freegdr

maybe the bulb is burned out in the dash that would complete the circut to the green and tan?

ET JEEP

Yes, I had mentioned that the charge indicator has to work for the circuit to work. Somewhere that wire is losing power.

freegdr

dont no if he has gauges or lights my friend misubishi bulb buened out alt quit new bulb started charging again

98jeepsrt6

Hey guys, well finish up the teating earlier, ill have the pics and video up tom.. But i pretty much got the same readings.. Except for when ign is off and in acc.. I got 0.00v.... on my first test it showed.01 but thats all.

Results
Green: + - 8.5
Green/orange: 13.42
Alt + to batt: 13.5
^^ this is engine running

Ignition off
Green: 0.00
Green/orange:0.00
Batt: 12.6
^^ same results ignition on no start

I questioned earlier if his gauge/light was working, i remember before his stated though that it would work interm..

dham99

Sorry guys busy day, didnt get a chance to work under the hood today (yesterday).

If i remove the battery cable, the car dies. does not keep running. this however is not a practice i choose to do anymore than necessary, as it can lead to other major electrical problems.

Im not sure unless i go back to clarify what bulbs/lights/gauges you guys are referring to, but the battery gauge in the instrument cluster is working. There is a "light" lighting up the console (bulbs in the instrument cluster panel) and the gauge itself actually works, even if i just turn on accessory it shows the voltage.

Im guessing Im going to have to trace that tan/black cable somehow to see where it goes since it seems to be the questionable issue. Then we can determine whether or not it should have voltage or not.

I appreciate everyones help on this and the schematics by 'free' and 'et'. without your guys' help id be dead in the water by now!

freegdr

well your just gonna hve to take a day off and fix it its driving me nuts like a kid waiting for santa to slide down the chimney lol any time dude

ET JEEP

Ok, I got a schematic from freegdr, thanks. I will review it later today and see if it shows what we need to know.

The test by 98jeepsrt6 shows the same result as my test. That wire needs to have some voltage with the engine running. You may have to spend the time tracing it.

Thanks 98jeepsrt6 for taking the time to do this test for us.

98jeepsrt6

No problem... But your going to be upset with the schematic of the cluster, it goes into the cluster and grounds after.. Free mentioned earlier that the light/ gauge may not work but that was quickly resolved when the OP stated it works fine.. i dont think its the tan/green we need to look at..

when i get off today ima do another test same procedure but disconnecting the pigtail and testing the green and Gr/Or wire from main harness.. see what reading i get.

Same test on pigtail from alt.. I dont think ill get anything this way but just to see.. will be a quick test since im on batt power.

Also another test with the connections apart and run a wire from green on harness to green on pigtail, and see if i get the output reading for the gauge.. and see if gauge works or not..

Same test with green/orange but i dont think i will get a reading..


Video:

freegdr

find a buddy and swap his alt real quick see what happebs i dont trust the guys at auto parts two days before the could have been working at mcdonalds you no

freegdr

the wire that goes to the gauge gets its power from the chargin circut from alt to turn light out or power gauge if the other side is grounded

98jeepsrt6

OK ima throw this one out there, i cant beleive i just remembered now but i had a similar problem on my 95 eclipse gst.. AFter rebuilding the motor and having her purring i was having an electrical issues that i thought was the alt.. i can start the car but it will die shortly after.. if i left my cables on she would continue running until i discod the cables or shut off the car.. This problem haunted me for 3 months, i even took it to a shop for them to check it out and they just ended up ****ing up everything.. 10 bent valves and then blame it on me that the time was off..

Anyways back to the subject, i was tinkering around one day in the back area where my a/c compressor was and noticed a black wire flopping around.. I grounded the wire at its appointed spot and started the car up and that was it.. she kept running with no more charging problems.

Try looking for any other ground that may be broken or not grounded..
AGain his alternator is internally grounded correct? And his ground test came out positive for good ground. Just want to make sure. On the pigtail, the side that connects to alt, that was a plug correct, no eyehole connections?

dham99

98jeepsrt6, you are correct.

