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skrtskrt

Joined: 12 Jul 2024 Posts: 12 Location: Hillsdale, Michigan, US
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Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2024 3:00 am Post subject: I’m at my wits end. Alternator not charging. |
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I’ve replaced the alternator and had the alternator tested to make sure it works and it does.
I’ve replaced all the B+ wires that go from the alternator to starter then to battery positive so thats not the problem.
Ground has good connection.
I know it’s somewhere along the excitement wire (D+) that there is the problem (because that is all that is left) and I’ve tried tracking the wiring through diagrams with the Haynes manual I have with no luck.
I’m just trying to figure out where the wire goes because everything I find online is that it goes through the battery light and if that light doesn’t come on then the excitement wire os the problem but my battery light comes on so I’m at a loss.
Any and all help/advice is welcome  _________________ 1979 Porsche 924 - The first but probably not the last |
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coup85

Joined: 12 Aug 2024 Posts: 48 Location: Madrid
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Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2024 6:15 pm Post subject: |
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It's also important to check the battery light on the dashboard, as a defective bulb can cause the battery not to charge. I'd start right there.
You can find the cable on page 258 of the Haynes manual. It doesn't appear on Porsche's parts manual as the "excitement wire" is just a single cable, usually blue, that goes from the alternator to the dashboard.
 _________________ 924 - 79' |
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Raize
Joined: 18 Sep 2013 Posts: 327 Location: Scotland
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Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2024 10:21 pm Post subject: |
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D+ goes to the 3-pin white connector above the brake booster, you can pull that apart and check for 12V there with the with the ignition on.
One wire is starter solenoid, one is the coil booster during starting, and one is the D+ wire. So I think you should see 0V on the solenoid wire, 6-9V or maybe less on the coil booster wire, and 12V on the D+ wire. |
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skrtskrt

Joined: 12 Jul 2024 Posts: 12 Location: Hillsdale, Michigan, US
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Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2024 11:19 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for the replies, I’ve already checked the wires up the 3 way plug so those are all good but after that I loose where the wire goes through the harness but seeing that it goes straight to the bulb helps. I’ll give the battery bulb a look.
Would there still be a problem at the bulb if it comes on when ignition is turned on and goes off once car is started? _________________ 1979 Porsche 924 - The first but probably not the last |
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Raize
Joined: 18 Sep 2013 Posts: 327 Location: Scotland
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Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2024 11:36 pm Post subject: |
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skrtskrt wrote: |
Would there still be a problem at the bulb if it comes on when ignition is turned on and goes off once car is started? |
That's exactly what it's meant to do.
Are you actually measuring the voltage at the battery with a multimeter? The cabin gauge is not accurate at all. |
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coup85

Joined: 12 Aug 2024 Posts: 48 Location: Madrid
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Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2024 11:51 pm Post subject: |
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You might try to bypass the connection directly from the alternator to see if the problem is on the wiring. _________________ 924 - 79' |
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skrtskrt

Joined: 12 Jul 2024 Posts: 12 Location: Hillsdale, Michigan, US
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Posted: Mon Sep 30, 2024 2:41 am Post subject: |
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Yes I’ve measured the voltage at the battery and it reads around 12.2v, and bypassing it altogether was going to be my next thing I tried. _________________ 1979 Porsche 924 - The first but probably not the last |
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skrtskrt

Joined: 12 Jul 2024 Posts: 12 Location: Hillsdale, Michigan, US
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Posted: Sat Oct 05, 2024 11:07 am Post subject: |
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coup85 wrote: | You might try to bypass the connection directly from the alternator to see if the problem is on the wiring. |
I bypassed the exciter wire to the battery and checked all the grounds again. I put in a different battery that I know is good. The alternator is creating the magnetic field but I’m still not getting any charge. Could there be any voltage draw if there is a bad starter? I’ve had some problems with my starter being intermittent before and just doing the “click” noise of the solinoid hitting but it hasn’t done that in a while so could something be shorted in the starter? _________________ 1979 Porsche 924 - The first but probably not the last |
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Fifty50Plus

Joined: 28 Feb 2008 Posts: 1404 Location: Washington DC area
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Posted: Sat Oct 05, 2024 12:04 pm Post subject: |
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My race car wasn't charging even though the red light would go out once I started the engine. Turns out that a ground from the alternator housing to the engine block was loose and causing a problem. See if you have a connection there (beside the alternator housing to the engine block near the oil filter). _________________ 1979 924 NA race car
1982 924 NA race car - Sold
1982 924 Turbo almost a PoS
1981 924 Turbo a real PoS, new engine
1982 924 Turbo nice body, blown engine
1972 911 E race car - going to Vintage
Various 944s to become IT-S race car |
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skrtskrt

Joined: 12 Jul 2024 Posts: 12 Location: Hillsdale, Michigan, US
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Posted: Sat Oct 05, 2024 12:18 pm Post subject: |
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Fifty50Plus wrote: | My race car wasn't charging even though the red light would go out once I started the engine. Turns out that a ground from the alternator housing to the engine block was loose and causing a problem. See if you have a connection there (beside the alternator housing to the engine block near the oil filter). |
What other alternator housing to block grounds are there? I only have one near the filter.
Also, I checked it with battery unhooked and car running and I was getting 8.2v from positive terminal on battery to engine block. _________________ 1979 Porsche 924 - The first but probably not the last |
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Raize
Joined: 18 Sep 2013 Posts: 327 Location: Scotland
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Posted: Sat Oct 05, 2024 11:06 pm Post subject: |
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Fifty50Plus wrote: | My race car wasn't charging even though the red light would go out once I started the engine. Turns out that a ground from the alternator housing to the engine block was loose and causing a problem. See if you have a connection there (beside the alternator housing to the engine block near the oil filter). |
This is a possibility too. I redid my alternator ground (it only has one ground) to originate from the lower adjustment bolt (make sure to clean the alterantor back to bare metal) rather than the tiny bolts for the rear cover, because the tiny bolt holes had stripped and kept backing out.
So now it's earthed to one of the larger oil pan bolts. Works fine. Just always make sure you sand the surfaces to get good contact and don't re-use rusted bolts.
A tool that can be useful here is a DC clamp meter, will allow you to very easily check if there is some current flowing between the alternator and starter. One of those tools I wish I bought years ago. |
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