Help with stupid cs130 alternator

[pontiacgp]

you can try this, cut the brown wire about a foot back from the alternator, get a light socket and light and wire the ground to the brown wire, then wire a switched 12 v to the positive side of the light. Start the engine and see if that light is on or off...if it's off then you know it's the wiring.

 

[MeanBuicks]

My car has rally gauges and was originally v6. I didn't see a blue wire or light brown in the schematics?

Interesting conversation. I have the same dim charge light issue with my '84 but I have the opposite situation as you do. I still have the stock V6 in place but I swapped the standard cluster for a rally gauge cluster.

Everything seemingly works well including the alternator keeping the battery charged so I haven't taken the time yet to troubleshoot this. The diagram you posted shows wiring differences (Gen. Diode & Choke Heater Relay) between the factory gauge setups that I was unaware of so perhaps I'll spend some time with this and see if I can figure out what the deal is. I'll post any findings.

 

[84cutspreme]

Let me ask this, the brown wire for the alternator, how much voltage should it have? And how much should the pink w/ black have? So either side of the charge light

 

[pontiacgp]

http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/billavista/Wiring/Part2/

alternator not running

alternator running

 

[84cutspreme]

Well theres my problem, brown wire in on position has 7volts, in run it has 10volts...would the resistor cause this?

 

[pontiacgp]

I still say it's one of the phases burnt out...

 

[84cutspreme]

Correct me if I'm wrong but if one of the phases was burnt out it would not put out the 105 amps its rated for, right?
Also does it matter where the resistor goes? Right now it is inline between the lamp and the alternator, but on the schematic on that pirate 4x4 page (good info too, thanks for link) it shows resistor between fuse box and lamp? On my gm performance instructions they show either lamp or resistor so I installed it after lamp.

 

[pontiacgp]

the alternator light is on, you tested the voltage on the brown wire and you found it to be under 12 volts which is why the alternator light to be on dim. That means the alternator has a problem. Unless you are planning on rebuilding the alternator yourself I don't know why you need to diagnosis it any further

 

[84cutspreme]

Well I bought a new alternator, fingers crossed it works right. Also found one small problem while going over wiring. Resistor is now wired in parallel to light where it should be...I had it in series before

 

[84cutspreme]

Well no luck, new alternator, new battery. 82ohm resistor wired in parallel with batt light...still dim lit bulb. Any ideas?
I checked voltage as fuse panel too. 14.1-14.4 on everything