everything running good , i put 500 miles on this altinator. about 20 mins ago i went to leave a friends house. go in car start it hen engine kicked over,my radio and radar cam on at that moment. all is good i turned on my headlights. at that moment i heard a buzz and a pop everything in the car dimmed, rpm's ent low and then cam back. no wthe radio is buzzing w/ the engine, the batery guage is dancing up and down (ranges from around 10-14 volts). basicly the alt is shot. this is ## 4 in 2 months

now WTF is the poblem .

notes on my car ::
3 year old batery has no problem cranking the engine. msd 6a powerlead direct to batery (as th emanual for it called for). a 4guage cable on th epositive of the batery all the way to the back to a distribution box where it switches to 2 8guage cables one to each of my amps (300w jensen on my sub, 200w alpine on my 6x9 )they are grounded direct to the body with 8 guage cable each.

i am going to go wire tracing tomorro anything i should be looking for? commmon spots? now i just hope r+s will take the alt back (it is a lifetime).

thanks

-Stell



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1988 IROC 305TPI MINT!!
Mods= Accell SuperCoil, MSD 6A, Ported Plenum, No MAF Screans , K & N, 160 Thermostat+ Temp Switch
And Always Trying To Go Faster

 

if it's a low quality rebuild that would be the first thing i suspected. even if you've had several on the car. it should be under warrenty still. take it back, have it tested and replaced. is the alt. big enough for your application? i'd go with the biggest one they had if you have a cd or anything else pulling a big load on the charging system.

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-=ICON MOTORSPORTS=-

 

What size is the output wire from the alt?
It needs to be a 4 gauge just like the amp wiring. Anything smaller and you are risking burning out another alt. The reason is during normal driving, the whole electrical load is on the alt. not the battery. The battery nominal voltage is 12.5 and the alt. normal output is around 14.5 so the alt. wins the voltage battle and runs all systems.

Now if you have a 78 amp or even the larger 110 amp alt. you are asking to run all systems off of that dinky factory output wire, it tries to force all those amps through and what will not go turnes to heat and backfeeds to the alt. greatly reducing it's life.

You need to run a 4 gauge from alt to battery. I know the little wire doesn't go straight to the battery but remove it anyway then from distribution point run that little wire to the battery also.

My car's voltage gauge never goes below 14 volts like this with everything on full.

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86 Camaro Sport
383 Speed-O-Motive Crate Engine, Trick Flow Heads, 58mm Accel TB, 3.73 Auburn Pro, SLP Cold Air Induction and Headers, Dynomax Cat-back, Serpentine belt setup.

http://64.176.105.239/octride.htm

 

ok so i should replace it to say 8? i only used the 4 cause i had it laying aound. now..

i did some continuity testing. the wires that connect to the regulator, the red and brown, is there suposto be continuity through them (through the wires not the altinator) do they ever connect somewhere? the other little wire is the voltage gauge and there is no continuity anywhere.

also are there any wires i should test to see if i have continuity somewhere and not suposto have it.

 

think i found th eprob, what do you guys think.

i took the old batery on my car. to be tested, needless to say it blewup (no lie, the caps flew about 4 feet) could that have cooked 4 altinators ?? and still been able to do charge the car

 

Every alternator I've had talks about "alternator death", and a voided warranty. They say to prevent this, make sure the battery is fully charged before connecting the new alternator.


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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards

 

My recommendation to you is to buy a new awesome battery with more than enough cranking amps and buy ONLY new alternators.

Rebiult alternator are famous for dying very quickly, especially if the battery is down on power just a little bit.

Go to AutoZone and buy their gold series alternator with a lifetime guarantee.



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'87 L98 TPI IROCZ, AFR190 heads, 3.70 gears, ZZ9 cam, 2400 Art Carr TC, SLP 1 3/4" headers, SLP cat-back, no cat, no AC, no MAF screens, Accel manifold base & SuperRam, Edelbrock double roller timing chain, MSD ext coil & distributor, trans cooler, 52mm TB with airfoil, TB coolant bypass, AFPR(48psi), K&N filters, Hotchkis lowering springs, Car-Pro custom chip, Lay Ind. ram air kit, 265/45R16 Kumho V700 tires.
ET 13.39sec @ 107.21mph
'90 Eagle Talon AWD, no rust thru 9 winters
'99 Camaro SS, red, 6-spd, T-tops, Mcleod clutch, Pro 5.0 shifter, MAF processor, Direct Flow airlid, K&N filter.
313.7Hp & 320.6ft-lbf, ET 13.55sec @ 105.1mph
next mod: 4.10 rear gears

 

What is a radar cam??

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Godti
'89 Trans Am (Red)
305 TBI 5spd

 

IMHO i would stay away from autozone alternators,i went through two of those. i was having the same problem but not within the time span you are describing( took about 8 months)invest in a real ac delco 110 and one more thing how long is your ground wire from your amps( should be as close to them or the battery as possible).

91 rs
few mods
3 JL 10W6's
2 rockford punch 500a2
mb quart mids and tweeters

92 25th z-28
bone stock (for now)

 

the wires are about 2 feet long for the amps, they goto a hole with a screw and one of those stared washers that gouge into the body just under the taillights. i am pretty sure this is a good ground. the batery i got is pepboys one with 750 CCA and more after 32degrees.
its a lifetime r+s altinator now. howmutch did the dealer get ya for that altinator? also what was that part number


-Stell

------------------
1988 IROC 305TPI MINT!!
Mods= Accell SuperCoil, MSD 6A, Ported Plenum, No MAF Screans , K & N, 160 Thermostat+ Temp Switch
And Always Trying To Go Faster

 

im not sure what the actual cost or part # is......my friend hooked me up with it from my local delco parts dealer.....i know he got it for me for under 75 bucks how i dont know but im not complaining about it.