Generator Light

quote:

I'm assuming this is a wiring issue and a previous owner just yanked the bulb.

Yup, you got it. I'm old school on the alternator, but seem to recall a constant on is often a problem with the one wire units. Believe there is a way to shut it off other than removing it but someone else will have to chime in with that.

See you there.

Larry

Running on very little sleep here, old brain not fuctioning up to its normal 10% cpacity. What I know for sure, the idiot lights in your typical American car of that era were operated by a contact or circuit inside the electro-mechanical voltage regulator.

If you've installed an alternator with an "internal" voltage regulator, but left the idiot light connected to the 30 year old voltage regulator (resistor actually) mounted on the firewall it will be on full time because one leg of the lamp is energized via the ignition switch, the other leg is grounded via the voltage reg. If the voltage reg were operating it would supply charging voltage to the grounded leg of the lamp and extinguish the lamp.

My advice, uplug one of the idiot light wires at the voltage reg. since the Pantera is equipped with an ammeter, the idiot light is unneccessary.

your friend on the DIC

George,

you are a wise one even on 10%. The voltage regulator is still installed. So which wire is the idiot wire that I need to disconnect?

thanx,

John

John,
It is the blue wire with black stripe. Be sure to isolate the end of the wire or the light will come on whenever the wire is grounded. I believe it is connected to the "I" terminal of the regulator.
Forest (One of them anyhow)

Most one wire alternators do not have the sense wire used for the generator light. This is a very common problem. I did some research some time back and found a few that would allow some ability to connect an idiot light.

The only solution is to disconnect the sense wire. I am traveling so I do not know what wire it is by color code. Once you find it, unplug it and forget it, perhaps easier is to remove the light bulb again. Just remember to watch your alt or volt meter and do not wait for the idiot light to come on.

Alternators that have been converted to one wire (usually with a jumper) do not sense your electrical load. Read these 2 articles. You can change it back to 3 wire.

http://www.madelectrical.com/electricaltech/remotevoltagesensing.shtml

http://www.madelectrical.com/electricaltech/onewire-threewire.shtml