electrical problem

[Dutchie. 10]

Sounds like the alternator isn't getting a proper ground. It sounds dumb, but it happened to my buddy's car. Connect the engine ground to the alternator housing or mounting brackets and see if that fixes it.

EDIT: Just to clear and mix-ups, go from the battery (-) to the alternator housing or mounting brackets.

Edited May 4, 2010 by Dutchie.

[Hansk 1]

would you explain to me what happen to your buddies car??

[Dutchie. 10]

would you explain to me what happen to your buddies car??

He put a new ground on the engine because the old one went bad. It would crank over but not charge at all. So we retraced all of the grounds on the whole battery and thought they were ok. I started moving a long ground cable we attached to the battery around the engine bay and when I touched the mounting bracket she worked just fine. The Big 3 is made to ADD to the additional ground on the vehicle, not replace them. Maybe the alternator isn't getting a good ground from where you mounted yours. Try moving it or adding a new one.

[Hansk 1]

ok.. ill give it a try

[Hansk 1]

do you think that would tie into the power steering though b/c it went out after i did the big 3

[akrod2as 2]

Um...there's a shroud over the belt, I'd take that off and see if the belt is intact or even on the pulleys. That would explain your lack of power steering as well.

[Hansk 1]

well at work tonight i talked to a buddy of mine who is a mechanic and he told me some thing to look at and the belts are on.. they seem not to be moving as fast as normal and there is one pully on the bottom thats not moving at all while the belt around it is...... here ill try to upload another video that i have about the belts i know you really can see anything but ill try uploading it anyway

[Hansk 1]

heres a pic of chassis ground

here is another angle of chassis ground

here a pick of stock ground i replaced

[Hansk 1]

is there a possibility that these grounds could be bad?

[johnecon2001 82]

Sounds more like an automotive issue rather than an electrical issue dude.

Obviously the alternator isn't charging the batteries. As long as you simply added the big 3 wiring to the existing wiring, you should still have perfect contact.

If that bottom pulley isn't turning with the belt on it, it is causing friction. The belt will break eventually. It's probably not turning fast enough to generate power through the alternator and certainly not fast enough to pump P/S fluid to your rack. That'll lead to a bad rack eventually.

[Hansk 1]

thats pretty much what i was thinking to ... im taking it to a shop tomorrow morning but i was just making sure it was nothing i did to cause the problem..

[Hansk 1]

well i found out what was wrong. the bolt that tightens the tensioner for the alt and power steering broke in half....got it fixed and im up in running..... the only thing is without having a h/o alt, the stinger volt meter reads my system full tilt at like 12.2 and drops to 11.9 .........

[jcarter1885 995]

Did you calibrate your stinger voltmeter to read accurately.

[Hansk 1]

Did you calibrate your stinger voltmeter to read accurately.

yup i did... i waited a couple more hours later and drove around again at idle is at 13.1 and when system is full tilt it drop ti like 12.2 a little tiny bit better but nothing i can do w/o a h/o alt sooo....... but thanks for they help guys always appreciate it

[jcarter1885 995]

Did you calibrate your stinger voltmeter to read accurately.

yup i did... i waited a couple more hours later and drove around again at idle is at 13.1 and when system is full tilt it drop ti like 12.2 a little tiny bit better but nothing i can do w/o a h/o alt sooo....... but thanks for they help guys always appreciate it

Is that 13.1volts at idle, when music is playing or when music is off?

[Hansk 1]

that was at idle but then today it went up to 14.1 idle then hovers around 12.4.12.9 when volume is turn up quite a bit and the lowest i saw it drop to today was 11.7

[Hansk 1]