built into it allowing me to bypass the pinto wiring.....wou ld this be an option for me??? I am willing to do anything that will work at this point!!!

77turbopinto · « **Reply #18 on:** May 07, 2008, 12:32:13 PM »

If the key was 'ON' and you only had voltage to ONE wire, they you have found A problem, if not THE problem. I need to double check my notes and get back to you on the details.

Also, IF you have the battery neg. connected to the CAR, it NEEDS to be in a heavy gauge area, AND you NEED a BIG engine ground strap.

Bill

77turbopinto · « **Reply #19 on:** May 07, 2008, 01:02:31 PM »

The 4 wires at the regulator are marked as follows:

'I' 'A' 'S' 'F'

"I" is for the idoit light
"A" should have 12 volts (+) all the time
"S" should have 12 volts (+) with the key 'ON'
"F" goes to the alt. 'Field'

If tested at the regulator connector (harness side), battery connected, engine 'off', key 'on', you should read 12 volts (+) at 'A' and 'F'.

Bill

uncleamin · « **Reply #20 on:** May 07, 2008, 06:23:38 PM »

Bill, thank you for all your help. I feel like I've learned a whole lot through all of this. I have a friend that helped me put a GM 1-wire alternator on it to bypass the pinto wiring. It is now working and reads 14.1 volts when the car is running. Thanks again.

- Amin

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Author Topic: Alternator won't keep car running on my 2.3 turbo...HELP PLEASE!!!! (Read 5433 times)

Pintony