I broke down today and ordered a one wire alternator. I am getting tired of trying to hide the large collection of wires up front! I searched the archives and can not fnd any reference as to how to wire, if possible, the ALT dash light! I am not worried about it as this is a sunny day, no radio or wipers etc car. But, if I can wire it in, why not. Ideas ? I also will have a brand new chrome THREE WIRE for sale very soon. Less than 100 miles!
Scotty, my understanding is ...you can't run... an "idjet" light with a 1 wire. a 3 wire you can. here is a pic. of Earls' car we cleaned up with a 3 wire 100 amp. ... ...
The ALT warning light is part of the voltage regulator system. It basically senses a difference in battery voltage and alternator output voltage. When everything is working the way it is supposed to, you'll have 13ish volts on the input and output side of the warning light. Since a one wire is internally regulated and has no field sensing output wire, there really isn't a way to hook up the ALT light on the dash and make it functional. If you just want it to stay off without taking out the gauge cluster and the light bulb, then you can just run ign voltage to the sensing wire in the harness. The sensing wire is one of the 3 wires in the plug. Those three wires are ignition, sensing, and ground. So, the short version is just solder the ign and the sensing wires together and let the grnd just hang out somewhere. Don't ground the ground wire or you'll get lots of smoke and a slight panic attack! For reference, just google "how an alternator works" and the first couple of hits will explain all of this better than I did and have diagrams.
Sure you can... When you buy a GM one-wire, at least. The GM one-wire has two bladed prongs at the bottom. You buy a $2 plug that fits on there only one way. One wire is red, the other is white. You short the red wire over to the "one wire" charging lead, and the white wire goes to the "idiot" light on the dash. I am not sure if the wiring is the same for the 100AMP one-wire alternators you get from JEGS... I guess that what you are saying is true, it IS part of the voltage regulating system, but in the one-wires (at least the ones that I know of, not necessarily the JEGS high output ones) the regulator is built INTO the alternator, and is not external. If I am not mistaken, if it looks like an alternator and does not have an internally or externally regulated current, it is called a "generator" like they have on old tractors, maybe even old trucks. I think all the items we are discussing are called "alternators" and have some system for regulation.
ok.. so when you switch to the one wire setup.. what do you do with all those wires going to the voltage regulator? cut them.. ok.. but where.. and how do you know you cut the right ones? this is why i need people that live near me.. would make life so easy on mod'n my car
Cut them all, as close to the harness as you can. Throw them away. Run a new wire to the Hot side of the starting solenoid or wherever you are providing power to the battery. That is it. Personally, I ran my wire all the way to the trunk for the kill switch. Didn't want the alternator to keep the car running after the kill switch was kicked on.
once you buy the plug and install it you then have a...3 wire alt...like i said it won't work with a ...1 wire alt... ... ...
I have a GM 1-wire and there are no blades or any other connections other than the post for the wire that goes to the battery. If you have a voltmeter there's no need for an idiot light.
I guess if you get technical... But, only one wire HAS to leave the alternator in this setup. The white wire is optional for the dummy light. I will try to get a pic of the plug and blades if I can get under there today.
Found this in Rick Book's stuff. This is the bottom of the alternator. He just ran the jumper, the second blade is for the idiot light. You can buy a small plug that fits in that hole and has the pigtails for you to attach to the jumper and the idiot light.
If you get rid of the old alternator wiring harness and regulator there is nothing connected to the idiot light, why do you think it would stay lit? It is possible to make the light work with a 1-wire if you add some additional circuitry, some type of voltage sensor like a zener diode that would activate a relay or transistor to turn on the light if the alternator voltage dropped below a specific voltage.
Duh! You are right, If I leave the harness unplugged there is nothing charging the light! I am not worried about having a light I just did not want it to stay on!
