Alternator Not Charging After Changing Wiper Motor

[jefflock]

Been on vacation this week and have been doing small upgrades and improvements to my 68 Dart GTS. Today I decided to change out the wiper motor. I removed the one off my parts car along with the switch. After disconnecting the wiper wiring from the bulkhead I find this blue soldered onto one of the wires on the wiper wiring. I thought no big deal since I had previously installed a different dash harness. Anyway I have pictured below several wires that aren't hooked up to anything. I need some help identifying them and whether or not they are needed. I also did the amp meter bypass to the car also. The car has electronic ignition. Well since doing this work the alternator isn't charging. I removed it and took it to the parts store and had it checked. Works fine. Went ahead and changed out the regulator and still it doesn't show a charge. Any ideas???

 

[67Dart273]

I cannot see anything there that should have affected things

What do you have for alternator / regulator, that is, are you still using the old 69/ earlier style?

If so, unhook the field wire, and hook up a clip lead to the field terminal. "Scratch" it on the alternator output post and see if you can see small sparks in dim light. If so, hook it up temporarily, start and run, and watch the meter to see if it charges. Don't leave it hooked up longer than to test, as it could run the battery down.

If you see no spark, either the brushes have lost contact, or maybe the main charging wire lost contact in the bulkhead connector.

Use a test lamp or voltmeter to see if you have battery voltage on the alternator output stud. It should be hot at all times.

I believe I can see part of the regulator up by the firewall. It appears the two wires you have pictured should hook to the regulator?

The "push on" connector should be switched 12V "ignition run" and the green wire hooks to the regulator screw terminal and goes to the alternator field terminal

 

[jefflock]

I didn't unhook any wires from the regulator. The alternator is a round back and the voltage regulator is an electronic unit inside the old type housing for the correct look. The alternator checked good at the parts store.

 

[67Dart273]

In that case, don't know........

Is it a "one wire" or does it need switched 12V? You might see if it has that if it needs it

You might check it "running" right at the alternator output stud. An overly high voltage there, but low at the battery means you have lost connection between the alternator and battery

 

[jefflock]

Shows battery voltage on the alternator stud while running. It's just the stock alternator. I moved some wires around getting the wiper plug off the bulkhead, maybe something stiff and brittle snapped there.

 

[RedFish]

Observations and opinions only.
I see a blue wire with exposed copper in the first pic. Blue wires are typically switched 12 volts to regulators, ignition modules, etc..
The charging system should have been upgraded when or before the ignition system was upgraded to electronic.

 

[VDART]

Jeff, just a thought since you were moving the bulk head connector-- maybe something there dislodged? or it was the last straw & the corrosion finally defeated the contact point, Lawrence

 

[67Dart273]

Check with light or voltmeter. You should have power at the regulator with the key "in run" on both terminals, AND at the field terminal of the alternator. In dim light, you should be able to disconnect / connect the field wire (again with key in "run") and see a small spark

 

[jefflock]

Observations and opinions only.
I see a blue wire with exposed copper in the first pic. Blue wires are typically switched 12 volts to regulators, ignition modules, etc..
The charging system should have been upgraded when or before the ignition system was upgraded to electronic.

The blue wire was tied into the wiper wiring harness. Don't know why? Perhaps it was providing power to the wipers. I didn't do the electronic ignition upgrade.

 

[jefflock]

Check with light or voltmeter. You should have power at the regulator with the key "in run" on both terminals, AND at the field terminal of the alternator. In dim light, you should be able to disconnect / connect the field wire (again with key in "run") and see a small spark

Been busy this weekend with racing and Mothers Day so I haven't had any time to check. But I do know the field wire has continuity between the alternator stud and the regulator terminal.

Lots of bad storms in the area including tornados and golf ball size hail.