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ZUKIWORLD Discussion Forum => Technical Discussion - Performance / Modify => Topic started by: aforbis03 on November 04, 2012, 11:34:16 AM

Title: gm alt. swap won't charge. wiring?
Post by: aforbis03 on November 04, 2012, 11:34:16 AM: i bought the kit and bracket from lowrangeoffroad.com. was supposed to come with the correct alternator, belt and plug. bought the bracket separately from them. after install, i ran a #6 cable from the bolt post on the alternator directly to the positive post on the battery. then cut the old plug off, and wired the new plug to it (idiot light and dash light from what i understand)

when i crank it, i have 11.5 volts at my battery, should be around 13. steadily falls in voltage. its not charging. everything I've read says all you "need" to make it charge is a wire from that post to the battery. thats not working for me, and I've read till my eyes are bleeding and my brain hurts. any help? thank you
Title: Re: gm alt. swap won't charge. wiring?
Post by: bentparts on November 04, 2012, 02:06:37 PM: What type of plug does your GM alt have? If it's a flat two wire plug going into the top of the alt near the back, it's possible those two wires are reversed, causing it to actually draw from the battery. Knowing the type of GM alt and plug will help. Also what type of truck is this going in? sammy, trackick? And FWIW, don't believe everything you read, especially on the internet. They must have left out the part about how critical it is to wire that plug correctly. If it's working correctly the alt should be putting out over 13.4 V.
Title: Re: gm alt. swap won't charge. wiring?
Post by: aforbis03 on November 04, 2012, 04:15:33 PM: yeah thats the plug, but its on the side, a little lower than 3 o'clock. ill try reversing the wires. its going in an '89 samurai
Title: Re: gm alt. swap won't charge. wiring?
Post by: bentparts on November 05, 2012, 04:04:37 PM: Let us know what happens.
Title: Re: gm alt. swap won't charge. wiring?
Post by: warbird on November 07, 2012, 11:02:08 AM: This might help http://www.zukikrawlers.com/album.php?albumid=125 (http://www.zukikrawlers.com/album.php?albumid=125). The GM diagrams are toward the bottom.

apparently linkie no workie

Here's the 10/12 SI diagrams
Title: Re: gm alt. swap won't charge. wiring?
Post by: bigbasshb on November 07, 2012, 07:10:03 PM: These are the instructions I used when I installed mine.
http://www.roadlessgear.com/suzuki/rgextras/gmalt.htm (http://www.roadlessgear.com/suzuki/rgextras/gmalt.htm)
Hope this helps.
Title: Re: gm alt. swap won't charge. wiring?
Post by: warbird on November 09, 2012, 01:20:40 PM: Well that didn't really work either...

I've attached a pdf version.
Title: Re: gm alt. swap won't charge. wiring?
Post by: bentparts on November 09, 2012, 06:17:52 PM: Hmmm, I guess he fixed it and split!
Title: Re: gm alt. swap won't charge. wiring?
Post by: toyman on November 11, 2012, 06:16:07 AM: Ya, it'd be nice if folks came back and told us what worked !

Dave W
Title: Re: gm alt. swap won't charge. wiring?
Post by: warbird on November 12, 2012, 11:26:14 AM: "After action reports" are somewhat rare. ;)

Few folks realize how many variations there are for a "GM alternator" and my diagrams only cover the two most common swaps.
Title: Re: gm alt. swap won't charge. wiring?
Post by: bentparts on November 12, 2012, 04:55:29 PM: well, it's nice to know guys like you, warbird and toyman would give an after action report. We tried to help :)