# Brand new Alternator not charging.



## Azazel (May 3, 2009)

Ka24e 

So I have brand new alt, brand new battery. And I have thought my problem was a parasite drain. So I finally got me a multimeter, and found that my alternator isn’t charging at all. 

So I had to replace the pig tail plug when I installed the new alternator. After inspection, I realize I never ran a ground wire from the alternator to the frame. So I thought there is the problem. So I ran a ground wire from alternator to the battery. I have a 4gage ground from starter to battery, and new 8 gage from battery to engine block. 

Fusible link is good also. 

So I stated up truck and still no charge. No charging light on dash cluster showing up either. 

So what do you guys think is my problem? I assume it’s the pigtail plug. It has a 10 gage or so white wire and a 12 or 14 gage y/bl wire going to it.

Could alternator be fired since I didn’t have a ground going to it?


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## rogoman (Dec 16, 2004)

The pigtail harness connector should have two wires; white wire and yellow/black wire. There should be a separate thick (approx. 10 gauge) white wire to the "BAT" post on the back of the alternator. It's not uncommon for this wire to get corroded and burn up, creating resistance in the circuit; without this connection, the charging system will not charge. If the bulb is OK but still does not illuminate, the circuit must be tested. If the bulb is burnt out, the charging system will not charge.

If everything else checks out OK, then the alternator is DOA. By any chance is it an aftermarket brand-x piece of crap?


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## Azazel (May 3, 2009)

So My charge light does not come on at all. I pulled cluster out bulb is good. I actually changed these bulbs over to LED bulb. Not sure if that would make a difference? I been trying to find out what I need to do now to fix this issue, I read something about brake light being tied into the charge light as well. That being said, I have noticed that when I release my park brake, the brake light is slightly illuminated all the time. Is this related maybe? 

So I was checking continuity from the battery positive to the pigtail plug on alternator. The white 10 gage shows 0 resistance while the yellow with black like has continuity with resistance.










What would be the next steps to take? I swapped the bulb check relay with another relay and still get no charging light.


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## Azazel (May 3, 2009)

So this is what I’m getting. I pulled the pigtail from the alternator. Grounded one lead, stuck the other in the signal wire(yellow/black line wire) flip the key I get 12.4 volts. 

I put meter on amps, I got 0.20/0.19, charge light is now on. Plug it back in and charge light doesn’t work again. 

So is alternator just a POS from autozone? And need to return it.


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## rogoman (Dec 16, 2004)

The separate white wire that connects to the "B" terminal should have 12v as well as the white wire that connects to the pigtail.

Here's a charging system wiring diagram:


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## Azazel (May 3, 2009)

I took alternator back to autozone and it tested bad. 
Thank you for your help. Electric problems can drive you mad.


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## Govt acp45 (Sep 23, 2017)

-next post-


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## Govt acp45 (Sep 23, 2017)

Yep if yuh leave the wire off that goes underneath the alternator where you can hardly see, there's no charging. I admit doing that with the alternator on my 1986 JDM HB and drove around a little into the shopping precinct and gas station yadda yadda.. two days later it run to a halt similar to running out of petrol. I had a suspicion it was the fourth wire I had looked for but not seen. So after an intense search the wire was located and the terminal w. a screw in it was located. Fitted the wire and got a jumper start from a fellow motorist willing and able. Quite a relief I'd not driven out of the city in the daylight to attempt a return in the dark. That would have been another story. This hardbody has two live current wires ,one thicker than the other. A black earth. And the two wire block plug. It were one of the live current wires disconnected.


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## smj999smj (Jan 1, 2006)

I only recommend genuine Nissan reman alternators or a reman from Hitachi. Same goes for starters and distributors.


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