What are the wires on the back of an alternator?
Remote voltage sense alternators: The three wires connected to the alternator are the positive, negative cables and a third smaller gauge wire connected to the alternator remote sense or (S) terminal. To determine if your vehicle has remote sense, voltage will always be present on this terminal at all times.
What are alternator brushes?
Alternator brushes provide power directly to the field coil through slip rings. These graphite brushes are designed to last more than 120,000 miles. If these brushes are worn, the battery in a car or truck may not charge or the battery warning light may remain illuminated after the engine starts.
What causes an alternator to stop charging?
This means that you could have a weak alternator, or a poor connection at the battery terminals. You could also have a loose drive belt, which is what supplies power to the alternator itself. If the drive belt is loose or not working properly, the alternator will not charge.
Where is ground on alternator?
The body of the alternator is ground. The alternator is mounted on the engine and the engine should have a ground strap to the frame. From the frame there is a ground strip to the battery. That’s a long way for a ground circuit.
Will alternator charge if not grounded?
No, you don’t have to connect anything to the “ground” post on the alternator. It gets its ground thru the case and the mounting bracket. As long as the bolts are tight, and brackets/mounts are corroded, it will work fine. The alternator is mounted on the engine and the engine should have a ground strap to the frame.
Is there a ground wire on the alternator?
The ground wires are especially important. The alternator is grounded to the engine block by its mounting points so the engine block itself becomes an electrical ground distribution block. You just need to find a suitable bolt to secure your additional ground wire.
Can an alternator short to ground?
A high amperage dead short from the main output wire to ground can be caused by an alternator with a rectifier in it. If you don’t disconnected the batteries, it will be hot all the time.