Offroadchick
New Member
- Joined
- Jun 13, 2009
- Messages
- 7
I'll try to make this short....and also say "howdy" as a new member, though I was here a long time ago.
Okay...I take my beloved vehicle to a dedicated bronco shop (won't mention names...but, they WERE very nice. Unfortunately, as a woman, I'll never like ANY mechanic. ). I think these guys did try to do too much in one day, being overly helpful. I started picking out poor crimps they made when they started in with my wiring "job" (which was in progress...and, no gremlins...and, I was getting around fine. I ended up rolling down the mountain home, since back they were after the shop visit). I mean, I shouldn't see wire showing at the crimp from the alternator, nor a clamp made around wires that actually grounded a hot wire with the bolt from the clamp (thank you, but I don't need these "extra things" done for me...just the work I asked for). You simply can't win.
Still, they were nothing compared to the one mechanic who actually used electrical tape to hold some type of clamp that hit the brake switch/button. The tape melted in the summer heat, of course, and down the clamp fell. Instant battery drainage. That's when I decided to start doing things myself...I couldnt do worse than THAT!
Anyway...they put a true one wire alternator on her. My fault, I should've been clearer, but since their site only advertises a one wire that also has the green/red exciter wire, I thought that was what I was picking up the next day...it's a 100 amp'er, and I'v read nothing but bad things about true one wire alternators...of course, they are "self exciting", and must reach a certain rpm before the alternator kicks in. From what I understand, at idle, they don't charge, headlights dim (the reason I wanted an more powerful alternator in the first place), yada yada.
I just installed a voltmeter this morning, and sure enough, it's been running on the battery way too often...explains a lot. I thought it was simply the desert heat making the starter a bit "cranky." Or actually, not cranky, since it has difficulty starting after a short drive. Like, five miles. I just replaced the starter (another "first"), and it does get very hot next to that edelbrock manifold (which I read somewhere gets hotter than others...or, i could've dreamt it in my sleep...who knows?). I've considered getting one of those thermoshield wraps. ANYONE HAVE LUCK WITH THOSE HELPING IN THAT DEPARTMENT?
I've completely rewired my system, using the online C.S.I. manual from painlesswiring.com's site (they should charge admission...you can learn a lot from those manuals). And, yes, I wish I'd just bought one of their wiring harnesses instead of tackling it myself. The only upside is that I've learned a lot about my vehicle and electrical in general. I have mucho time on my hands, too.
Presently, I don't have the alternator hooked up as they did from the shop...at the starter relay. Instead, I have a 12 gauge wire going from it to a maxi fuse (70 amps), which is on the same side of the fuse as a new main power wire going to the ignition and push button starter I installed. The other side of the maxi fuse hooks to the starter relay, which of course, the battery hooks to.
The main power wire is also spliced off at a junction to a new fuse box, from which my stereo, brakes, etc, exit. There's still one spot at the junction box from which my headlights will hook up...then I'll be done. Whew. I've gotten used to driving in the day time (and lucky the police feel sorry for me, as I have driven at various times lacking a LOT of things that should be lighting up...and praying I make it home before dusk since those healights still need hooking back up....).
Please, someone tell me something good about these alternators to keep me from going to a mechanic and getting the one I really wanted, or, if it should be hooked up differently. It must be my wiring. I thought the summer heat was the reason it was having a hard time starting after a short drive, but now I realize I am running on the battery WAY too often, looking at the voltmeter.
I've gotten lots of suggestions, i.e., turning the idle up, etc, but to me that's a band aid fix. I could put the wire from the alternator back directly on the starter relay, but I wanted to keep it as close to the painless diagram as possible. I was reluctant to change what the shop did, but I made the wire as short as possible...and the manual said it was "okay." I'm at the point where I believe what I read over what anyone says, since everyone has a different opinion. BUT, any suggestions are welcome, believe me.
Thanks, guys!
