'90 348tb The problem is that my alternator is not charging my battery. Long story, but the Ferrari dealer diagnosed my problems as a bad battery and alternator. They do not install rebuilt Delco alternators, so I am doing it myself. (They only do the Nipondenso replacement/update kit for $5900). New Battery and alternator (Delco) installed today. Still not charging. (checked with meter, battery shows 12.5 volts, started the car and there was no change, after a few minutes running it was discharging). The battery light on the dash does not light when the key is in the start position. I checked the bulb and it is good. Checked every fuse in both boxes (passenger foot well and front hood area) - all checked ok. Took the positive and negative cables apart at the disconnects and cleaned the terminals. Cleaned the battery terminals themsleves and the connectors. Cleaned the negative connection at the engine block connecting bolt. Checked for any loose/unplugged connectors in the engine bay - ANYBODY have an idea of what I should do next or have had a similar problem? The only wiring diagrahm I have found does not show the wiring from the alternator... Any chance that the new alternator has to be "flashed" - I remember having to do that on an old MGA many years ago. Thanks for any help, advice.
Have you checked the 'field wire' connection on the alternator?? if this does not have a feed then the alternator will not begin to charge.
I would also go ahead and get rid of the bullet connector cables. It will cost you maybe $20 to have solid cables made, both for the negative and positive.
thanks for the idea's.......I will replace the cables - I cleaned the "bullet" connectors, but I can just as easily replace the cables - I wanted to keep the car as "original" as possible. I guess it would suck if the alternator was good afterall, but it would have sucked more if I had purchased the $5900 alternator from the dealer as they proposed.
They would have fixed the problem but still blamed the alternator. Those Delco units aren't the best but there are thousands of them on GM cars working just fine. No reason to "upgrade" when it's that expensive.
If this problem is indeed related to the incident with the raccoon, the only thing I can think of is that the wire to the field terminal on the alternator has been damaged in some way, and there is no power going from the ignition switch to the alternator. Perhaps the wire has been pulled off the back of the pin? The diagnosis on this should be fairly easy, of course it would be easiest if the car was up in the air. You should have: 1) Full battery voltage at the battery terminal on the alternator, at all times (from the starter). 2) A good ground between the alternator housing and the chassis. 3) Power to the field terminal on the alternator when the ignition switch is on. The fact that your alternator warning light does not come on suggests that there MAY be an open circuit here. Can we assume that your temperature/pressure gauges are working?
+1 If your battery light is not on when you turn the key there is something wrong in your alternator wiring, probably not on the power cables but on the excitation wire. It should bring some current to the alternator, through the lamp, when it is not turning.
Jeff...oddly enough, the water temp is not working now either and it was working before.....all the other guages are working....I can put the car up in the air to make the suggested checks .........thanks so much!!
"excitation wire" ?.......is this one of the two wires on the plug for the alternator? Where does it get it's power from? Thanks for your help....
Hmmmm. If the water temp gauge isn't working, then check the twist connector near the top of the left rear shock tower. This is where the wire bundle from the chassis connects to the wire bundle from the engine, and it includes both the alternator field wire and the water temp sender wire. This is connector #115 in the wiring diagram.
THANK YOU JEFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This connection is a plastic "nut" that holds the male/female pins together. Mine is cracked - likely overtightened at one time, so it looks fine, but was actually loose. I am not certain how I am going to repair it at this point, but I AM HAPPY AS HECK! Thanks to everybody who offered help - I am going to make those repairs/changes too. Jeff: Please check your PM
You are right ERnie, had nothing at all to do with that raccoon - just pure coincidence. That said, I did not diagnose it, the dealer did. Moreover, the $2500 cover that was supposedly pushed up into the alternator as reported by the dealer.......when I took it back home and put up on my lift, there was hair etc from the raccoon in the louvers, but the part itself wasn't bent up into anything. AND one more thing, when I had the car towed into the dealer they charged me $187. When they brought it back, they charged me $285. I have little regard for that repair facility....... Anyways, it has be quite the "trip".....many thanks to the "brotherhood"
