dalex
Well-Known Member
Hi folks,
Calling on the powers of you all in the hope I can get my alternator charging again!
I removed the alternator from the starboard of a pair of AD41B's, and like a total waarrt, forgot to note where the wiring goes, guessing it was the same as the port engine. How wrong I was! It is quite awkward to get to the alternator, and the only way to se what's going on there, is by using a mirror.
Ok the alternator has 4 terminals, and doesn't correspond to any diagram I have of any volvo engine. The terminals are B+ (Nice and easy that one!). This has +12.6 volts wrt the engine block. There are 2 reasonably thick wires which fit on this, and there is a hint of red exposed in the insulation. A yellow wire runs from this terminal into the body of the alternator. B- (This is strapped to the engine block on the port engine, so I did likewise on the stbd. There is a round connector which fits over this, with 3 wires crimped together.
The alternator has 2 smaller terminals, W - which I reckon goes to the rev counter. There is only one wire which has a ring terminal on the end, which fits this accurately, and will not fit on any of the other terminals, so this one gotta be right, yes? Finally, D+. On this 'd+' terminal, is one wire slid on to a spade connector. (Not sure, but think this should go to the warning light). There was a gray wire with a round terminal which has a hole large enough to fit over the largest terminal, so this could go anywhere! Connecting this to the D+ terminal gets an erratic reading on the rev counter when the engine is running. The wiring has been hacked in a former life, and there is an extra wire with a 'U' shaped connector on it, and the other end of this goes to a group of 3 wires. All the wires have a thick coating of green volvo engine paint and my attempts at removal amounted to naught using a handful of wire wool to clean the insulation, until my hand ached so much I couldnt grip the damn wool any longer
The rev counter over-reads quite a lot, so I'm not sure if I have the wires correct to that. The battery warning light comes on as soon as the ignition is switched on. There is no sign of any generator light coming on.
Checking voltage at the D+ terminal, gave 2.6volts with ignition off or on.
The alternator was taken to a repair shop, and the kind chap pronounced it working perfectly. I have almost certainly messed up the wiring, so need to go back to first principles with it. The alternator was certainly charging ok prior to removal so the wiring configuration worked once... Any ideas?
Thanks in anticipation!
Calling on the powers of you all in the hope I can get my alternator charging again!
I removed the alternator from the starboard of a pair of AD41B's, and like a total waarrt, forgot to note where the wiring goes, guessing it was the same as the port engine. How wrong I was! It is quite awkward to get to the alternator, and the only way to se what's going on there, is by using a mirror.
Ok the alternator has 4 terminals, and doesn't correspond to any diagram I have of any volvo engine. The terminals are B+ (Nice and easy that one!). This has +12.6 volts wrt the engine block. There are 2 reasonably thick wires which fit on this, and there is a hint of red exposed in the insulation. A yellow wire runs from this terminal into the body of the alternator. B- (This is strapped to the engine block on the port engine, so I did likewise on the stbd. There is a round connector which fits over this, with 3 wires crimped together.
The alternator has 2 smaller terminals, W - which I reckon goes to the rev counter. There is only one wire which has a ring terminal on the end, which fits this accurately, and will not fit on any of the other terminals, so this one gotta be right, yes? Finally, D+. On this 'd+' terminal, is one wire slid on to a spade connector. (Not sure, but think this should go to the warning light). There was a gray wire with a round terminal which has a hole large enough to fit over the largest terminal, so this could go anywhere! Connecting this to the D+ terminal gets an erratic reading on the rev counter when the engine is running. The wiring has been hacked in a former life, and there is an extra wire with a 'U' shaped connector on it, and the other end of this goes to a group of 3 wires. All the wires have a thick coating of green volvo engine paint and my attempts at removal amounted to naught using a handful of wire wool to clean the insulation, until my hand ached so much I couldnt grip the damn wool any longer
The rev counter over-reads quite a lot, so I'm not sure if I have the wires correct to that. The battery warning light comes on as soon as the ignition is switched on. There is no sign of any generator light coming on.
Checking voltage at the D+ terminal, gave 2.6volts with ignition off or on.
The alternator was taken to a repair shop, and the kind chap pronounced it working perfectly. I have almost certainly messed up the wiring, so need to go back to first principles with it. The alternator was certainly charging ok prior to removal so the wiring configuration worked once... Any ideas?
Thanks in anticipation!
- to earth and negative(earth) wiring for instruments:61(red) to regulator and warning light and power to instruments and revcounter. Suggest you look at an electrical book with equivalent signage to try to work it out from there. Alternatively look at the other alternator and try to check signage-B- and D- are easily confused on a dirty alternator in a dark situation. Please don't follow this slavishly-only offered as some guide. Try to follow it with the other engine first. As for the gray wires-what does not work on the boat? Most likely could be an earth return from somewhere and something added later, but who knows? Trust these thoughts are of some help.
