electrical help/alt isn't charging

redstangs9308gt

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Ok, so today I finished hooking up the rest of my gauges, I added 2 more gauges and a raptor shift light to the circuit that I had already tapped into running just my wideband. I am thinking I may have overloaded this circuit. This is where I am getting all of my power to run 3 auto meter gs gauges + shift light. Yes I know I should have used a relay off of this circuit but I didn't so please help me
http://www.teamshelby.com/shelbystore/docs/Gauge_Pod_Install.pdf
Page 5 and I did figures 18 and 19. White wire with yellow tracer.
Well tonight driving down the road I smelled something hot like a electrical (dash lights went off, all gauges and so did radio for a split second then it came back) few minutes later (night time driving) the battery light came on. Well the alternator isn't charging. So where do I need to look. I looked at fuse location 68 under the hood its fine, so HELP please
Could it be I just need a new alternator?
 

redstangs9308gt

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Well, I pulled all fuses this morning, and couldn't find anything. Is there a relay that controls the alternator? Also I retraced all my wiring it was fine too, didn't smell anything either. I took off the alternator and the face of it was black with lots soot build up around it. Keep in mind that the face of the alternator is facing the timing cover with a eforce setup. I beleive I might go to advance auto parts and see if they can't test it for me. Last night made me a believer out of the red top batteries. I drove almost 2 hours with no alternator and as soon and I hit my brakes to pull in my driveway the car quit. I got very lucky.
 

tmcolegr

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I took off the alternator and the face of it was black with lots soot build up around it.

Are you sure that is soot and not belt dust?

If it is indeed soot, that's not good as the alternator has most likely failed and is shorted internally. First thing I would suggest is to check fuse# F43 in the BEC (under hood fuse panel) as it is for the alternator. If that 10 amp fuse is good, then check the (+) battery cable at the alternator and see if there is current going to the alternator. If no current is present at the alternator, it is most likely the alternator has shorted internally and the 8 gage fusible link in the battery cable going to the alternator is open and needs to be replaced but only after the alternator is repaired or replaced. If there is current present at the alternator (+) battery terminal, the alternator has most likely failed and needs to be repaired or replaced.
 

redstangs9308gt

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Are you sure that is soot and not belt dust?

If it is indeed soot, that's not good as the alternator has most likely failed and is shorted internally. First thing I would suggest is to check fuse# F43 in the BEC (under hood fuse panel) as it is for the alternator. If that 10 amp fuse is good, then check the (+) battery cable at the alternator and see if there is current going to the alternator. If no current is present at the alternator, it is most likely the alternator has shorted internally and the 8 gage fusible link in the battery cable going to the alternator is open and needs to be replaced but only after the alternator is repaired or replaced. If there is current present at the alternator (+) battery terminal, the alternator has most likely failed and needs to be repaired or replaced.
"the 8 gage fusible link in the battery cable going to the alternator is open and needs to be replaced" Whats this? Pics? I am going to put a new PA alternator on it and see what happens. I have a overdrive crank pulley + backwards mount so I am sure that I overspun my factory alt thus burning it up.
 

tmcolegr

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Here's a picture of the factory alternator (+) cable (with loom removed for photos) that comes directly from the battery. Exactly 20" in from the terminal that attaches to the (+) battery terminal is the 8 gage fusible link.
100_2001.jpg

Here's a close up picture of the fusible link
100_2002.jpg
 
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redstangs9308gt

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So my new alternator (PA 130) came in today. I noticed a couple of things right away that was different leading me to believe that my old alternator was failing long before it actually did.
Old voltage was 12.8-13.4 max with nothing running (checked almost a year ago when I did my engine swap)
New voltage 14.55 steady
New voltage with everything running 14.40-14.45
My car "seems" like it has more power and is running better.
 

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