Alternator or Voltage Regulator?

[gijoecarlos]

I did replace a fuse and holder just to make sure because it was very corroded and i wasn't able to pull it out of the fuse from the holder. I was hopping that was the problem but didn't change anything. I tried the break with lights on test with the motor off and its still dosn't go below the middle spot. I have a new Ammeter on order with brothers Truck parts and so ill replace it soon to see if that fixes the problem, or makes it read a little better. Im going to buy a voltage meter too. how can i wire that up? hopefully its not as hard as it was for this ammeter? I feel like my head is going to explode! i tried to see if there was any videos online of other people ammeters read to see if its simular to how mine is now working. (since I have no clue) lol

[gijoecarlos]

Since the alternator is on the pasanger side, I ran the alternator wire behind the engine along the firewall and taped them in about 5 inches from the harness on the firewall. from there they run to the rad support along the front past the battery to the junction block. The other fused ammeter wire runs along the same path. is that okay?

[VetteVet]

Originally Posted by gijoecarlos

I did replace a fuse and holder just to make sure because it was very corroded and i wasn't able to pull it out of the fuse from the holder. I was hopping that was the problem but didn't change anything. I tried the break with lights on test with the motor off and its still dosn't go below the middle spot. I have a new Ammeter on order with brothers Truck parts and so ill replace it soon to see if that fixes the problem, or makes it read a little better. Im going to buy a voltage meter too. how can i wire that up? hopefully its not as hard as it was for this ammeter? I feel like my head is going to explode! i tried to see if there was any videos online of other people ammeters read to see if its simular to how mine is now working. (since I have no clue) lol

I think you are only reading one side of the ammeter circuit and that's the charging side, or Alternator side. I think I know why and I'll get to that. Cleaning the battery junction on the right fender was a good move.

You can wire in a voltmeter very easily. One side goes to positive and the other goes to ground. Where you mount it pretty much determines how you wire it up, but not necessarily. You can wire the hot side to any key on power such as the IGN UNFUSED terminal on the fuse box and then the other side just goes to a good ground. If you mount in the gauge cluster you can run a wire to the hot side of the fuel gauge and the negative side to the grounded cluster body. Since you're keeping the ammeter, you might want to wire it to the fuse panel.

Originally Posted by gijoecarlos

Since the alternator is on the pasanger side, I ran the alternator wire behind the engine along the firewall and taped them in about 5 inches from the harness on the firewall. from there they run to the rad support along the front past the battery to the junction block. The other fused ammeter wire runs along the same path. is that okay?

Well if I understand you correctly you have made a complete circle with the alternator wires and you are running the output wire right off the battery instead of at the end of the SHUNT wire. You need two junctions, the one off the battery on the right fender, and the main one for the alternator somewhere on the left side of the truck by the left headlight or on the left inner fender.
I have my alternator on the right side as well and I ran my output wire and the no. 2 wire to a terminal junction by the left headlight. I ran the wires along the front cross member to the junction. Then I ran the shunt wire from there back below the radiator with the right headlight and park/turn wires and connected the shunt to the battery junction on the right fender.

So the only things going on the right fender are the shunt wire, the fusible link wire and the battery side ammeter wire.

On the other junction you must have 1. The alternator output wire, 2. The alternator sensor wire, 3.The power wire to the cab, and the other ammeter wire.

Picture your ammeter wiring like this.
Your torso is the ammeter gauge, now stretch out both arms forward.
Your left arm is the alternator gauge wire. It goes to pin 1 on the cluster plug.
Your right arm is the battery side of the ammeter gauge. It goes to the right fender junction as I said above. The other end of this wire runs through the fire wall block and goes to terminal 12 on the cluster plug. Now the shunt wire will run across the front of the truck and connect your two hands AKA the junctions. The length and size of the shunt wire was calibrated to conform with the ammeter gauge so you need to use 12 gauge wire and about five feet long.

On the stock trucks the left side junction was just four wires soldered together.
This is how you must wire the alternator and ammeter wires in order for the ammeter to read the voltage difference between the alternator and the battery.

Take a look at all the diagrams and you can see that this is how the ammeter wires are wired. Also you cannot wire the alternator output wire directly to the battery. It must be on one end of the shunt wire and the battery must be on the other end.

i hope i haven't confused you. It seems like you are pretty close just change a few wires.

[gijoecarlos]

The output wire is not going to the Battery, Its tied in about 6 inches from the firewall . My shunt wire starts are about 6 inches from the firewall to the battery side junction.

