alternator question

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  • zdr262
    Noobie
    • Apr 2004
    • 14

    #1

    alternator question

    My alternator is not charging my battery so I think there is a bad connection so I am going to rewire the alternator....(brand new alternator and battery) and I was wondering if anybody can tell me where all the connections go on the back of the alternator.... There is one connection on the back the new one, that my old one did not have. a male quickconnect that comes out the that says B+ next to it(I know that usually means batt but just want to be sure) if anybody has a diagram or site I can look at it would help a lot...plus when I get home ill get pics.... Btw its a 84 325e
  • zdr262
    Noobie
    • Apr 2004
    • 14

    #2
    I have the small ground on the outside posts of the alternator is grounded to the intake manifold and the tranny..... Could they be bad grounds? Also my other two factory connections are secure...I'm just going to buy wires and run them all myself to avoid the headache....that is why I need the diagrams and need to know if that male b+ qq is needed.... Thanks in advance ....sorry if this sounds choppy I'm typing on my sidekick in the middle of class ...

    Comment

    • zdr262
      Noobie
      • Apr 2004
      • 14

      #3

      see pic ...... (A) have no idea if that is used, it wasnt on my old alternator that i can remember and it had nothing to plug into it. It does have a engraving on the top that says B+ so i was wondering if that goes to the battery...

      (B )i know is a ground it connects to the intake manifold and the tranny..(could the connections be dirty?

      ©need to find out where this wire connects to on the other side and what its for

      (D) just need conformation that that connects directly to the battery...

      if any of my info is incorrect please correct it... any help would be apprecitated...

      Comment

      • zdr262
        Noobie
        • Apr 2004
        • 14

        #4
        i was told that that B+ should be connected however i have two wires that are not connected to anything as you can see....ok i have a few pics sorry about the quality the enviroment i had to shoot them in is pooooorrrr =).......i labeled them like a lawyer so i could be cool .....

        exhibit F- there are two wires here and they are bundled together one is red with a green stripe or vice versa which is not cut.... but the other is blue with a white stripe and it has been cut and never been connected(bought the car a couple of months ago it was cut then)

        exhibit E- is a connector that is in the same bundle with the other two wires that go to my alternator one wire is blue/white and the other is blue/red what the inside of the connector looks like is exhibit E(1)

        The last pic is how i feel about my alternator right now :ouch

        if you have any info on any of these wires please help =)

        Comment

        • rs4pro3
          R3V Elite
          • Oct 2003
          • 5808

          #5
          E1 looks like the Oil level indicator plug,The Large Red wire runs dirrectly to the starter, and from there to the Battery, A smaller Red wire should also be attached to the alternator with a 13mm nut at the same spot.
          Now there should be two wires connected to the 10mm nut terminal on my 86 eta they are blue. and Run into the Main engine harness.
          85 325e 2.7 ITB'd stroker

          Comment

          • zdr262
            Noobie
            • Apr 2004
            • 14

            #6
            Originally posted by rs4pro3
            E1 looks like the Oil level indicator plug,The Large Red wire runs dirrectly to the starter, and from there to the Battery, A smaller Red wire should also be attached to the alternator with a 13mm nut at the same spot.
            Now there should be two wires connected to the 10mm nut terminal on my 86 eta they are blue. and Run into the Main engine harness.
            so the thick red wire runs directly to the starter (D) so there should be two wires connected to (D) ? because there is only one.... then next to it (C) do you know where that connects.... the red wire in B is a ground it looks like the person that owned the car before me made it, its a ground to the intake manifold and the to the tranny....yea my oil light came on.....

            Comment

            • rs4pro3
              R3V Elite
              • Oct 2003
              • 5808

              #7
              Ok on an 84 325e harness I have D is a Large Guage red wire, it runs dirrectly to the Starter(takes a weird path but nothing braches off of it)(no smaller wire like on the 86 I've got)
              C has two small guage blue wires connected to it,
              The Oil level sender has 2 small guage wires, one blue/violet and the other blue/white.
              Then there is the ground wire which is seperate from the engine harness
              85 325e 2.7 ITB'd stroker

