Check the wire running from the alternator to the B+. The wire is designed as a "fusible link" and can partially burn, creating a high impedance condition, that wont let much current through. A test with a volt meter will show no issues because the proper voltage will still show at the end of the wire, but it's current carrying ability will be severely lacking.
Had a problem with my 86 square body after installing dual electric fans and an aluminum radiator what I found after going thru 3 alternators was even with a 150 amp alternator at idle it was only charging around 30 amps . The amp rating advertised is at cruise speeds. I contacted Mechman alternators in Knoxville tenn . And purchased a 170 amp that was bench tested at 800 RPM’s with output of 130 amps problem solved by the way it was made in USA not China. Guys there were great to work with and would highly recommend. Thanks for sharing your video. Mike
It's possible the ground wire itself from the battery, or, a different ground somewhere else, fuse, or most likely a voltage regulator somewhere in the vehicle. Corrosion could very well be causing it too at the terminals/wiring. Those little bad boys are the coolest and extremely fun cars, I haven't seen one of those in a good min.
Peculiar phenomenon. There's leakage there somewhere or the battery current capacity is too low. I'm assuming you've tried other batteries. You may need a higher amperage alternator.
quick test, use voltmeter to test for voltage at alternator with engine not running if no voltage or voltage lower then battery voltage there is either a bad connection or a complete open circuit ,check all connections from alternator to where the fusible link hooks up to battery positive likely at post on starter solenoid, you stated that with koer test there was 13 plus voltage in that case it is not the regulator sense wire (red lead) or ignition feed wire (brown lead ).Some times the resistance is so low it may appear that you have voltage at the alternator output wire,in that case just hook up a temporary jumper wire from output post to battery positive run engine check voltage at battery this will test the alternator the sense lead and the ignition lead as well. You should get a rise in voltage up to charging voltage.If so repair charging wire as needed.
A volt meter check can be falsely reassuring. If the wire (which contains a fusible link) is partially burnt through, the voltage will still show absolutely fine, but the current carrying capability could be next to nil. A better test would be to use a properly sized ammeter between the alternator output and the wire. A simple, cheap, auto parts store ammeter guage would work fine for this test.
I'd start looking at the resistance of the wires between the alternator and the battery for both the positive and ground. Probably some corrosion in there somewhere. BTDT on my '73.
Good to see you didn't send it down the road and tell em you go fix it. Lol 🤣 it will be a cool little Hot Rod when you're done are you keeping it front wheel drive?
Simple fix on dale. New charging wire from your alternator to the battery post. Or go through your wires and figure it out. Just gonna have to trouble shoot it. Its a wiring issue....
Was wondering what your results were on the alternator not charging the battery in your Chevy truck I have a 86 ck20 weird setup that uses the solenoid on the starter to return to the battery to charge my only vehicle I can't figure it out and it's becoming financially....
not sure if you're running the stock gauges but if the charge light is burnt out or dis connected it will not charge. what wheels did you get for the yugo?
Stock volt guage with needle not a light, but have confirmed that the alternator IS charging at the connection on the back. Likely running into old wiring. New wheels will be revealed most likely in an Instagram post. Stay tuned.
Are you still running an externally regulated alternator then check condition of all associated wiring to voltage regulator.... same thing if you running an internally regulated alternator but you need to find which wire is the voltage sensing wire for the alternator and make sure all connection are solid. And that the alternator body has good ground.
@@OldeCarrGuy Two fusable links on the main terminal of the starter. One goes directly to the headlights, the other is split. One end goes to the ignition switch, the other to the alternator.
@@OldeCarrGuy this way my first inclination as well, I’m just late to the party. First time I’ve had a chance to scan a diagram. If you find it burnt out they usually sell it at the parts store, you can repair the harness yourself.
