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For you guys who don't run the stock cluster at all, what did you do for the exciter wire from the cluster to the alternator? Im curious if just the overheat light, which also runs to the exciter wire, will be enough without the lights in the factory cluster or if I will have to wire in an additional resistor.
Since no one answered here, I'll update so anyone who searches will have an answer. If you remove the stock cluster, the exciter wire is still run through the exhaust overheat warning light, which is sufficient. There is also a diode in that circuit so no re wiring is necessary. However, if that bulb goes out the alternator will have to self excite so keep an eye on it.
What if we have removed the overheat warning light as well? Anything else the exciter can be connected to? Is it actually needed or is it a "nice thing to have"?
What if we have removed the overheat warning light as well? Anything else the exciter can be connected to? Is it actually needed or is it a "nice thing to have"?
The FD alternator will self excite if you rev it over 2000rpm I believe. However, if you want it to work like stock you'll have to wire in a small bulb.
Still wondering a little about it. If it's just a regular incandescent wired in, won't it be on all the time? I read somewhere else that a 120-150 Ohm resistor could also work. I'm guessing just from the alternator to resistor/bulb and then ground it? Would anything else be able to be used like tie into an existing source or does it need to be just a bulb/resistor.
(still learning about alternators)
The way I'm understanding it: the alternator doesn't charge at idle, so it needs to be "woken up" (excited) by a load on the alternator, done via a bulb on the wire that goes from Alternator to the gauge cluster and overheat exhaust sensor. Therefore if you have swapped out the stock cluster for different gauges, you need to put the bulb in the circuit to replace the one normally in the cluster.
Since no one answered here, I'll update so anyone who searches will have an answer. If you remove the stock cluster, the exciter wire is still run through the exhaust overheat warning light, which is sufficient. There is also a diode in that circuit so no re wiring is necessary. However, if that bulb goes out the alternator will have to self excite so keep an eye on it.
Man, I love the forums and search function. I removed my instrument cluster and couldn't figure out why my alternator wasn't working. I found out that I needed a warning bulb and stumbled across the exhaust overheat warning light. Problem fixed!!! Thanks
Since this thread was bumped, I stumbled across it. This is a new issue I've never heard about; do I need to do this with a JDM white cluster in my '94 USDM?
No, the light bulb will act as a resistance. This is how the SL alternators work.
you can technically wire a resistor instead of a light bulb. I wired a 5w light bulb on mine when I removed the stock cluster.
think of it as an alternator system check. The stock cluster has this bulb built in
