[DML] Re: did my new alternator die?!?!?!

["content22207" <brobertson@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Pop the alternator off and have it tested at any chain parts house.
The alternator is probably the easiest thing to remove on a Delorean.
I'd wager that removing the alternator for an independent test is
easier than anything that follows.

If the parts house OK's the alternator, check the condition of the
little brown/yellow wire going to the excitation circuit. If it can't
get the field going, the alternator will never produce current. You
know the warning light is not burned out, so I'd look for a loose or
damaged connector on the alternator end. Put a meter between it and
the engine block -- you don't need a full 12v, but you do need
something (perhaps John Hervey knows how little...).

Check your battery. I'd pay particular attention to the negative
terminal. Check for corrosion -- corrosion not only cuts down
conductivity but indicates a battery leaking gas, in which case I'd
recommend replacement since your "chamber of horrors" (relay
compartment) is located directly above it.

Check your battery water. Even "maintenance free" batteries usually
need topping off (those round plugs can be popped out with a fine
blade screwdriver). 

Check the condition of your braided negative cable in the engine
compartment. For some reason those seem to get much less scrutiny than
red positive cables on the other side of the shock tower. Your
alternator is grounded through the engine block.

Check for a dead short between the two sides of the electrical system.
A likely culprit is the backside of the starter solenoid (stock
Deloreans are pretty congested down there -- it's easy to accidentally
touch the side of the engine with a terminal or cable lug).

Bill Robertson
#5939

>--- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "David Teitelbaum" <jtrealty@...> wrote:
>
> Your possibilites include:
> 
> Dead alternator
> Broken/loose/dirty electrical connections
> Broken/slipping/loose belt
> Bad battery
> 
> David Teitelbaum
> vin 10757
> 




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