I installed the third fitech EFInot realizing it needed more power. I think I burned out the first two, under warranty, so they are replacing the cpu. Still waiting for replacement
Hello OHM,, I have a 2006 Honda Odyssey EXL. Yesterday all the lights came up on dash and battery went dead fast. I use it to work a taxi service. A mobile mechanic put another alternator on it.. everything check out good after he used his scanner.. my battery is good as well. After driving it about 20 miles yesterday, I parked it then woke up this morning and battery was dead again. He swapped alternator out for another and that alternator charged battery for a short while (but not at first) but after unplugging side plug from alternator and plugging back up, it starting working... but now battery dead again after driving it less than 10 miles... That's 2 new alternators and van is still doing same thing. Also he checked fuses and the ones he checked were good. Any tips would be great & much appreciated regarding what it could be. Maybe a fuse somewhere that people miss? Thank you
Sounds like a ground isn’t making a proper connection somewhere. Either a battery to engine or engine to chassis. Being an 06, it’s possible it may be corroded. I’d start there.
@@OldeCarrGuy thank you for taking the time to comment your input. I'm a US Navy Veteran and I depend on this taxi gig for majority of my income. Again..thank you for responding..
@@jeremymaciejewski8252 that’s a very good point… wondering how that particular model works… is it just the certain voltage on that ecm and it’s switching over the alternator circuit to the charge mode… or is that just a simple switch on the back side of that alternator that reads the voltage and clicks open a little gate or something? I had a 1500 dodge pickup that had a resistance draw and a slow draw down and the outside 2’ of my wire was beautiful copper and the center 5-6 foot was green and ugly… tiny hole at some point had started the corrosion… I always strip those leads completely now… I’ll paint them with liquid electric until they get replaced! LMFFAO
could be corrosion inside the battery terminal causing a high resistance, or as others said there is a fusible link in the alternator battery wire. Best bet is to use a multi-meter to see exactly where the voltage drops. having the same problem, been looking for my multi-meter for 2 days.... ☹
New battery, new alternator, new alternator fuse, cleaned the wires no corrosion, made sure belts was tight, had battery and alternator tested both was good. Checked all fuses and all fuses was good. But still my battery light is on. Car is running off battery until it dies. What am I missing. Car only has 40k miles. Battery is bolted down tight. It’s a vw Jetta 2011. Vw wants $400 just to do a diagnosis. Not finding much information online. Just the basics I already covered. It’s the battery light from hell.
Sounds like you covered most things. Have you considered the engine and chassis ground wires. If either are corroded they may keep the alternator from doing its job. But when it comes to VW, the simplest things are often over-engineered!
@@OldeCarrGuy mine problem was alt not charging on low idle because the engine bolt holding the tesioner pulley was 2 turns loose-was fine during regular rpms,at low idle the tensioner itself was rocking loosening belt temporary-weirdiest case scenario
Check the wire running from the alternator to the B+. The wire is designed as a "fusible link" and can partially burn, creating a high impedance condition, that wont let much current through. A test with a volt meter will show no issues because the proper voltage will still show at the end of the wire, but it's current carrying ability will be severely lacking.
Got it! Thanks for the info!
Is the fusible link the wire that goes to battery and the screw on back of alternator
Had a problem with my 86 square body after installing dual electric fans and an aluminum radiator what I found after going thru 3 alternators was even with a 150 amp alternator at idle it was only charging around 30 amps . The amp rating advertised is at cruise speeds. I contacted Mechman alternators in Knoxville tenn . And purchased a 170 amp that was bench tested at 800 RPM’s with output of 130 amps problem solved by the way it was made in USA not China. Guys there were great to work with and would highly recommend. Thanks for sharing your video.
Mike
Thanks Mike
It's possible the ground wire itself from the battery, or, a different ground somewhere else, fuse, or most likely a voltage regulator somewhere in the vehicle. Corrosion could very well be causing it too at the terminals/wiring.
Those little bad boys are the coolest and extremely fun cars, I haven't seen one of those in a good min.
I think i will install new pos and neg cables and add another larger ground to the frame.
Great update video. Things are sounding interesting. Have a great day.
Everyday.
I'm going to try 120V fuseable link for the alternator.
Peculiar phenomenon. There's leakage there somewhere or the battery current capacity is too low. I'm assuming you've tried other batteries. You may need a higher amperage alternator.
I'm leaning towards bad pos & neg cables. The alt is a 65 amp as my truck has factory A/C. Gonna start with the cables.
