TECH TIP FOR APRIL, 1993

THIS TECH TIP IS COURTESY OF A REBUILDER FRIEND OF MINE IN
OAKVILLE, HOWEVER, WITHIN THE LAST 10 DAYS, ONE OF MY CUSTOMERS
HAS EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM.

1987 & ON SABLE, TAURUS, GRAND MARQUIS, & CROWN VICTORIA CAN HAVE
HEATED FRONT WINDSHIELD OPTION. THE CAR WILL BE FITTED WITH AN
EXTERNALLY REGULATED 100 AMP ALTERNATOR (LARGE BODY), AND WILL
EXHIBIT THE SYMPTOMS OF A "NO CHARGE" AND THE ALTERNATOR WILL NOT
FULL FIELD.

REMOVING THE ALTERNATOR AND SENDING IT TO ME WILL SHOW THAT THE
ALTERNATOR IS PERFECTLY ALRIGHT. THE CAUSE IS A DEFECTIVE OUTPUT CONTROL RELAY, WHICH IS USED TO DIRECT CURRENT AWAY FROM THE

BATTERY TO THE HEATED FRONT WINDSHIELD. A DEFECTIVE RELAY WILL
NOT ALLOW CURRENT TO REACH THE BATTERY AND GIVE THE IMPRESSION OF
A DEFECTIVE ALTERNATOR.

THIS ALTERNATOR USES A "T" SHAPED PLUG IN, AND THE TOP OF THE "T"
IS THE FIELD CONNECTION. TO DIAGNOSE,REMOVE ALL O.E.M. WIRES
FROM THE ALTERNATOR AND CONNECT THE POSITIVE OF A REMOTE BATTERY
TO THE MAIN BATTERY TERMINAL OF THE ALTERNATOR AND THE GROUND OF
THE BATTERY, TO THE CASE OF THE ALTERNATOR.

USING A SHORT INSULATED JUMPER, CONNECT THE MAIN BATTERY TERMINAL
TO THE TOP OF THE "T" FOR A FEW SECONDS, WHILE RUNNING THE ENGINE
AT ABOUT 700 R.P.M.  A VOLTMETER CONNECTED TO THE REMOTE BATTERY
SHOULD READ 16+ VOLTS. IF IT DOES, THE RELAY IS PROBABLY AT
FAULT, IF NOT THE ALTERNATOR IS PROBABLY BAD.

ON TAURUS AND SABLE THE RELAY IS UNDER THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL WELL
(A WELL THOUGHT OUT PLACEMENT. EH!), AND ON THE GRAND MARQUIS AND
CROWN VIC IT IS IN THE RIGHT FRONT OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. I
HAVE NOT SEEN ONE, BUT I'M TOLD THAT IT IS REASONABLY SMALL, HAS
2 BIG TERMINALS AND 2 SMALL TERMINALS AND DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THE
$200.00 FROM FORD.

WHILE I'M ON THE SUBJECT OF FORD (BUT NOT PICKING ON THEM), WHEN
EVERY OTHER STARTER MANUFACTURER PROVIDES A NEW SOLENOID WITH
EACH NEW STARTER, WHY IS IT THAT MECHANICS FEEL THAT THE FORD
FENDER MOUNTED, STARTER SOLENOID CAN LAST THROUGH ONE STARTER
AFTER ANOTHER, WITHOUT BEING CHANGED?

EVERY AMP OF CURRENT USED BY THE STARTER TO CRANK THE ENGINE GOES
THROUGH THIS SOLENOID, JUST AS IF IT WERE ATTACHED TO THE
STARTER, AS A DELCO OR CHRYSLER IS. THE CHANCES ARE THAT THE
OVERWORKED SOLENOID WHICH WAS LEFT ON THE LAST TIME IS THE
PROBABLE CAUSE OF THE SHORT LIFE SPAN OF THE REPLACEMENT STARTER.
THESE SOLENOIDS (MORE ACCURATELY, MAGNETIC©SWITCHES) LIST AT
ABOUT $20.00 AND SHOULD NOT BE LEFT OUT OF A STARTER REPLACEMENT
JOB.

