3g alternator not charging. Help lol

[Sask84gt]

Hey guys, so today marked a big day for my fox. Finally took it out for its first fill up and a little drive with the t-tops off. Started up fine and I drove it about 3 blocks to fill up. Went to start it afterwards and it was sluggish. Took it for a 10 minute drive and got it home. Pulled into garage shut it off and tried starting it again and nothing. Battery was completely dead. Year and a half ago I installed a P.A performance 3 g alternator. Bought the kit from lmr. After installing it using the LMR video I’m pretty sure I tested it and was getting 14 volts with car running. For some reason now it’s not charging. Only thing I’ve done since is change carb from stock Holley to a 600cfm during the winter. Not how to go about testing but I did run a test light to rather side of the fuse box on the 3 g and to the screw on the alternator. All lit up. Also gettin over 12v to all. Checked the ground to the block and that’s fine also. Would changing carb from stock cause this problem? Help lol

[Chuck W]

Do you actually have a working battery light?

How long did you run/drive it after the alternator swap before you did the carb install?

[Sask84gt]

Didn’t drive it at all. It was just started for 15-20 minutes just to run it. Was drove around the block last year and that was it. Had things to do to it before I could actually drive it. Pretty sure though I tested it after installing 3g and was getting 14 volts with my meter. I can’t be certain though unfortunately.

[Sask84gt]

For some reason editing posts don’t work for me. Meant to say I’d start it once every week and run it for 15-20.

[Chuck W]

Well, I know things are a bit different with the ammeter, but if you don't have things connected properly to the cluster and don't have a working battery light, you're not going to get charging.

My Tbird and LTS did not have an ammeter and just had a battery light connection to make for my 3G installs.

[Sask84gt]

I installed 3g a couple of summers ago. Started it for the first time ever( for myself) last spring. Didn’t drive it other a quick trip around my block. Only ever started and let run once a week. Changed carb just this past winter. Went from a stock Holley to a Holley 600cfm that’s previously on my 85 fox.

[Chuck W]

Then you perhaps had the problem when you swapped it and didn't discover it until now.

What did you do with the green wire from the alternator? Do you have a working battery light?

[Sask84gt]

Then you perhaps had the problem when you swapped it and didn't discover it until now.

What did you do with the green wire from the alternator? Do you have a working battery light?

green wire is connected to the orange wire as per instructions. What do you mean by working battery light?

[Chuck W]

Does the car have a battery warning light, or just the ammeter?

[Sask84gt]

Does the car have a battery warning light, or just the ammeter?

Just the amp meter on the dash. Stays at half even if battery is disconnected. Gauge will fluctuate a bit though when turning stuff on. Lights, high beams etc

[Sask84gt]

So here is a pic of how it’ll my 3G is wired. Hope you can make it out. The white stator wire is spliced and my electric choke wire is soldered on. Yellow wire runs from connector to screw terminal on alternator. Green is soldered to the field wire coming off of the factory power wire connector.


The only problem I can see is the field wire coming out of the connector is a bit frayed and it looks like some wires are broke off. Would this be my problem? Can I cut the wire from the the other side of connector and just bypass it?

[Sask84gt]

That orange wire coming from the connector going to the green wire is 12v switched right? No power unless car is running?

[Chuck W]

Well, I'm not familiar enough with the 3G install in the ammeter to know what's up. On my installs, I have completely removed the old external regulator.
Pretty sure their external "regulator" in the kit is just provisions for keeping the higher-rated alternators from frying the stock ammeter. It's not regulating the alternator output.

It's hard to tell from the pics, but it looks like you have things wired properly.

[Sask84gt]

Well, I'm not familiar enough with the 3G install in the ammeter to know what's up. On my installs, I have completely removed the old external regulator.
Pretty sure their external "regulator" in the kit is just provisions for keeping the higher-rated alternators from frying the stock ammeter. It's not regulating the alternator output.

