Not charging...Alternator hookup question?

[Brent Mills]

Ok, I'm confused...Not the first or last time I am sure.

Red wire goes to bat terminal on alternator (it does have power). The one that goes to the fld terminal doesn't have power, but checking my truck, it and the bat terminal does have power. The only other wire that has power going to the alternator is a small wire that I thought went to the stat terminal...Damn it!!!

I'm looking at the Kirkham wiring diagram and the alternator diagram on the ERA site....

Anyone with a difinitive on the hookup for a Kirkham?

[Brent Mills]

Here's the ERA alternator diagram.

[Brent Mills]

here's the Kirkham diagram...Top left is the alternator/regulator stuff.

I have the big red wire attached to the battery.
The Brown "N" wire has power going to the "A" terminal.
The "SG" wire I have going to the field terminal (it's not hot) but appears to be on my truck.
The "s" wire I have going to the sta terminal. (this wire is hot)

[Brent Mills]

By the way, looking at the kirkham diagram and the ERA diagram, the regulator connections are in different order? Are regulators different, or should they be the same (maybe my problem)?

[trularin]

They are basically the same. Four terminals: Stator, Alternator, Field and Ignition.

And, that is how they are connected to the car.

Brent, I have no luck in attaching pictures, but if you look in my gallery, there is a FOrd diagram of the connections to a T'bird.

The Stator is a feedback line and does not need to be connected ( at least on my car is doesn't ) the A or Alternator line should be connected to the alternator, not the ignition ( some systems have a diode or two that causes problems). Look at your second drawing, A is connected to the alternator. The F or field line MUST be connected as it excites the alternator to increase or decrease voltage output. The I or ignition is connected to ignition as you have in your diagram with the light.

There are alternators that need the Stator connected, the last one I saw was a 1963 falcon.

I hope this helps.

[trularin]

One more very important thing.

The grounds must be GOOD!!!!!!

The regulator case is the ground for the regulator, make sure it is grounded to the same ground as the alternator!!!!

[Bud Man]

Brent:

On the Kirkham:

Large Black: Battery
Gray: Stator
Gray/Green Stripe: Field

Yes, on the diagram the thick batt wire is red, but on my actual harness the wire is black. Remember a few phone calls on that one!!

Bud

[rbray]

Trularin,
Good Point! I never thought about the possiblity of having different ground circuts in the car. Thanks for the tip!

[Brent Mills]

I put the regulator in that was sent to me from Kirkham. I have the wires going to the same terminals on the alternator that Bud mentioned, but now I am wondering if the wires to the regulator are not correct.

ERA diagram: IASF
Kirkham Diagram: AIFS (pointing same direction as ERA diagram)

I wired exactly as it shows in the Kirkham diagram, but are all regulators wired in hte same order because it's obviously different in the ERA diagram. Is that the problem?

[trularin]

Don't use the order, you need to use the letter terminals as they are lettered.

The solid state units may be labeled different from the old Autolite units.

Try this, connect just F on the regulator to F on the alternator, A on the regulator to the big red terminal on the alternator marked BATT and make sure the two are grounded to the same ground.

You can hold it in your hand and it should work.

If you do this and start the car, you should be able to disconnect the battery and everything should still run... including the engine.

If after you do this test, it works, do not connect anything else. If it doesn't work, add the S wire to the Stator connection on the back of the alternator. and try again.

Let us know how this works for you.

[Brent Mills]

I picked up another regulator this morning at NAPA on the way to work, and as with the one from Kirkham I don't see any letters on it. Instructions just say plug in the harness. The wires are individual.

Thanks for all the help so far guys...Keep it coming...I'm desperate as usual.

[PatBuckley]

Brent -

My first drive resulted in a dead battery - bad regulator from Kirkham - replaced it and all is good!

Pat

I know I should have been looking at the voltmeter but by the time I realized it wasn't going up it was too late...the beauty of an ammeter.

[Brent Mills]

Thank Pat. Was it the same one from Kirkham again or something different? Can you tell me when facing the terminals on the regulator what order the wires are connected?

[Rick Parker]

Brent: Look at the plastic lip near where the male spades emerge from the regulator, the letters are embossed in the plastic. With the spades pointing down , from left to right they are in the following order: "I" , " A", "S", "F".

Hope this helps

Rick

[GeeDoubleYouSee]

The terminal labeled " I " on the regulator is what makes the Alt. system work, it should goto the Accessory side of the key switch, there shouldn't be power to this one with key off, and if "I" is not hooked up the system will not work. Been there, done that. The rest is easy, "F" goes to field on ALt. "A" goes to battery side of solenoid. "S" goes to stator. on the Alt side the big connector goes to battery side of solenoid. one thing is for sure I is not connected to power, system will not work and it really should goto the accessory side of key switch.

[Michael C Henry]

I was wired as the ERA diagram with lite but no lite."I" wire had a diode before regulater. "A" wire was fused but not switched with the ignition switch .If I left the master switch on it would drain the battery in four days.The alternater repair shop tested my alt and advised to wire as shown in the ERA without lite diagram. I removed the stater wie from regulater to alternater,moved ignition supply (with diode) from "I" to "A"&"S"Time will tell If I fixed the problem it's late and I'll check tomorrow.Where did the power leak out .Please explain what was going on.I'm pretty sure I had left the master switch on but ignition and everything else was off.

[Michael C Henry]

I converted my system to the ERA diagram without lite .I disconnected fused power on all the time from "A"I removed the "S" wire from just outside the regulater plug to the Stater terminal completely.I disconnected the ignition switched power from "I" and connected it to "A" and "S" wires.So "I" is dead."A" & "S" are switched with the ignition switch.I tested and with master switches on ,power to CDI memory disconnected, and all other switches off no connection between ground cable and neg battery terminal.Great no connection with ohm meter No current leak.. Hooked up ground cable to battery. I turned on the ignition switch "boink" What was that? Started the engine .not chargeing.Started testing, lets remove alt and reg and have both checked with the alt repair shop.The regulater now has something rolling round inside.That's probably what made the strange noise. Alt repairer said the diagram is right and the regulater must have had something wrong.So I bought a new voltage regulater .Had the Alt tested with the connections in the diagram,it worked. Then had regulater incorperated ,nothing. Crap a bad voltage regulater. I'll check it tommorow.