Re: Replace alternator, now check engine light

["Ron Buchalski" <rbuchals@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Steve,

Check the ground wiring and output wiring for the alternator.  My car had a 
problem where the battery light would come on, and I suspected a bad 
alternator.  Testing by an alternator shop found it to be in perfect 
condition.  So, I took it into a shop and they ran some tests. They finally 
determined that the output wire (from the output of the alternator to the 
battery) had high resistance, and was causing an excessive voltage drop, so 
the battery wasn't charging properly.  They also found that the alternator 
ground wire (a short wire that connects from the alternator mounting bracket 
to the engine block) had very high resistance, so the alternator didn't have 
a good voltage reference.  Replacing (actually, running parallel wires to) 
these bad wires fixed my problem.

I don't know what the Check Engine light is for.  Is it possible that you 
may have loosened a wire connecting to a sensor?

- -rb

>
>Date: Mon, 29 Nov 1999 13:44:12 -0700
>From: Steve Padilla <spad1@domain.elided>
>Subject: Replace alternator, now check engine light
>
>My alternator was going south, only putting out about 22 amps @ 2000rpm.  
>Battery
>light would stay on until about 2500rpm.  Battery is only a month old so I 
>knew I
>was on borrowed time and replaced the alternator this afternoon.  Now I 
>have a
>check engine light I did not before.  I'm tearing my hair out trying to 
>find my
>Bentley manual and DVM.  Any suggestions in the meantime?
>
>Steve Padilla
>spad1@domain.elided
>
>If anyone is able to reply directly to my email I'd appreciate it.
>
>------------------------------
>
>Date: Mon, 29 Nov 1999 13:45:45 -0700
>From: Steve Padilla <spad1@domain.elided>
>Subject: Alternator post
>
>Sorry, I was away from the digest so long I neglected to say the alternator
>problem was in a '90 325i
>
>Steve Padilla
>

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