low/no charging

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Somehow I'm still not getting through to you. .......................Your alternator is NOT factory...........the box mounted on the alternator is surely the VR....................a photo of that box would tell the story.

THIS is a powermaster and likely what you have.............This one is similar. It's just a "little box" which the wires on your alternator hook to.........

So far as testing yours, and since you cannot find the starter relay, you are in reality looking for a battery source. That terminal you pointed to in your photo is where you can hook the second field terminal. Do NOT leave this hooked up any longer than necessary to see if it's charging
 

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...........In other words with the one field terminal grounded, connect the second field terminal to the stud in your photo. Make sure the output stud of the alternator is again hooked up to the car wiring as it was. This should have battery voltage on it at all times.

Start the car and monitor battery voltage. Battery voltage should climb as you increase RPM. Be careful to keep voltage below 15V or so. If voltage stays below 13V the alternator is NOT charging

To "double check" that the field is drawing current, remove/ reconnect your temporary field wire. In subdued lighting, you should see a small spark

To explain further, there is a reason I do NOT want you to jumper the field to the alternator output stud. This is because there is a possibility that there's an open or bad connection between the alternator output and the battery. If you jumper the field to the alternator output, and it does not show a charge, you still won't know if it's because (A) the alternator is not working or (B) there's an open in the output line

FRANKLY........................

Because you seem to have limited electrical knowledge, and because the car is obviously (electrically) modified, if I were you I'd find someone locally who is familiar with "hot rods" and modified electrics.
 

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Ok, thanks. I will try this tomorrow. One more question. The alternator is also connected to that stud, does i matter?

Btw, thanks alot for the help!
 
I would guess (because it's rewired just a guess) that it's a direct connection to the battery, and you probably do not have an operational ammeter. Again, check the voltage at the battery, before starting, and during the test

Fully charged battery, around 12.6. Less means it's been discharged some

A low battery "charging" and running could be anything above 12.6. After a bit of running, even a minute, you should be able to run the engine at a "fast idle" and bring the voltage up to 13.8 and more.

BEAR IN MIND this is only a test to see if the actual alternator is operational. You will be bypassing the regulator. Don't over--rev the engine, you can get the voltage to high levels.
 
Do you have any thoughts on how mutch rpm is to mutch? You see, It's verry cold here in Norway atm. And when I start my car i have to hold the throttle for a little (around 1200rpm) until the engine gets abit varmed up. If I don't do so, the car will stop. Just want to be on the safe side, so I don't burn anything...
 
1200 should be fine. Watch your voltmeter on the battery. You don't want to allow the voltage to get much above 15, and knock it down if it's over 16.
 
I have performed the test now. I charged my battery until it measured 12.6v. Started the car. Had It running for awhile and went to measure on the battery. It measured 11.2v. Had a buddy to rev the engine a bit, but theres no change in voltage. few seconds later it dropps down to 11v. This means the alternator is bad, am I right?
 
Yes. alternator is bad Can you tell if the brushes (field) is drawing current when you hook it up? You should get a small spark

That is, with either field terminal grounded, hook the other field terminal to a battery source. If you look in subdued lighting (shadow) you should see a smalls park. You should be able to take a multimeter with a 10 amp current scale and measure the amp draw. This varies over the years, but should show at least 3 amps or a little more.

However, if that shows OK, then the stator windings or diodes are bad.
 
It looks like one field terminal is already grounded to the alternator case (blk wire). You simply need to connect +12 V to the other terminal and alternator should output full current. You can get +12 V off the big alternator output stud (thick red wire). You probably won't see much on your dash ammeter since it looks like the P.O. ran the thick red wire straight to the battery. However, you should see the voltage at your cigarette lighter go from ~12.6 V (resting battery voltage) to ~14.3 V (alternator running). You can get cheap voltmeters that plug in the cig lighter.

I would add sheathing to that thick red wire. It looks stupid to run it thru a sheet metal hole. When the copper inside touches ground, you will have a welding torch and your battery could explode.
 
67Dart273 said:
Yes. alternator is bad Can you tell if the brushes (field) is drawing current when you hook it up? You should get a small spark

That is, with either field terminal grounded, hook the other field terminal to a battery source. If you look in subdued lighting (shadow) you should see a smalls park. You should be able to take a multimeter with a 10 amp current scale and measure the amp draw. This varies over the years, but should show at least 3 amps or a little more.

However, if that shows OK, then the stator windings or diodes are bad.
Click to expand...

Can't see any spark when I hook it up. Does that mean the alternator is completely dead?
 
Unhook any wire to your brush (one is grounded? That you can leave)

Hook a multimeter set for "ohms" (resistance) onto the two brush connections. You should read a fairly low resistance. If not, either the brushes are not making contact with the slip rings or the rotor (field) is open
 
Haven't been able to do this last measureing. I'm at work in the norwegian sea atm. And by the time I get home, I think I have recived my new alternator. But will be performing this test. Great way to learn. Instead of replacing it with the new one and forget about it. Thanks alot for all the help :)
 
A little update. I still haven't done the last measureing. But I needed to move my car to day. And I thought it was a good time to try out the new alternator. Hooked It up and jump started the car. I noticed the car didnt charge with the new one either.. :\ Parked and stopped the car. After dinner I thought I go and check the fuses just in case. I checked all of them. All fuses was good, so I tryed start the car. But nothing happend.. Not even a click. Lights and stereo headunit turn on. but nothing else. Checked the fuses for anyone not sitting right, but all was OK. any suggestions what have happend?
 
This is always, always "back to basics 101"

Where do you HAVE power?

Where do you LOSE power?

Could be battery is dead?

Most probably is a bad battery connection.

Use a meter, or test light, and check

Power at the battery? Turn on the headlight switch, any headlights? NO? Leave the switch ON

WHY? leave the headlights on? Because this "loads" the system so you can find the problem.

Check right at the battery POSTS, power? yes?

Check right at the battery post CLAMPS, power? yes?

Move one probe to engine block, leave the other on the positive clamp, power? yes?

Move the hot probe to the starter relay stud, power? yes?

TRACE where the fuse link goes from the starter relay stud to the bulkhead connector. Leave one probe on engine ground. Stick the other probe into that bulkhead terminal. Power? No? Wiggle it around. Wiggle the CONNECTOR around. Watch for headlights.
 
Update :)

I did as you said above (where do I have power and not).

I found the problem for the car not charging. On the wire for the output stud there was a 70A fuse that has blown.. See photo.

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Is it normal to have a fuse on this wire? How could It have blown?
 
OK............

First that fuse would not be in any of these old girls, so it was added

I don't know "what wire" it is in, but if someone installed it in the main battery feed IE replacing the original fusable link, 70A may NOT be enough depending on the loads in the car and the size of the alternator

Additionally, if that fuse was installed in the engine bay, ENGINE HEAT will degrade the amperage rating of a fuse.

"What caused it to blow?"

Pull loose the battery ground cable. Put a 12V test lamp in series from the battery NEG post to ground. Replace the fuse, and make absolutely certain that everything in the car is turned off, trunk lamp, hood lamp, dome lamps, etc

If the test lamp lights, you have a "draw" and maybe a short.

Pull the other fuses one at a time to see if it goes out.

If not unhook the alternator charging (output) wire
 
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