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Wierd Electrical Problem


Xxyyzz

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Stock is a 3 wire, 1 wire came along later. Check out this site.

 

The voltage that is needed for the car electrical system and devices such as the stereo is supplied by the battery and the alternator just keeps the battery charged.

 

Very simplified basic electricity course. Think of a wire as being like a garden hose. Neither are connected to anything. The hose has no water pressure in it and the wire has no voltage. Connect the hose and turn on the valve feeding the hose while the valve at the other end is closed. Lets say there is 60 lbs of water pressure at the valve. Now you have 60 lbs of water pressure in the hose. Now, think of the wire being connected to a power source like a 12 volt battery. It now has 12 volts in it. The voltage is like the water pressure. When you open the outlet valve on the hose, water will flow, measured in gallons/minute, or gpms. When you connect the wire to a device, current will flow, measured in amperes, or amps. Let's say the hose is 5/8" diameter and it will flow 50 gpm at 60 psi. If you want more water than that, you would get a larger hose that will flow more gpm. If you have a wire that's size 14 AWG (American Wire Gauge), (still keeping it very basic here), it's commonly used to flow no more than 15 amps. It will get too hot and melt the insulation if you put too much current through it. This is why fuses or breakers are used to protect against too much current flow. If you need more current flow than 15 amps and the voltage source is still 12 volts, then you need a larger wire.

 

All electrical devices cause current to flow when they are used. Current flow drains a battery. Your alternator actually puts out about 13.8 volts to charge your battery. If you add more electrical devices than the car originally had, you can drain the battery faster than it's being charged unless you install an alternator that will charge faster than the battery is being drained. That's why there are different size alternators. Bigger loads require bigger amp rated alternators.

 

Hope this helps you a little. A web search will get you endless information on electricity.

 

Dan

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thats good info, thanks. I just took off my alternator (after disconnecting battery). And i had to unplug two wires... so that was no help if its 1 or 3! lol On wire was a square plug with two terminals that connected at about 10 oclock when the alternator was installed. The other screwed on the the back of the alternator. FYI: i have an 8guage wire going from alternator bracket to neg on battery

 

There was a third, plug/clip that was flat and rectangular but it was not connected to anything.

 

-Mark

 

(I can post pics if it helps you to help me)

 

 

THANKS GUYS!

 

pretty much will this work?: http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SUM-810350/

 

also what is the difference between 12si or 10si alternators?

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Yours may be 3 wire. Go here and it'll help you. I read the 5th one down, but I'm sure there are many others in this search that'll be of use. Pics of yours would help.

 

Dan

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That is a internally regulated 10si 3 wire alternator. The Summit one would work just fine. I would upgrade to the one I posted in the link above if I was doing it. You would just need to change the plug to fit. New at NAPA it was about the same price as the summit one.

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and what would be the benefits of the "1989 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera with the 3.3" over the 140 amp summit one i found? Not doubting you, just curious as to your reasoning...

 

-Mark

 

Also, where does that thrid wire go?

 

And would these http://www.summitracing.com/parts/PWM-1-60/Application/?prefilter=0 work from alternator to (what im assuming is a) positive conneciton on driver side firewall. And from starter to the same connection on firewall.

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If you switch to a newer 3 wire you need to get rid of the external. From your pictures it looks like someone may have converted it already...

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On my 72 when I just looked in where the flat/ black kinda square plug with two wires I saw a white base where the terminals are sitting and when I used to rebuild the old Alts. that was the color of the internal regulator.

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Thanks for the excellent link mike. It seems i have a 10si, with SI standing for system integrated (meaning voltage regulator is INSIDE the alternator).

 

But to be certain here is the inside of my alternator:

 

2012-02-13_22-31-39_225.jpg

 

Anyone see a voltage regulator?

 

If you do see one, then why do i still have a regulator behind my headlamp? Just bypassed?

 

-Mark

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cardude, I just want to point out that there is not a regulator in the alternator picture you have there. You have a 10SI, that *should* be internally regulated but, that one is not. The white part on that picture is the brush holder, and underneath it is where the regulator would be, but there is a spacer there. A regulator look like this, note the orientation of the wire terminals:

C2CC0162483879802485.jpg

 

I just want you to know you so if you put an internally regulated alternator on there, you could be scratching your head if it doesnt work. With the alternator you have pictured, the regulator on the radiator support *is* doing the regulating. They did this while they were switching over from the 10DN alt to the 10SI alternator, basically 72-73 timeframe.

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$h!t thanks for the info... How do i disconnect my external regulator? Since i ordered one with an internal regulator: http://www.summitracing.com/parts/PWM-47294/

 

Is it even possible to just disconnect my external one?

 

Is this what i need? http://static.summitracing.com/global/images/instructions/pwm-150.pdf

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