              Comment

              • zdr262
                Noobie
                • Apr 2004
                • 14

                #8
                Originally posted by rs4pro3
                Ok on an 84 325e harness I have D is a Large Guage red wire, it runs dirrectly to the Starter(takes a weird path but nothing braches off of it)(no smaller wire like on the 86 I've got)
                C has two small guage blue wires connected to it,
                The Oil level sender has 2 small guage wires, one blue/violet and the other blue/white.
                Then there is the ground wire which is seperate from the engine harness
                ok i have all those connected i looked at the wiring last night... i didnt have a volt meter here but i did have a test light ..... i hooked up my oil level sensor and that worked, thanks.... took off all the grounds and cleaned them and put them back on and used the test light it showed them as being good grounds....as far as the other two wires that connceted... with the test light it also showed that the thick red wire (D) was getting power as well as both of the blue wires that are connected at (C).... i am still concerned with (A) though it doesnt hook up to anything......now im going to look at a possability that the alternator they sold me was bad i might take it out again and have them test it..... also is that any fuses or relays that might have blown i can look at, i looked at all the fuses under the hood on the drivers side but none were blown ? btw rs4pro3 thanks you have been a big help so far i appreciate it......

                Comment

                • rs4pro3
                  R3V Elite
                  • Oct 2003
                  • 5808

                  #9
                  No prob. Of the 5 alternators I have laying in the garage or on e30's none of them have that other connector. I'd take it to autozone and have it tested or something.
                  85 325e 2.7 ITB'd stroker

                  Comment

                  • zdr262
                    Noobie
                    • Apr 2004
                    • 14

                    #10
                    ok here is a twist that might help figure out what happend ... i had my alternator tested and it was good battery test good.... so i get everthing in and i noticed a few things the wire on (C) was not getting any power..... and as i was testing in i accidently touched the battery lead wire(D) to it and it gave a little spark, so what do you know the cars light go bright and it starts charging hmmmmm and now the wire has power, so i regrounded the wire and tested the (C) alone this time and it had power for a little while and then it stops producing charge for a little while
                    ..... but it doesnt last it only charges for a little while and then it starts to die again.... so what does that mean is there a bad ground? is that (C) supposed to be positive power source?

                    Comment

                    • grlaneriejr
                      Grease Monkey
                      • Oct 2003
                      • 321

                      #11
                      Don't assume that b/c it is a new alternator, it is good. I went through 5 alternators in July of this year before I finally found one that was good.

                      Take it somewhere like autozone or pep boys and have them test it. It needs to put out between 12.5 and 13.9 volts or it is trash.

                      Comment

                      • zdr262
                        Noobie
                        • Apr 2004
                        • 14

                        #12
                        Originally posted by grlaneriejr
                        Don't assume that b/c it is a new alternator, it is good. I went through 5 alternators in July of this year before I finally found one that was good.

                        Take it somewhere like autozone or pep boys and have them test it. It needs to put out between 12.5 and 13.9 volts or it is trash.
                        yea i figured the same thing... i did take it to kragen and they tested the alternator and the battery and said they were both good....

                        F#$& today i feel like ive been taking crazy pills .......my whole car is going crazy now on top of this my windows arent working and i was testing fuses and the light is flickering so i am getting power in pulses ..... i dont know what to do, maybe its just cause it halloween or some thing

                        Comment

                        • rs4pro3
                          R3V Elite
                          • Oct 2003
                          • 5808

                          #13
                          Check the voltage regulator,
                          85 325e 2.7 ITB'd stroker

                          Comment

                          • zdr262
                            Noobie
                            • Apr 2004
                            • 14

                            #14
                            Originally posted by rs4pro3
                            Check the voltage regulator,
                            if im not mistaken the 84 325e has a internal voltage regulator right? how would i check that?

                            Comment

                            • arnoldgtr
                              Advanced Member
                              • Mar 2004
                              • 153

                              #15
                              The small blue wire is the exciter wire. Without power on it, you get no charge. Power comes to the blue wire from the ignition switch, then through the battery light on the instrument cluster. On early E30's, there is no resistor wired in parallel with the light. If the light burns out or if the bulb is missing, the alternator won't charge. Check the battery light by turning the ignition switch to position #2.
                              BTW, the second blue wire is not necessary for proper function of the alternator. It goes to the diagnostic connector.
                              The voltage regulator is on the right in your first picture. It is white with a black center and is attached with two screws.
                              HTH,
                              John
                              88 ///M3 Cinnabar
                              84 318i Black

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