Hi all,

This is turning into a saga that I will relay later for your mechanic's 'hero's journey' enjoyment, but a quick question first:

Assuming a working alternator, if the battery light doesn't come on, will I have to replace/bypass it before the alternator will charge?

Thanks in advance,

Dave

 

Yes. Or you can rev the motor to over 2,500 RPM and the alternator should then start charging which is much easier.

 

OK, a further question:

My OEM alternator (which I am replacing due to a noisy bearing) has three wires, a ground (bluish green), a main (thick red) and the exciter(?)(small red wire with a female blade connector).

Does the replacement alternator have to have a male exciter connector, or should one with only a ground and main connector work?

TIA,

Dave

 

Unless you can figure out a way to get it excited without that wire, you will need all the three wires.

 

Sorry, I should have been more clear.

Can I use an alternator that only has the connector for the ground and the main, or do I have to use one that has three (ground, main, exciter)?

I'm asking because the supposedly compatible alternator only has the two connections, and I'm trying to diagnose why it's not charging.