Let me recap for those who just joined us...lol

went through some nasty *** mud about a month ago.
got to the gas station to clean the window off, noticed the taillights and instrument panel lights out.

replaced the dash/instrument fuse, both came back on.

driving home, car lights were dimmer and dimmer. got to the driveway, car died.

jumped her, disconn cables, runs for 2 minutes, sputters and dies. did this about 10x.

was told the alt was fried. never actually had the old one tested, but it was SO gunked up i didnt argue.

new alt in, reconnect everything. trickle charged the batt over night while i was waiting for the new alt to go in (takes 5 minutes to do one, i know).

starts up great, ran 1 hour south the next day and went mudding again (i know i know, but it held charge and was good!)

then get home, stops charging again as i pull into the driveway. but it WAS good after the reinstall for a day. then did lighter mudding but had it on ALL day, running, full lights(and fog), even used the air compressor. never drained until i got home.

did the recharge and it would die thing again.

since then, no changes. have checked all cables, alt tested good at two different stores twice at one, three times at another.

battery tested (not under load) as good.

reconnected all grounds, cleaned up, sanded, put back.

tested all wires to and from the alt, 99% sure everything is good.

only variable SO FAR is this tan/black wire in the pigtail from the alt, to the 6wire connector. There is no charge on it...the yellow in the same connector has charge.

2 connections on alt only, eye-hole goes to starter relay/battery positive.
other is 4 pin (only 2 active wires) to 6 wire connector. all other wires in this connector are hot, the tan/black one is not.

have not traced the black/tan wire effectively yet.

multiple schematics show differnt things. not sure if that wire should be hot.

im going to go test that wire with the car running, and just 'on'.

thats where we are, in a nut shell with a lot of great help from some very persistant jeepsters!

dham99

a common variable since the first alt stopped working here...

instrument/tail lights stopped working.

new fuse helped, but then the alt quit.

MAYBE that tan/black is loose somewhere near the instrument. I thought soeone said something about it may be just a ground going up in the dash somewhere. Im going to trace it if it kills me!!

at this point, all lights work and function and i have no problems until the battery drains and dies.

ET JEEP

Ok, I have reviewed that schematic that freegdr sent me and it is helpful. Too bad I cannot post the file as it is too large. I don't know how to post part of the file.

dham99, you have a copy so go to page 8, the instrument cluster. Reading your posts you say the voltmeter works and the alternator light works. Correct me if I am wrong.

Look at the instrument cluster box on the right side is the pin A6. This is the voltage feed to the instrument cluster. On the left side is pin A3. This is the alternator light pin. Just to the left of A3 you see gauge fuse and wire WHT-T. This wire provide the votage feed to the instrument cluster.

If you follow that wire up to the A connector you will see it enter pin A6 on the instrument cluster. Now go to pin A3 on the connector and you will see the wire G2 going to the alternator. Look at page 3 and the alternator you will see G2 which is the same wire.

You need to verify that the alternator light is turning on and staying on when the engine is running and not charging. Also check to see if other lights, in the instrument cluster, are not working as that wire feeds a few things. Just follow the wire to pin numbers on the A and B connector.

What I would do now is find that A connector and do a continuity test from the wire end at connector pin A3 to the end of the wire at the alternator to make sure the wire has no break. If you get continuity, this saves tracing the wire.

When you post the result we can continue.

My thinking is the wire is disconnected, not making good contact at pin A3 or it has a break somewhere. The continuity test will help.


This thread has no end.

ET JEEP

Good video. This will help others know what to look for. I got the same results on my test except with key on, I got a little less than one volt on each wire.

If you go to a radio shack with your meter test leads, you may find some slip on alligator clips for you lead pin. When doing a few voltage tests I just clip the ground wire and just work with the positive lead. It also frees your hand.