Yes, Gary. I looked at the alternator, and it is pretty much what Frank
M had on the descriptive web site. Hook up same as described, but the
is a plug, with 2 wires coming out of it, one going to the ignition and
light, and the other going to the charging wire. When purchased, this
was described as a one wire, but it has 3.
Larry
Gary Winblad wrote:
>AH Ha..
>so Larry, is it true that your 1 wire really is a 3 wire?
>I have a true 1 wire... I do have the rubber plug Steve describes.. I
>wonder if I
>really still have connections in there... I guess I'll have to look! In
>retrosect, I should
>have just bought a 3 wire and would still have a warning light. Steve
>Wickland did
>this, I think he had to rewire the dash light (put the other end to ground
>or to 12V,
>I can't remember exactly).
>Thanks everyone,
>Dufus out.
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "sosnaenergyconsulting" <sosnaenergyconsulting@cox.net>
>To: "Theo Smit" <tsmit@shaw.ca>
>Cc: "Steve Laifman" <SLaifman@SoCal.rr.com>; "Larry Paulick"
><larry.p@erols.com>; <garywinblad@attbi.com>; <flynnr2@btopenworld.com>;
><tigers@autox.team.net>
>Sent: Friday, September 13, 2002 6:56 PM
>Subject: Re: Ignition Warning Light on with new alternator
>
>
>
>
>>Hi Theo:
>>Well, I think I'm getting there (one tiny step at a time):
>>The first problem is that I'm too literal--I thought a one-wire
>>alternator only has provisions for one wire. I now know that's not
>>entirely true, but I was going nuts trying to understand where this
>>'second wire' came from, since all I could see was the big battery post
>>on the back of the alternator.
>>
>>Your letter and Frank Marrone's helped get me on the right track
>>(embarassed hanging of head and digging of toe into ground:-)
>>
>>Based on Frank's comments, I called the vendor and asked if I had been
>>sold the 'self-exciting' alternator, which the vendor confirmed. I then
>>asked what was involved in converting to the additional terminals both
>>you and Frank had mentioned. He said they were already there, under a
>>rubber plug on the side of the alternator (as Frank had already said).
>>After two trips to the car to look I finally found the plug and the two
>>spade connectors it conceals. AHA! I says, says I. More connectors
>>makes sense of what everyone has been trying to tell me.
>>Evidently the 'one-wire' has more than a single wire hookup point,
>>though not all the hookups may be active at this time.
>>
>>The vendor tells me the idiot light circuit might still be connected, he
>>wasn't sure. If it isn't, he can reconnect it for a nominal sum.
>>
>>Anyway, Steve Laifman's earlier comments about the Toyota alternator now
>>make more sense, but my Toyota manual shows an L,B,S & IG on the
>>alternator and when I checked through the e-mails on this issue the only
>>other info I saw was from Curtis Fisher whose GM unit is using a PLFS
>>connector where the 'L' hooks to the idiot light. I wasn't sure how the
>>letters translated to my alternator which brings me to the next item
>>(and thanks for your all's patience on this):
>>
>>There's two spade connectors--Labelled #1 (R) and #2 (F). Side question:
>>does the 'R' stand for 'Rectifier' and the 'F' for 'Field'?
>>
>>Since my vendor is now closed for the weekend, my question is:
>>Which connector (R or F) goes to the idiot light?
>>
>>Again, my thanks for all your patience.
>>
>>Regards
>>
>>David
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>Theo Smit wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>>I'll take a swing at it.
>>>
>>>First off: Read Larry's post carefully: One wire to the battery/starter
>>>
>>>
>solenoid,
>
>
>>>and another wire to the light. The one-wire alternator has TWO wires. My
>>>
>>>
>Toyota
>
>
>>>alternator has three: the output wire (big bolt-on post) and two
>>>
>>>
>spade-lug
>
>
>>>connections, one for the ignition and the other for the light. The
>>>
>>>
>"one-wire"
>
>
>>>alternator combines the function of the last two connections, and Steve
>>>
>>>
>L's
>
>
>>>description of its operation is pretty much correct: When the ignition
>>>
>>>
>is on but
>
>
>>>the engine isn't running, the alternator doesn't put out any current,
>>>
>>>
>and its
>
>
>>>internal regulator pulls some current from the 'light' connection to
>>>
>>>
>turn it on.
>
>
>>>When the engine is running the alt output is above some threshold, and
>>>
>>>
>the
>
>
>>>internal regulator turns off its current switch for the 'light' output.
>>>
>>>
>When the
>
>
>>>ignition is off the voltage at the light is zero, and the alternator's
>>>
>>>
>regulator
>
>
>>>takes that as a cue to do nothing. If your charge light is on when the
>>>
>>>
>ignition
>
>
>>>is off then either the light is wired to the wrong side of the switch,
>>>
>>>
>or there
>
>
>>>is some internal fault with the alternator that is allowing the current
>>>
>>>
>flow in
>
>
>>>the wrong direction (some older cars had the diode Steve and Tim Ronak
>>>
>>>
>referred
>
>
>>>to on the instrument panel circuitry but this newfangled alternator
>>>
>>>
>shouldn't
>
>
>>>need it).
>>>
>>>So we should have
>>>
>>>12V ---> ignition switch---> (run position) -->light--->alternator 'red'
>>>
>>>
>wire -->
>
>
>>>alternator.
>>>
>>>Clear as mud? Let me know - I can try and draw you a schematic and email
>>>
>>>
>it.
>
>
>>>Theo
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