Okay Let me order another junction from summing. i was thinking i should of got a second one when i was trying to tie in 5 wire on one side of the shunt. ( impossible to do it right without a second junction. I think i totally realize my problem now with your response. Besides my bad junction on the one side, im thinking my junctions need to be on the exact opposite side of each-other? Right now one is close to the Firewall and the other by the Battery.

Does it matter if both wires to the 2 junctions run along the same side of the fender and radiator support? (but one junction being on the drivers side and the other on the opposite side on passenger side?

also does it matter if the 3 wires from the alternator going to the one junction are a little long?

My fusible link is about a foot long and is a 14 guage wire. Is that too big?

sorry for the Million questions. Just frustrated.

does someone make a votage meter that mounts inside the stock guages?
Thanks Again!

[VetteVet]

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Originally Posted by gijoecarlos

The output wire is not going to the Battery, Its tied in about 6 inches from the firewall . My shunt wire starts are about 6 inches from the firewall to the battery side junction. I think you'll be ok there

Okay Let me order another junction from summing. i was thinking i should of got a second one when i was trying to tie in 5 wire on one side of the shunt. ( impossible to do it right without a second junction. I think i totally realize my problem now with your response. Besides my bad junction on the one side, im thinking my junctions need to be on the exact opposite side of each-other? Right now one is close to the Firewall and the other by the Battery.Not exactly but some where that the shunt length will be 5 to 6 feet long

Does it matter if both wires to the 2 junctions run along the same side of the fender and radiator support? (but one junction being on the drivers side and the other on the opposite side on passenger side?[B]

The ammeter wires on the factory trucks are run like this. The battery side runs a cross the top of the radiator down the core support and close to the junction where the alternator wires connect. Then both ammeter wires run to the firewall block into the cab to the cluster plug.

also does it matter if the 3 wires from the alternator going to the one junction are a little long? No the alternator wires don't have to be a special length.

My fusible link is about a foot long and is a 14 guage wire. Is that too big? No as long as it's at least a 30 amp link. The fusible link is normally two sizes smaller than the wire it fuses. 12 gauge wire, 14 gauge link.

sorry for the Million questions. Just frustrated. Let me tell you something, all the questions you are asking are being read by many many guys who want to know the answers just as bad as you. I am more than glad to share my knowledge, so don't worry about being frustrated.

does someone make a votage meter that mounts inside the stock guages?
Thanks Again ! I believe the older camaro fits.

[gijoecarlos]

My fusible link is about a foot long and is a 14 guage wire. Is that too big? No as long as it's at least a 30 amp link. The fusible link is normally two sizes smaller than the wire it fuses. 12 gauge wire, 14 gauge link.

Does this mean i should place a 30 amp fuse on the link?

if the shunt wire is longer than 6 feet , will that be a problem? or dose it have to be =between the 5-6ft long? Beisdes being 12 guage, is there anything special about the kinda wire used for the Shunt?

also is there a special order to place the wires onto the junction block? should the sunt wire be first with the other wires on top?

[VetteVet]

Originally Posted by gijoecarlos

My fusible link is about a foot long and is a 14 guage wire. Is that too big? No as long as it's at least a 30 amp link. The fusible link is normally two sizes smaller than the wire it fuses. 12 gauge wire, 14 gauge link.

Does this mean i should place a 30 amp fuse on the link? Not unless it blows, it's a special wire that burns in two when too much current flows through it

if the shunt wire is longer than 6 feet , will that be a problem? or dose it have to be =between the 5-6ft long? The battery gauge is not very accurate and is just meant to show charge or discharge so the shunt needs to be approximately 5 to 6 feet.

Beisdes being 12 guage, is there anything special about the kinda wire used for the Shunt? It has to be AWG auto approved wire like the rest of the wiring.

also is there a special order to place the wires onto the junction block? should the sunt wire be first with the other wires on top?

If your junction only has one post I would put the largest wire on first, then the next larger just for ease of connection.

Remember each wire should hav e a fusible link or some kind of fuse in it.

Here's one from Mad Electric.

[gijoecarlos]

Oh Snaps!! i didnt have fusable links on the one side where i tapped them all together! Im going to put a junction box there now and i should Maybe just fuse them all? 5 amp fuses to each one? should the Alternator wire also have a fuse from it? I see the fuses as a safty thing? Im sure.