Check the online fuses on #1 & #2 wires (plastic plug red & brown wire). Should be up on the firewall.
my 1986 suburban is doing the same thing ??? i replaced all the battery cables as well
quick test, use voltmeter to test for voltage at alternator with engine not running if no voltage or voltage lower then battery voltage there is either a bad connection or a complete open circuit ,check all connections from alternator to where the fusible link hooks up to battery positive likely at post on starter solenoid, you stated that with koer test there was 13 plus voltage in that case it is not the regulator sense wire (red lead) or ignition feed wire (brown lead ).Some times the resistance is so low it may appear that you have voltage at the alternator output wire,in that case just hook up a temporary jumper wire from output post to battery positive run engine check voltage at battery this will test the alternator the sense lead and the ignition lead as well. You should get a rise in voltage up to charging voltage.If so repair charging wire as needed.
*I think you are right. There's a lot of old and crusty wiring showing under that hood.*
A volt meter check can be falsely reassuring. If the wire (which contains a fusible link) is partially burnt through, the voltage will still show absolutely fine, but the current carrying capability could be next to nil. A better test would be to use a properly sized ammeter between the alternator output and the wire. A simple, cheap, auto parts store ammeter guage would work fine for this test.
Thanks guys! I'll definitely check. Thanks for the suggestions.
I'd start looking at the resistance of the wires between the alternator and the battery for both the positive and ground. Probably some corrosion in there somewhere. BTDT on my '73.
On It!
Our 70 D100 is doing the same thing as Dale soooo frustrating!
Old vehicles eh?
Dale is looking sweet! Ready for another deer!
Oh yeah!
Thanks waylon
Good to see you didn't send it down the road and tell em you go fix it. Lol 🤣 it will be a cool little Hot Rod when you're done are you keeping it front wheel drive?
Definitely! Thanks Robert
Simple fix on dale. New charging wire from your alternator to the battery post. Or go through your wires and figure it out. Just gonna have to trouble shoot it. Its a wiring issue....
Yup! I have all new cables just waiting to be installed!
Was wondering what your results were on the alternator not charging the battery in your Chevy truck I have a 86 ck20 weird setup that uses the solenoid on the starter to return to the battery to charge my only vehicle I can't figure it out and it's becoming financially....
We eventually changed the cattery cables and it seemed to have fixed the issue!
not sure if you're running the stock gauges but if the charge light is burnt out or dis connected it will not charge. what wheels did you get for the yugo?
Stock volt guage with needle not a light, but have confirmed that the alternator IS charging at the connection on the back. Likely running into old wiring.
New wheels will be revealed most likely in an Instagram post. Stay tuned.
Are you still running an externally regulated alternator then check condition of all associated wiring to voltage regulator.... same thing if you running an internally regulated alternator but you need to find which wire is the voltage sensing wire for the alternator and make sure all connection are solid. And that the alternator body has good ground.
I believe the regulator is internal. Thanks to everyone's suggestions, I'll be replacing the battery cables and other associated wires.
@@OldeCarrGuy any luck with that ?
What of the(2wire)plug that goes on the alternator could you check that?
I haven't had a chance to check yet as the EFI has konked out.
LS swap the yougo and put a ford 8.8 rear end in it she'll be one sweet ride
lol I'm not there yet!
my 89 GMC has the same problem you described. What did you find?
I found the main ground wire and the live starter wires to be bad/old and corroded in side.
@@OldeCarrGuy I was about to pull the starter. By main ground do you mean the strap that grounds the block to the frame?
@@Vcoldduck battery to engine and engine to frame or battery to frame. Best bet it to replace them all.
@@OldeCarrGuy Thanks for the quick responses and info.
Between the block and firewall of course.
Fusable link at the starter.
Hey Tony, the starter actually engages, engine cranks, just no go!
@@OldeCarrGuy Two fusable links on the main terminal of the starter. One goes directly to the headlights, the other is split. One end goes to the ignition switch, the other to the alternator.
@@UncleTonysGarage ok! I’ll check it ! Thanks!
@@OldeCarrGuy this way my first inclination as well, I’m just late to the party. First time I’ve had a chance to scan a diagram. If you find it burnt out they usually sell it at the parts store, you can repair the harness yourself.
Did you say the Fitech needed more? I changed mine to a 78amp alt, doing much better. I have an 81 GMC
Higher amperage alternator certainly wouldn’t hurt things!
