at-jefft

Hey everyone. Alright I got my first electrical problem now.

I just finished adjusting my valves and the battery was dead. I jumped it 4+ times(successfully) and tried to get it to charge. No luck, I decided to get my alternator tested; it failed. I got the new (rebuilt and tested) alternator and put it in. I tried to jump the battery and the fusable link for the battery blew as soon as I started the booster car(no cranking on my z at all). Could the new alternator have anything to do with it? There was a small chunk of wire and a capacitor/resistor?(I don't know what it is, see pics) on the ground when I was cleaning up and I now remember it being on one of the terminals from the old alternator. Would this have something to do with it?

PS the Ground jumper cable sparked as soon as I touched it to the body, Thats never happened before either.

Thanks, Jeff

The link that blew (battery link)

The piece that was on the ground (was connected to alternator)

Close up

Last one I promise

KasbeKZ

ahhh i got your finger prints now turd!

at-jefft

Helpful as always KasbekZ! thanks I was kinda looking forward to having my z on the road again after 2months but your comment is just as good.

KasbeKZ

glad i could help! i do help when i can. but when i can't, why not add in a little comic relief!

at-jefft

Thanks, It is kinda cool now that I look at it.

snwbrderphat540

thats a condensor thing not sure if its ABSOLUTELY needed but i can find out where it goes on ma pa's Z car. also you sure you hook the alternator wires back up? the fusible links dont usually blow unless under alot of current like lots of cranking thats how mine went out. probably hooked something up goofy

at-jefft

I am sure I hooked up the alternator. I may have hooked it up backwards, but again it wasn't even spinning at the time it blew.

snwbrderphat540

there are still power wires that go to it if you accidentally grounded one instead could cause the current needed to blow a link, its just a theory. but like i said usually the links dont blow unless your cranking the motor from my experience

at-jefft

Should I try reversing the connections? after I get a new link Durrr.

PS what spec do I need to buy a new link?

NismoPick

Indeed like Snw said... sounds like you crossed wires or grounded a + wire somewhere along the way. Did you leave the battery connected while installing the alternator? That's a big no-no. Did the alternator connectors get fried too?

Oh... and that capacitor is just like the one for the distributor / coil... it's to reduce radio noise / interference.

at-jefft

I disconnected the battery when installing/removing the alternator.

I didn't notice anything different about the alternator wires. Should I get a new link and try the reversing (uncrossing) the alternator terminals?

NismoPick

New links... yes.

Uncross alt terminals??? Really... what wires did you put to what terminals? The white one goes to the largest terminal (one with a + sign, and it also has a nut). The only other wire that could have been mixed up would be the black ground wire.

Maybe the + wire wasn't seated correctly & grounded against the side of the alternator?

snwbrderphat540

i know theres like a rubber or plaastic seperator for tha positive wire if it some how came off you very well could have grounded it through the alternator case.... maybe you should get a pic up of the back of that alternator with the way you have it connected

theramz

The melt of a fuse means system overload. Small sparks from cables means something is on. Big sparks means short to ground. Before you start switching wires to "see" if something is wrong you should go over everthing and be sure it's right before you melt something else. That rusty piece of **** is a condensor and yes it's for radio noise. The white wire with the red stripe is hot to the harness and is the most likely to crack open and short along the frame rail or to another wire.

at-jefft

My car has been rewired. Both wires a black and no plastic/rubber connector I thought I had it connected right but I could have accidentally switched them up.

theramz

Whenever I work on an electrical system I mark the wires with a flag of masking tape as to where it goes. One thing leads to another and next thing you know it's Sunday and you wonder wtf that wire is to. Now you need a multi-tester to check it or someone with more experience. You may have already fried he diodes in the alt.

snwbrderphat540

used to do that^^^^^ now i just know. well as far as the engine bay goes.

at-jefft

Lets hope not, but I am worried about that. If that is the case back to autozone it goes




Anybody know the gauge of the fusible link wire? Or should I try and find it in a junkyard/online?

snwbrderphat540

no clue where you get fuseable links from, like i said u should post a pic of the wires on the back of the alternator also if you want my help prior to this weekend i will come out and give you a hand for the price of 10 dollars. lol. im running low on cash and cars need gas and friday i get paid so thats why i said this weekend otherwise i dont care cause i'll have moneys again and can afford a trip haha...

at-jefft

I took a picture of the back of the alternator before I removed it and I took a very close look at it today and I am 75% sure that I crossed the connections. If I can find a fusible link I think It should be good to go.

I really need help getting a replacement link, Any ideas how to find the correct gauge wire to make a new one?

snwbrderphat540

i.... might have one..... might... otherwise what i did temporarily is just wrapped a normal wire around the terminals to make sure my car was runing but that was a turbo swap so i needed to know if i got it all figured out haha. i did btw... but really post a pic im curious to see before you commit to trying to reverse some wires and do damage again.

at-jefft

I will see what I can do about the picture. I will try and take it after school/before work tomorrow. as I said I am almost positive (no pun intended) I crossed the wires. It explains the sparks when I grounded the negative booster cable.

theramz

Kind of hard to remember where the wires go when they are all the same color, maybe dark black and light black. lol
Go to Radio Shack and get some fuse wire, shrink wrap and terminals. I think maybe 30 amp for the starting circuit and make up your own. Solder the fuse wire in the middle of the copper leads like the factory one.

at-jefft

I got a fusible link and I hooked up the alt and jumped it. It started and ran fine.

I tested the battery and I got 11.9 volts. I let it run for 20 min. then I tested it again. 11.7, I turned on the lights and radio and then tried to put up the antenna and it died. I am going to get a new alternator. It seems like everything is good except for the alternator.

snwbrderphat540

yeah thats low voltage, i thought you just got a new one? is it still hooked up lol