RRC - 1987 3.5 EFI
Just in case you find yourself doing this and wondering why the tacho and battery light don't work as they should (or at all)...let me give you a summarised version of my week
1) Old alternator getting noisy (probably bearings) - so it's removed
2) New alternator purchased (don't ask why - long story and i know i will be getting the old one reconditioned)
Old alternator has 4 connections
As we all (now..) know the tacho gets a signal from the alternator and counts the pulses and the battery lamp is wired to the alternator and goes out when it gets up to voltage. The old alternator used the black spade (i think) for a suppressor connection so you can listen to AM radio without interference.
The new alternator has a big post, a little post and a set of three spades (two big, one small). You need to get the white spade onto the little post (change to a ring connector) and the little ring wire onto the little spade connector in the group of 3. Cut off the black spade. Hook the big wire up as normal.
For some fun reason the newer alternators have different connections to the old ones. This took a bit of trial and error and a concern i was going to blow something up, but now all is well.
Why can't they just keep everything the same!!!
Just in case you find yourself doing this and wondering why the tacho and battery light don't work as they should (or at all)...let me give you a summarised version of my week
1) Old alternator getting noisy (probably bearings) - so it's removed
2) New alternator purchased (don't ask why - long story and i know i will be getting the old one reconditioned)
Old alternator has 4 connections
- A great big brown one on a post
- A little one on a little post
- A white spade connector
- A black spade connector (attached to the white spade)
As we all (now..) know the tacho gets a signal from the alternator and counts the pulses and the battery lamp is wired to the alternator and goes out when it gets up to voltage. The old alternator used the black spade (i think) for a suppressor connection so you can listen to AM radio without interference.
The new alternator has a big post, a little post and a set of three spades (two big, one small). You need to get the white spade onto the little post (change to a ring connector) and the little ring wire onto the little spade connector in the group of 3. Cut off the black spade. Hook the big wire up as normal.
For some fun reason the newer alternators have different connections to the old ones. This took a bit of trial and error and a concern i was going to blow something up, but now all is well.
Why can't they just keep everything the same!!!
