Damaged alternator ground clip
 

My turbo has destroyed 2 alternator belts, so I pulled the alternator to test the bearings. The alternator is fine but unfortunately during the removal, the ground clip was damaged and I don't know what was fastened to the end of the ground wire where the connection to the alternator pivot bolt is made. The cars starts but will not remain running.

Bob

There is no ground wire on an alternator. It grounds through the case, which is bolted to the engine. There should only be 3 wires on the alternator: the B-post wire to the battery (+), regulator power (+) & and a wire to the dash warning lights. The last two are on the small plug at the rear or side of the alternator depending on year. Maybe you can post a picture of the area you're talking about?

Picture of unit in question
 

I finally found a camera that had a small enough file to send.

Attached is a picture looking toward the firewall of the unit in question. The unit attaches to the elongated clip at the the rear of the alternator on the hing bolt. I'm trying to determine what it is, what's it for and does it effect the running of the engine.

Thanks for the help!

Bob

The green plug is the water thermosensor and it plugs into the back of the water pump at the top. It is needed upon startup to tell the ECU how much fuel to inject into the engine dependent upon the water temp. If it detects a cold setting then the car will have more fuel injected than if it detects a warm setting. By having it not connected and or working properly can lead to starting problems.

Yep, water temperature sensor. The ECU also uses it for fuel corrections after startup, so power and mileage should fall off a bit with it disconnected.

Replacement unit & location
 

I checked online for a coolant sensor and the picture of the plug appears to match the one in question. Great job of analysis!

Now comes the next activity of repairing the problem. If the unit needs to be replaced, what is the best source for the part? Also the location of the sensor and how to get at is another concern. The previous help has been great, hopefully the repair ideas will make the fix almost painless.

Thanks again.

Bob

Mazdatrix or the dealership will have the part. I did my part!