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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