Quote:
Originally Posted by jpnovak
First clue: No charge light with key on. Without this bulb working there will be no excitation signal to the alternator to charge.
Try replacing the bulb or checking your wiring to that bulb. should be on a blue wire.
Is your car internal or external regulator?
|
I verified the bulb and the wiring, both separately and together.
First, I unplugged the blue wire from the bulb and ran a wire from the second bulb terminal to ground. Key on, bulb lit up.
Second, I plugged the blue wire back in to the bulb and grounded the blue wire at the alternator (no alternator in place). Key on, bulb lit up.
So my wiring and bulb are good. After adding the additional ground wire from alt body to engine case, I concluded that the alternator itself has failed. I am unsure if it's the voltage regulator or the internal wiring and there are no electrical shops open during the apocalypse, so for $300 I just ordered a new Valeo unit.
I will either dive deeper into my current failed unit later or just have it rebuilt and shelve it for future use.
My car has an internal regulator. I am unsure if it came that way as it's a 79. But that's how it was when I received it and I've replaced the whole engine loom anyway, so that's how it's set up now.
Thanks!
CB