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Alternator wiring confusion

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Old 02-08-2017, 04:42 PM
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Alternator wiring confusion

Hi,

I dun goofed and forgot to take a picture of my alternator wiring before I took it off, and now I'm pretty convinced it's f-ed up. In the image below, the bottom left terminal, next to the plastic connector, is the 10 or 12 gauge + wire. I had disconnected the yellow condenser wire at some point, so I'm not sure I put that back correctly either. There is also a black wire with a ring terminal that comes out of the same bundle as the other alternator wiring...does that go on the "e" terminal on the right side of the plastic connector? I have the FSM and a toyota 20r repair manual and the setup they show is completely different. The truck was pretty hacked up when I got it so I'm not sure what's been replaced or cut up.

For what it's worth, I had the black ring terminal hooked up as a chassis ground, on the heater hose retainer bolt next to my ignitor, and I'm getting all sorts of wacky stuff going on. I had a surging, uneven idle with a random misfire, and I shocked myself pretty good by just touching a bare metal spot on the fender where the paint had rubbed off :/
Old 02-09-2017, 01:43 AM
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Red face

Well the yellow wire is on wrong !!

The B terminal is where the wire from the fuse block or battery goes it is the output of the alternator

The condenser is just to help eliminate static on the radio

It helps to know just what you might be working on.

If you have the FSM for your year Truck and the engine harness and engine for the same year that is what the wiring should look like
Old 02-09-2017, 01:59 AM
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What year truck is the alternator for? It is not one that I recognize.
Old 02-09-2017, 07:15 AM
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It's a 1980 pickup, 20r.

So the battery wire goes to B? That makes a lot of sense :p

I may have overstated my knowledge, what I meant is that I can't really tell what the wiring diagram is showing. There doesn't seem to be anywhere else for the black wire (not pictured) to go, except the alternator.

Thanks for the help y'all, I'm okay with mechanical stuff but electronics is voodoo magic as far as I'm concerned

Last edited by meowmix123; 02-09-2017 at 07:18 AM.
Old 02-09-2017, 08:04 AM
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External regulator, alternator wiring

This link, should get you there or point the rest of em in the right direction to walk ya thru..
Old 02-09-2017, 10:26 AM
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Hmm that link is still missing the other wire, the black one. Could it be something related to the charging light? Attached to the same terminal as the battery wire?
Old 02-09-2017, 11:19 AM
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Red face

Sorry I forgot this wire before

The black wire is a ground it can go to any good ground .

If need be solder a length of wire on and attach to Negative battery terminal .

Any of the bolts in the block as well .

At one time I think it went to the power steering pump bracket a pain to get to most of the time

I can`t recall what circuit it is for but not the charging circuit that is why it does not show up
Old 02-09-2017, 11:23 AM
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Shooting from the hip here so I might multi post

As mentioned in the link, and shown in the OP's first post. That's the neutral wire between the regulator and alternator. Or it wouldn't be electrocuting them.
Old 02-09-2017, 11:27 AM
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Post photos of what you're working with, and the diagram you have.. it will help..
Old 02-09-2017, 12:18 PM
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Here is the wiring diagram, let me know if you need to see a different section of it as well.

And the black wire, I hooked it around a random terminal to keep it in the picture. It's part of the same bundle as the battery wire and the connector for the alternator.


So if it is the neutral wire between the regulator and alternator, which terminal would I need to attach it to?

Last edited by meowmix123; 02-09-2017 at 12:20 PM.



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