SINCE TIME IMMEMORIAL, THE ALTERNATORS ON DOMESTIC BUILT CHRYSLER
PRODUCTS HAVE BEEN EXTERNALLY REGULATED, AND THEY STILL ARE.

THERE HAS ONLY BEEN 1 INTERNALLY REGULATED SYSTEM AND THAT WAS IN
ABOUT 1983-84. OTHERWISE THE REGULATOR HAS BEEN MOUNTED ON THE
FIREWALL IN A SMALL FLAT CASE ABOUT THE SIZE OF A PACKAGE OF
CIGARETTES, WITH A 2 OR 3 WIRE PLUG©IN. IT LOOKS ALOT LIKE THE
OLDER ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULES (WHICH THE DIY'S PULL OFF AND
BRING ME WHEN THEY THINK THEY HAVE A CHARGING PROBLEM THAT A NEW
REGULATOR WILL FIX.)

BEGINNING IN ABOUT 1984 CHRYSLER CHANGED THE POSITION OF THE
EXTERNAL REGULATOR FROM THE FIREWALL TO INSIDE THE COMPUTER. IN
THIS POSITION IT IS NOT SERVICEABLE EXCEPT BY REPLACING THE
COMPUTER MODULE.

WHILE THE REGULATOR WAS IN THE COMPUTER, IT DID NOT INTERACT WITH
IT, AND AS A RESULT THE AFTERMARKET CAME UP WITH A DEPENDABLE
REPLACEMENT WHICH COULD BE MOUNTED ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE
ALTERNATOR. IT DID NOT WORK WITH EVERY SYSTEM BUT FOR SOME IT
REPRESENTED A HUGE SAVING OVER BUYING A COMPUTER.

SINCE ABOUT 1986, THE REGULATOR NOW FULLY INTERACTS WITH THE
COMPUTER, AND CAN NOT BE SERVICE, WITHOUT REPLACING THE MODULE.

AS ALWAYS, THE CHRYSLER ALTERNATORS ARE VERY DEPENDABLE UNITS,
WHICH ENJOY A LONG LIFE SPAN. PROBABLY 70% OF THE ONES THAT I
RECEIVE FOR TESTING, HAVE NOTHING WRONG WITH THEM, EXCEPT MISDIAGNOSIS. OF THE OTHER 30%, THE MOST COMMON FAILURE IS
FROM THE BEARINGS (WHICH USUALLY MANAGE TO WIPE OUT THE STATOR &/OR
RECTIFIERS), OR BRUSH WEAR OUT.

THE BEST DIAGNOSIS IS TO FOLLOW THE PRECEDING SUGGESTION FOR
FORD, UP UNTIL THE BATTERY POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE ARE CONNECTED.
THEN CONNECT A JUMPER FROM ONE OF THE SMALL TERMINALS ON THE
ALTERNATOR TO THE GROUND, AND CONNECT THE OTHER SMALL TERMINAL TO
THE BATTERY POSITIVE (WITH THE ENGINE AT ABOUT 700 RPM) FOR A FEW
SECONDS.

THE RESULTS ON THE VOLTMETER SHOULD BE THE SAME AS SPECIFIED FOR
THE FORD, WITH THE SAME CONCLUSIONS BEING DRAWN. REMEMBER TO USE
ONLY INSULATED JUMPERS AND DON'T HOLD THE END WITH YOUR BARE
HAND, AS THE COLLAPSING FIELD WHEN YOU DISCONNECT IT CAN GIVE
QUITE A JOLT. ALSO LIMIT ALL FULL FIELD TESTS TO NO MORE THAN 10
TO 15 SECONDS,TO AVOID BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR DAMAGE.