LR90 - Alternator earth wire not connected?

Hi guys,

Apologies for the lack of photos. Anyone who's read my threads before will know that my descriptions are more useful than my photos which are always so blurry they almost look like abstract art! (that's because i'm using a crap camera after a burglar broke mine... the cops caught the little barsteward btw, he had it in his sock (and my motorcycle keys in his hood!...))

Right then, a thousand words instead of a picture... standing on the n/s of the engine compartment, I can see wires, wrapped in black plastic coming from the alternator, and going towards the rear of the engine compartment, alonside the engine block. About a 3rd of the way along the engine block, one wire comes out of the bundle that looks like it's meant to be an earth (little metal ring on the end). I'm not sure if I should just find somewhere to earth it, because it's just floating around disconnected at the moment. Does anyone know where it's meant to go, and what the consequences of not sorting it out are?


Cheers. Tom.

DO NOT EARTH ANY WIRE UNLESS YOU KNOW IT SHOULD BE EARTHED!

If it should be earthed it should be BLACK insulation. Plain black.

The alternator is earthed through its own metal casing. It does not need an earthing wire.

CharlesY

Ok, I thought I'd try and get a photo. As usual, it's terribly blurry, so I've tried to trace out the outline of the earthing bit at the end of the wire to highlight it. Unsure whether it will help though

Oh thanks CharlseY. I posted my pic without knowing about your post beforehand. The wire's definitely covered in black plastic. Not sure if the picture helps or hinders?

and btw, the picture doesn't show it that well, but it's not connected to anything at all at the moment. It's quite a stiff wire, and won't reach too far to anything.

I guess you answered my question already. It needs earthing. Will sort that out ASAP!

what does the other end go to? Thats often a better use, as black may just be very oily.

Someone may have bodged it before an all without using colour coded wires. I know I have been known to use whatever i have laying around at times, when required...

Ok, well, the plot thickens

I just had a poke around, and it's a very stiff wire. I can't seem to reach anything easily to bolt it on to apart from what I think might be the alternator regulator (which is in the picture on the right). And even then, it doesn't seem to go naturally on to any of the nuts. When I first got 'er, we had a wire burn through which meant that the battery warning light came on once the engine was turned off, and stayed on until the battery was drained. It was at the mechanics at this point, and they fixed it. I don't even really know which wire it was, apart from it being from the alternator. It might have something to do with this. I also found a little trapezoid shaped plastic cap today on my drive (which would have been underneath the landy yesterday. This cap fits the end of this wire, so I'm thinking that it might just be something that the mechanics did?

who knows. I don't actually have any problems with 'er, so maybe I'll leave this well alone and carry on with my general restoration

leave it be. FInd out what the other end goes to though.

it basically joins the wires coming from the alternator. Not sure which bit of the alterantor. I'll have another look tomorrow. Cheers for the replies

Sorry mate but that looks like your starter motor on the right in the image. Not an alternator. Thats at the front of your engine the starter is at the back. I am sure thats a Red/White wire comming from a bolted point, that would be the wire from the ignition switch to starter solendoid.
That wire looks like it could be the starter earth wire, some have these. My old engine did 19JTD but the TDI200 i have now does not.
If it is then it can be connected to on of the bolts on the starter case and the other end if like mine was bolted to the engine block.


BUT if you do not know what your doing DONT TOUCH IT, put some tape on it and go see a garage and ask them.If any good would advise you what to do.Some of those bolted wire on starter are LIVE so watch it.
You do not want a engine fire. If you think diesels dont burn talk to my brother in law his went up when green laning yesterday

motiztab said:

Sorry mate but that looks like your starter motor on the right in the image. Not an alternator.


BUT if you do not know what your doing DONT TOUCH IT, put some tape on it and go see a garage and ask them.If any good would advise you what to do.Some of those bolted wire on starter are LIVE so watch it.
You do not want a engine fire. If you think diesels dont burn talk to my brother in law his went up when green laning yesterday

Click to expand...

What excellent advice. I will take it myself.
There's a lot more than fuel that is capable of going on fire in any vehicle. Usually something else goes on fire first, and THEN the fuel goes up in a ball of smoke and flames.

Diesel fires are tricky to put out.

CharlesY

Thanks for the replies guys. I didn't think it was the alternator on the right, but the regulator, but I'm sure you're right that it's the starter motor. The wire in question comes off the wires that come from the alternator off picture to the far left, and the wire in questions comes from behind the big rusty bit pictured on the left.

I think I'll ask the garage anyway!

Cheers again

Regulator is part of the alternator and built into it. The wires for the alternator go along the drivers side of engine accross above water pump at the front to the alternator/ You should not have anything else comming from the wires unless its been modded.
Just been thinking, that could be the engine earth. My 19J Td had a short earth cable from one of the power steering pump mounting bolts to the chassis engine mounts if it was not bolted at the chassis side but poked back would reach to about where your image shows, plus an earth from the starter to engine block.

Still as i said best pop down to a garage for a quick look. As for my brother in law now we have to fit a complete replacement loom from engine to fuse box thats a dash out job,new starter, maybe an alternator all because of an electrical fire oh and it burnt the paint work round the windscreen!