Electrical Problem...HELP!!

[BigDukeSix]

Ok now as I pull what little bit of hair I have left out of my noggin, here is where we are at, when I bought the beast it had a GEN2 light on which I suspected meant that there was a problem with the GEN so I had an extra Gen from another CUCV and had it rebuilt and installed it.

Looking at the vehicle from the front on the Drivers side there is a small red wire that runs from the positive on the DS battery to a relay/bridge upon the fire wall.

Now before I swaped out the GEN all worked well except you could not keep a charge in the Batteries, other than that would start and run great.

So swap out the gen go to hook every thing back up get to the driver side battery put the terminal on the post all looks good and acts well, then I go to hook up the red wire (that runs to the bridge on the Fire wall) that was on the positive post before and SPARKS FLY...

The rebuilt GEN was hooked up exatly like the old one have checked it twice.

Without this wire I have no ignition, any help would be greatly appreciated

BD6

 

[mangus580]

DS battery? Are you referring to the Front battery?

It sounds to me like the Alternator you put in does NOT have a properly isolated ground.

 

[Michael]

If you replaced the passenger side alternator, I would check to be sure the ground is still isolated. It is common for rebuilders to not isolate the ground.

 

[dunedigger]

Exactly what happened to me recently. I bought a isolated ground alternator and it wasn't. Sparks will fly at the tap block on the firewall because thats where the direct short occurs. If the alternator shop will not help you out and your drivers side alt still works you can swap them, the drivers side does not need to be isolated. The negative side of the drivers side is feed from the engine block, the negative side of the drivers side is feed from the 12 v side of the drivers alt. That is what make the output 24v on the drivers side (isolated ground is a must or it will short)

 

[BigDukeSix]

Thanks, on the Driver Side (DS) there is a ground wire that runs from the Alt/Gen to the Engine Block so if I just remove that wire will that work? On the PS (Passenger Side the one I replaced there is no wire running to the block just a series of wires that run around the back of the engine block and around to the other side. The owner before me must have worked on the wiring before me because there is some splicing done in other locations.

If all it will take is for me to swap alts from one side to the other I can do that, but when I put the new alt on the DS will I need to rehook the Ground wire back to the block again?

Thank you all for your help, and please excuse my ignorance but electrical is not my fortey by far..


Big Duke Six

 

[BigDukeSix]

Thanks, on the Driver Side (DS) there is a ground wire that runs from the Alt/Gen to the Engine Block so if I just remove that wire will that work? On the PS (Passenger Side the one I replaced there is no wire running to the block just a series of wires that run around the back of the engine block and around to the other side. The owner before me must have worked on the wiring before me because there is some splicing done in other locations.

If all it will take is for me to swap alts from one side to the other I can do that, but when I put the new alt on the DS will I need to rehook the Ground wire back to the block again?

Thank you all for your help, and please excuse my ignorance but electrical is not my fortey by far..


Big Duke Six

 

[Westech]

Well this helps me out alot also. I will get a civy unit for my driver side and move the driver to the pass side.

 

[Michael]

If you paid someone good money to rebuild the passenger alternator and they did it wrong, I would take it back to them and have them fix their work. There is a good chance you damaged it when you hooked it up. But, to answer your question, you could swap it to the drivers side. I would go ahead and hook up the ground wire just to be sure it is properly grounded. I would be sure that the passenger alternator no longer having an isolated ground is the problem though. If there is some other problem causing the short you may end up with two bad alternators.

This has been discussed many times before, so you might do a search. You need to print off the wiring diagrams in the TM also. I think it is appendix f in the -20

http://old.steelsoldiers.com/index.php?module=pagesetter&type=file&func=get&tid=1&fid=file&pid=8

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showwiki.php?title=wiki:Cucv

 

[ChalkOutline]

"Electrical Problem...HELP!!"

Welcome to the CUCV world .
Many. if not most, posts in this forum are for help with electrical issues. That is the dark cloud in this silver lining. Hope you got your problem solved.

 

[Michael]

I might as well add that most people burn out a fuseable link when they hook up an alternator without an isolated ground on the passenger side.

 

[fulltiltwill]

Isolated ground

Hello
I am going through the same thing. My Gen 2 light would come on at low idol. I pulled both alternators had them tested. The DS was toast but the PS tested fine. I lucked out and found a replacement for the DS. Put everything back together and nothing has changed. If any thing it got worse because know the truck will stall when I let off the gas at a stop. Is there a way to isolate the ground or do you have to do that internaly? I was hoping to switch the new DS over to the PS.
Secondly is the thin wire on the DS that just plugs in on a little pin for the tach? That was what I was told it was for.
Thanks
Adam

 

[Harold]

Help can anyone tell me where in the world the following heavy Solid Yellow Wire, and heavy Purple and White wire connects to. I can't find the connection anywhere.

Thanks in Advance!!

 

[mangus580]

It would help if we knew where you have found that plug.

 

[Harold]

The wire is directly under the steering column in the wiring harness.

 

[BigDukeSix]

Well hell I thought I had it licked, took the alternator back to the shop and they made it right, re installed it again, fired it all up and viola, the amp quage staying in the GREEN WOOOHOO...then today I drive it to work smiling from ear to ear happy as a lark, go out at lunch and there is the sound of DEATH..click..click..click..click....battery dead yet again.

Somehow I believe it is tied into the service light switch, as the previous owner has ran a blue wire from the firewall relay down under and to the rear of the beast, it looks like it ties the tail lighs into the system somehow.

Anyways I have downloaded electrical schematics for it and will be taking it to a buddy of mine who has a couple of the CUCVs and he is a mechanic...so hopefully soon GOD willing and the creek dont rise......it will be ALIVE..ALIVE I tell you...BBWWAHAHAHAH

Also I wanted to say thank everyone who has responded and helped.


BDS

 

[stampy]

"......it will be ALIVE..ALIVE I tell you...BBWWAHAHAHAH"

LOOOOOL