Anybody know why there are 2 thin wires coming from the back instead of the usual 1 for charging light , having a strange problem with illogically behaving light. ie light comes on when running & sometimes goes out when stopped, but light does'nt extinguish when wires disconnected , volt meter shows 14.v volts , as does my multimeter.any ideas would be greatly appreciated

 

There's supposed to be three wires at the alternator (not generator BTW), one big thick one with a ring terminal held to the charging post by a nut, which goes to the battery, and two thin ones on a two-pin plug that plugs into the back of the alternator. One's 12V switched power, the other goes to the alternator warning light relay in the CPU. This is probably where your problem is.

 

sorry about the americanism (generator) but it seems that the majority on this forum are american!we call it an alterrnator in the uk also, anyway thanks for replying . dont suppose you have a wiring diagram that i can look at. best regards steve elliott

 

We call it alternator in the states also. We dont call it generator if its in a car.

 

whoops ! silly me dont know where i got that from then

 

jpg of 87 alternator

 

ooops. Not the right one. Again jpg

 

It doesn't actually matter if it's in a car or not. Generators generate direct current (DC); alternators generate alternating current (AC). Automotive alternators then use a rectifier to convert the AC to DC. Alternators are much more efficient than generators, which is why generators haven't been fitted to cars for a couple of decades.

 

going a little off topic here but, dont some folks homes have (generators) outside , if they arent on the main grid, domestic electricity is ac!!

 

Think RECTIFIERS

 

house generators have rectifiers to convert from dc to ac , as do alternators in motor vehicles!! thanks for diagram by the way .merry x mas