It's hard to tell from the pics, but it looks like you have things wired properly.

Ok, well hopefully someone who is familiar with this will reply because I’m really at a loss. I think that wire coming out of connector should be 12v switched but I’m getting nothing. Even if I probe before the connector there is nothing there. Which I think could be my issue. Can that green wire be connected somewhere else instead?

[87gtVIC]

You can put it to 12v switched as a test to see if it will charge.

I know on the efi cars that wire comes from/through the batt light in the dash. If things go south with alternator the dash batt light will illuminate. If there is no bulb present or the bulb is bad you will get no charging because there is no power going to the alternator. I am not as familiar with the carb setups with the external regulators in the mix.

I say as a test because if something is wrong with the alternator it throws that wire to ground and will fry whatever wire you are using.

[Chuck W]

You can put it to 12v switched as a test to see if it will charge.

I know on the efi cars that wire comes from/through the batt light in the dash. If things go south with alternator the dash batt light will illuminate. If there is no bulb present or the bulb is bad you will get no charging because there is no power going to the alternator. I am not as familiar with the carb setups with the external regulators in the mix.

I say as a test because if something is wrong with the alternator it throws that wire to ground and will fry whatever wire you are using.

Yeah, that's what I was going to suggest too. No idea what they've got in that fake regulator in the kit.

I think I remember a 560 Ohm resistor is recommended between the "I" terminal lead and the 12V-switched source, but you can probably do a quick check w/o it.

[Sask84gt]

Got er fixed. For some reason I was getting no 12v switched off the wire that was supposed to have it. Connected the green to a extension wire and ran to drivers side and connected to the white with blue stripe that was used with the old duraspark. Soon as I did that got 14.55 at the battery. With all my lights, fogs, radio I’ve got 14.47. Car ran way better and smoother as my electric choke wouldn’t of been working. Thanks for the replies and a special thanks to At the junkyard who helped me diagnose the problem and find a new 12v switched. So happy LOl

[at_the_junkyard]

Glad its working !!

Yes it seems that your original 12V switched green/red wire going to your old voltage regulator is perhaps broken somewhere ?

Looking at the factory wiring diagrams it appears the original green/red wire going to the regulator splices in with the white/blue of the duraspark module supply somewhere along the line (which is 12V switched).

Interesting enough it looks like this wire is pretty much direct fed from the ignition switch with only the main upstream fusible link protecting it, but that is the way the factory wired it. I suppose you could put an additional fuse or resistor in this line for protection if for some reason the internal regulator or wiring shorted out etc.

[Sask84gt]

Glad its working !!

Yes it seems that your original 12V switched green/red wire going to your old voltage regulator is perhaps broken somewhere ?

Looking at the factory wiring diagrams it appears the original green/red wire going to the regulator splices in with the white/blue of the duraspark module supply somewhere along the line (which is 12V switched).

Interesting enough it looks like this wire is pretty much direct fed from the ignition switch with only the main upstream fusible link protecting it, but that is the way the factory wired it. I suppose you could put an additional fuse or resistor in this line for protection if for some reason the internal regulator or wiring shorted out etc.

Ok, ya I might do that. Is it possible that the fusable link is shot? I wonder even if my P.A performance regulator that came with my 3G kit is even working? What would be the best way to test it?

[at_the_junkyard]

I could be wrong but I think that the PA box that looks like the old regulator is really just a termination box to retain the original regulator connector.

Without the 12V switched to the original connector (green/red wire) there would be no supply for the field through the box etc. However it does say that the "box" enables the charge light circuit to work so perhaps it incorporates the resistor. I'm not sure.

The box will probably work fine if you can figure out why the original green/red has no 12V or splice in a new supply.

[massacre]

I have the PA performance box, had to splice green/red wire to the original connector

[Sask84gt]

I have the PA performance box, had to splice green/red wire to the original connector

You mean the green/red that comes from the alternator?