[VetteVet]

Originally Posted by gijoecarlos

Oh Snaps!! i didnt have fusable links on the one side where i tapped them all together! Im going to put a junction box there now and i should Maybe just fuse them all? 5 amp fuses to each one? should the Alternator wire also have a fuse from it? I see the fuses as a safty thing? Im sure.

You don't need to fuse each wire. The factory only used the one fusible link by the battery, in the whole engine bay. Remember you have a fuse box for all the cab circuits. A 5 amp fuse might leave you stranded because normal current through a circuit could easily exceed that.
..the cab feed wire would be a good thing to fuse off the junction block, but use a 30 amp fusible link instead of the fast blow glass fuse. You should also use a fuse on any accessory you wire into the junction such as an electric cooling fan,
or fog lights.

[gijoecarlos]

gotcha! I dont think i need any fusible link that that junction because its only being used to tie in the 2 alternators wires, Ammeter wire & to the red wire from the firewall to the Shunt that will go along the rad support to the other Junction that will already have the one fusible link to the Battery. Im just using this Second junction to connect the 4 wire on the driver side to shunt it over to the other Junction on the passenger side? Will that work? Thanks carlos

[VetteVet]

Originally Posted by gijoecarlos

gotcha! I dont think i need any fusible link that that junction because its only being used to tie in the 2 alternators wires, Ammeter wire & to the red wire from the firewall to the Shunt that will go along the rad support to the other Junction that will already have the one fusible link to the Battery. Im just using this Second junction to connect the 4 wire on the driver side to shunt it over to the other Junction on the passenger side? Will that work? Thanks carlos

I think you've got it.

[gijoecarlos]

Im going thru it all again and pulling wires again!
I just noticed the red wire someone tapped / replaced the red wire off the firewall is a 10 gauge and not 12, so im pulling it and replacing it with the proper gauge. It was the same across for the shunt.
im also replacing the shunt wire with the same 12 gauge.

If all the wires are hooked up proper at the fire wall, I should not have a wire running from the alternator to inside the cab? I might have to trace it and figure out where it goes? could that wire going in the cab screw with the readings of the ammeter?

[VetteVet]

Originally Posted by gijoecarlos

Im going thru it all again and pulling wires again!
I just noticed the red wire someone tapped / replaced the red wire off the firewall is a 10 gauge and not 12, so im pulling it and replacing it with the proper gauge. It was the same across for the shunt.
im also replacing the shunt wire with the same 12 gauge.

If all the wires are hooked up proper at the fire wall, I should not have a wire running from the alternator to inside the cab? I might have to trace it and figure out where it goes? could that wire going in the cab screw with the readings of the ammeter?

No, it just carries the current to the cab. It's size is not relevant. The wire to the inside of the cab should come from the alternator shunt sensor wire junction. A 10 gauge is larger than a 12 gauge and has less resistance to current flow so I would use it.
The shunt wire size is relevant to the ammeter so you can change it or wait and see if the gauge reads accurately and if not then change it. It may not affect the reading enough to make much difference. After all the gauge just tells you if the alternator is working or not.

[gijoecarlos]

Okay, I finally finished and have it exactly as the diagram. Every wire replaced to the correct gauge and it still not working properly. Im going to trace the wire that goes into the cab to see where it goes. Ill figure it out, god willing but my new concern is i see the 18guage fusable link is the only wire that charges the battery? My stereo Amplifier is drawing lots of juice from the battery. Now the light dim more that it did before. Is the idea of having an Ammeter and a stereo system in the truck impossible?

[VetteVet]

Originally Posted by gijoecarlos

Okay, I finally finished and have it exactly as the diagram. Every wire replaced to the correct gauge and it still not working properly. Im going to trace the wire that goes into the cab to see where it goes. Ill figure it out, god willing but my new concern is i see the 18guage fusable link is the only wire that charges the battery? My stereo Amplifier is drawing lots of juice from the battery. Now the light dim more that it did before. Is the idea of having an Ammeter and a stereo system in the truck impossible?

Check for 12 volts on each one of the ammeter wires at the cluster plug. If you don't have it the meter won't work correctly.

It doesn't take much current to charge the battery, so you don't need a big fusible link wire.

Running a stereo system means you need a bigger alternator. at least a .100 amps, You'll need to run it off the main junction where the alternator wire goes.

[gijoecarlos]

The amp wire is like a 4gage wire? run that to my junction where the 12 gauge alternator is going? should my alternator wire be bigger?

[VetteVet]

Yes it should be at least 10 gauge, 8 gauge is better.

Check out the audio forum for more info. VV