At last! My alternator now works just perfectly. As indicated in my
last e-mail, the light wire should go straight to the light. The other
end of the light to keyed power. I also figured out what the relay is
doing. It is not a relay at all -- where else would one hide a relay that
isn't really a relay, but amongst relays. The folks at Nissan must be
using the coil in the relay as a back up in case the bulb blows.
Essentially, the resistence of the relay is higher than the bulb. So as
long as the bulb is working, the electricity will flow through the bulb
and ignore the coil in the relay. But, if the bulb blows, the
electricity will still be able to flow through the relay. I have to say
that I would expect smarter cheaper solutions from today's auto makers (I
looked at a wiring diagram for a 1989 ZX, and it was still the same).
Anyway, I opted out of the relay. I figure if my bulb does not go on
when I turn the key, I'll revert back to the old way, which was to blip
the engine slightly to have the alternator energize itself -- and then go
buy a new bulb. Well, that's all folks.
Jay Laifman.
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