alt swap, now power drains

[mrbigtanker]

Relay is unplugged, time will tell if I still have a draw somewhere?????

ck it now!!!!!!

 

watch this about 50 secs into.

Thats how you ck for a drain, make sure everything is OFF.

 

good find,

[q-tip]

Did some more poking around, found two drains.

 

1. Constant 12 volt for radio, don't think this is a big deal.

 

2. The small yellow wire from the alternator. Could this be a bad diode and explain my charge light not working?

[Tristin]

1. Constant 12 volt for radio, don't think this is a big deal.

 

I cant remember what radio you have in the truck, but the newer ones will always have a small drain. It keeps the time current as well as it remembers your presets for stations and such. If its an older manual push-button radio and not an electric switch-button then there should be no draw... 

[datzenmike]

The Yellow is now connected to the White wire and that goes to the positive battery terminal.

 

 

Just how big is this draw. It may be like the clock and can be left for weeks without problems.

[q-tip]

Don't have a clock, don't know how big the draw is I was just using the test light method

 

I put the small yellow wire from the ka alt to the yellow wire on the stock harness and the big white wire from the alt to the white wire on the stock harness. At the regulator harness I followed mikes instructions

[q-tip]

Over due update. Got a resistor to check the actual drain on the battery, the yellow wire from the ka alternator plug that goes the the yellow wire on the stock 620 plug is drawing 2.5 volts. Any info would help emensly!

[datzenmike]

There are two wires to the alternator plug so how did you figure out which one goes where??? The 620 plug won't fit the KA alt so did you guess?

 

 

The KA alt plug should be marked L and S terminals.

 

 

The L on the alt. should have the Yellow wire on the 620 harness. This is the charge lamp in the dash.

 

The S on the alt. should have the White/Black stripe wire from the 620 harness.

 

 

Wires are correct, the charge light stopped working before I swapped the alternator now that I really think about it. I'm just stumped. I also thought bad alternator as well. I did notice that when I hooked the battery back up the heater a/c relay kicks on, could it be something there?

 

Are you sure? Don't go only on wire colors from the KA alt. Go by the terminal letters.

L on the KA alt. to the Yellow 620 wire

S on the KA alt. to the White/Black stripe on the 620 wire.

[q-tip]

I went by the size of the wire, the yellow one is probly 18 guage and the white is probly 12 gauge. I also could not find the letters on the ka alternator. Looked all around the plug

[datzenmike]

It's on the plug IIRC

 

[q-tip]

I'll check the plug again, didn't see it before

[datzenmike]

I was thinking it may be on the foil label on the alt. If it's gone, I may be able to look on mine tomorrow.

[Tristin]

Found this with a search:

 

[datzenmike]

My S13 and the Altima both only had 2 wires.

[q-tip]

The only thing on the plug is a + over the small yellow wire and a - over the lager white wire

[datzenmike]

I'll look at the sedan one tomorrow.

[q-tip]

I appretiate all the help mike, not used to needing a lot of help but I'm not above it either

[q-tip]

The longer I sit on this the more I think the alternator is just bad

[banzai510(hainz)]

if you disconnect the alternator then the battery will not drain it fyou say the alternator is bad.

 

maybe its not chrging enough.

 

But That why I tell people to put a volt meter in there and one can tell

 

http://www.equus.com/Product/3721/Battery-Monitor

[q-tip]

With the truck at an idle its charging 14.4 volts with no accessories on, with wipers hazards high beams and radio is charging 13.4ish. With the truck off the alternator draws 2.5 volts thru the yellow wire

[banzai510(hainz)]

YOu disconnect the + output wire on alternator and see if its still drawing 2.5 volts??????

 

I would use a test light myself like I posted before then disconnect stuff till the light goes out.

[q-tip]

That's what I did, when I unplug the yellow wire that comes from the alternator the draw is gone. So it is definitely something on that circuit

[banzai510(hainz)]

#1)  well i would unplug the + wire from the terminal first. and see if the light goes out.

 

I have never done removing a yellow wire as the only yellow wire I know went to the T connector.(maybe Ill learn something here)

 

that yel wire could come from the battery via the mod you made thru the old volt reg going to grnd but Im only guessing, but do #1 first

 

I always thought when you turn the key to On it energizes the alternator thru the field wire(watever color that is)

[q-tip]

I will try unhooking the main power wire next time I'm in the garage

[q-tip]

Did some more poking around today. With the main charge wire pulled there is still a draw as before. With the wires at the T-plug switched there is no draw

[q-tip]

This is the wires on the ka plug

 

 

This is the only thing that has any markings on it