P.S. And, thanks for answering a lot of questions I've seen before...I actually had to "rejoin" today in order to see how someone had wired their own one wire alternator, so everything is helpful and appreciated.
Okay...I take my beloved vehicle to a dedicated bronco shop (won't mention names...but, they WERE very nice. Unfortunately, as a woman, I'll never like ANY mechanic. ). I think these guys did try to do too much in one day, being overly helpful. I started picking out poor crimps they made when they started in with my wiring "job" (which was in progress...and, no gremlins...and, I was getting around fine. I ended up rolling down the mountain home, since back they were after the shop visit). I mean, I shouldn't see wire showing at the crimp from the alternator, nor a clamp made around wires that actually grounded a hot wire with the bolt from the clamp (thank you, but I don't need these "extra things" done for me...just the work I asked for). You simply can't win.
Still, they were nothing compared to the one mechanic who actually used electrical tape to hold some type of clamp that hit the brake switch/button. The tape melted in the summer heat, of course, and down the clamp fell. Instant battery drainage. That's when I decided to start doing things myself...I couldnt do worse than THAT!
Anyway...they put a true one wire alternator on her. My fault, I should've been clearer, but since their site only advertises a one wire that also has the green/red exciter wire, I thought that was what I was picking up the next day...it's a 100 amp'er, and I'v read nothing but bad things about true one wire alternators...of course, they are "self exciting", and must reach a certain rpm before the alternator kicks in. From what I understand, at idle, they don't charge, headlights dim (the reason I wanted an more powerful alternator in the first place), yada yada.
I just installed a voltmeter this morning, and sure enough, it's been running on the battery way too often...explains a lot. I thought it was simply the desert heat making the starter a bit "cranky." Or actually, not cranky, since it has difficulty starting after a short drive. Like, five miles. I just replaced the starter (another "first"), and it does get very hot next to that edelbrock manifold (which I read somewhere gets hotter than others...or, i could've dreamt it in my sleep...who knows?). I've considered getting one of those thermoshield wraps. ANYONE HAVE LUCK WITH THOSE HELPING IN THAT DEPARTMENT?
I've completely rewired my system, using the online C.S.I. manual from painlesswiring.com's site (they should charge admission...you can learn a lot from those manuals). And, yes, I wish I'd just bought one of their wiring harnesses instead of tackling it myself. The only upside is that I've learned a lot about my vehicle and electrical in general. I have mucho time on my hands, too.
Presently, I don't have the alternator hooked up as they did from the shop...at the starter relay. Instead, I have a 12 gauge wire going from it to a maxi fuse (70 amps), which is on the same side of the fuse as a new main power wire going to the ignition and push button starter I installed. The other side of the maxi fuse hooks to the starter relay, which of course, the battery hooks to.
The main power wire is also spliced off at a junction to a new fuse box, from which my stereo, brakes, etc, exit. There's still one spot at the junction box from which my headlights will hook up...then I'll be done. Whew. I've gotten used to driving in the day time (and lucky the police feel sorry for me, as I have driven at various times lacking a LOT of things that should be lighting up...and praying I make it home before dusk since those healights still need hooking back up....).
Please, someone tell me something good about these alternators to keep me from going to a mechanic and getting the one I really wanted, or, if it should be hooked up differently. It must be my wiring. I thought the summer heat was the reason it was having a hard time starting after a short drive, but now I realize I am running on the battery WAY too often, looking at the voltmeter.
I've gotten lots of suggestions, i.e., turning the idle up, etc, but to me that's a band aid fix. I could put the wire from the alternator back directly on the starter relay, but I wanted to keep it as close to the painless diagram as possible. I was reluctant to change what the shop did, but I made the wire as short as possible...and the manual said it was "okay." I'm at the point where I believe what I read over what anyone says, since everyone has a different opinion. BUT, any suggestions are welcome, believe me.
Thanks, guys!
P.S. And, thanks for answering a lot of questions I've seen before...I actually had to "rejoin" today in order to see how someone had wired their own one wire alternator, so everything is helpful and appreciated.