I installed the third fitech EFInot realizing it needed more power. I think I burned out the first two, under warranty, so they are replacing the cpu.
Still waiting for replacement
Hello OHM,, I have a 2006 Honda Odyssey EXL. Yesterday all the lights came up on dash and battery went dead fast. I use it to work a taxi service. A mobile mechanic put another alternator on it.. everything check out good after he used his scanner.. my battery is good as well. After driving it about 20 miles yesterday, I parked it then woke up this morning and battery was dead again. He swapped alternator out for another and that alternator charged battery for a short while (but not at first) but after unplugging side plug from alternator and plugging back up, it starting working... but now battery dead again after driving it less than 10 miles... That's 2 new alternators and van is still doing same thing. Also he checked fuses and the ones he checked were good. Any tips would be great & much appreciated regarding what it could be. Maybe a fuse somewhere that people miss? Thank you
Sounds like a ground isn’t making a proper connection somewhere. Either a battery to engine or engine to chassis. Being an 06, it’s possible it may be corroded. I’d start there.
@@OldeCarrGuy thank you for taking the time to comment your input. I'm a US Navy Veteran and I depend on this taxi gig for majority of my income. Again..thank you for responding..
Did you figure it out? Same thing on my 84c10
I haven't driven the truck much since this video due to it being winter here in Canada. But I had determined the battery cables to be a likely cause.
My 84 has the same issue
Dude I’m a c10 guy but I’d rock the yugo lol 😂 I think it’s cool as it is
Wait til you see it next!
Measure voltage drop on each wire. Put your meter on each end of one wire. Voltage read there is voltage dropped by a bad wire, or corrosion.
Measurement most accurate under full load.
Thanks for the direction!
@@jeremymaciejewski8252 that’s a very good point… wondering how that particular model works… is it just the certain voltage on that ecm and it’s switching over the alternator circuit to the charge mode… or is that just a simple switch on the back side of that alternator that reads the voltage and clicks open a little gate or something? I had a 1500 dodge pickup that had a resistance draw and a slow draw down and the outside 2’ of my wire was beautiful copper and the center 5-6 foot was green and ugly… tiny hole at some point had started the corrosion… I always strip those leads completely now… I’ll paint them with liquid electric until they get replaced! LMFFAO
Try ignition coil.
Ended up being the battery cables! Swapped them out and the issue went away! Thanks for the tip though!
could be corrosion inside the battery terminal causing a high resistance, or as others said there is a fusible link in the alternator battery wire. Best bet is to use a multi-meter to see exactly where the voltage drops. having the same problem, been looking for my multi-meter for 2 days.... ☹
I ultimately ended up changing the battery ground and positive wires. That seem to cure it!
Check the ground from the frame to the engine
Will do!
Were Would the ground be from the engine to the frame?
You ever get it figured out?
Replacing the battery cables seems to have worked!
Thanks for the reply. I'm going to give that a try right now lol
New battery, new alternator, new alternator fuse, cleaned the wires no corrosion, made sure belts was tight, had battery and alternator tested both was good. Checked all fuses and all fuses was good. But still my battery light is on. Car is running off battery until it dies. What am I missing. Car only has 40k miles. Battery is bolted down tight. It’s a vw Jetta 2011. Vw wants $400 just to do a diagnosis. Not finding much information online. Just the basics I already covered. It’s the battery light from hell.
Sounds like you covered most things. Have you considered the engine and chassis ground wires. If either are corroded they may keep the alternator from doing its job. But when it comes to VW, the simplest things are often over-engineered!
Maybe the ground wire is bad on dale .
Quite possible!
so what was the problem?
Battery cables!
Yee Haw!!!
Indeed
👍👍
Maybe a rear slider will cure the charging issue....lol
Oh definitely.
duuuude you're off topic half the time
It's broken lol maybe
You are 100% correct sir!
so what was the problem?
Ultimately, replacing the main power and ground cable with new ones solved my charging issue!
@@OldeCarrGuy mine problem was alt not charging on low idle because the engine bolt holding the tesioner pulley was 2 turns loose-was fine during regular rpms,at low idle the tensioner itself was rocking loosening belt temporary-weirdiest case scenario