TECH TIP FOR JANUARY, 2000

WELL THE LIGHTS ARE ON, AND WELCOME TO 2000. IT APPEARS THAT Y2K WAS NOT THE PROBLEM IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE. BUT ARE YOU REALLY SURPRISED? I WOULD HAVE BEEN SURPRISED IF IT WAS A MAJOR PROBLEM. THE REPORTED COST SO FAR TO FIX Y2K WAS $7.6 TRILLION. THAT'S $7,600,000,000.00 US DOLLARS, IF WE COULDN'T FIX IT WITH THAT, THEN WE DESERVED WHATEVER HAPPENED.

OF REAL CONCERN, WAS A REPORT THAT ACROSS NORTH AMERICA THE INCIDENCE OF DRIVING WHILE IMPAIRED IS ON THE INCREASE. IT SEEMS THAT SOME PEOPLE WILL NEVER LEARN!

I WAS DISCUSSING WITH A MECHANIC, WHY ALTERNATORS FAIL SO MUCH DURING THE WINTER MONTHS. HE HAD THE NOVEL ANSWER OF, REAR WINDOW DEFROSTERS. HE HAD IN THE PAST WEEK HAD 5 CARS COME IN WHERE THE OWNERS LEFT THE REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER ON FULL TIME DURING THE WINTER. A REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER CAN DRAW BETWEEN 20 & 30 AMPS AND PUTS A HUGE STRAIN ON THE CHARGING SYSTEM. IF THE LIGHTING PACKAGE DRAWS 25 AMPS AND YOU ADD 25 MORE FOR THE REAR DEFROSTING, START TURNING ON HEATER FANS, WIPERS AND THE ALTERNATOR WILL FRY FAIRLY QUICKLY. REMEMBER, A 100 AMP ALTERNATOR THAT IS ASKED FOR MORE THAN 80 AMPS FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME WILL NOT ENJOY A LONG LIFE.

A FRIEND IN OAKVILLE, IS REPORTING ON THE NEW IMPORT (?)

ALTERNATORS WITH THE P/D DESIGNATION THAT I MENTIONED IN A PREVIOUS TECH TIP. APPARENTLY MAZDA, FORD AND KAI ARE USING THIS P/D DESIGNATION, AND IF YOU USE BATTERY POWER TO TEST THE ALTERNATOR'S REGULATOR CIRCUIT, YOU WILL DESTROY THE PORTION OF THE REGULATOR THAT IS IN THE ALTERNATOR. THERE IS NO AFTER©MARKET REPLACEMENT FOR THIS COMPONENT YET AND FROM THE DEALER, IF HE CAN GET IT, THE COST IS ABOUT $185.00 US DOLLARS.

THERE ARE A BUNCH OF ALTERNATORS THAT HAVE A SIMILAR APPEARANCE USED BY THE THREE BRANDS I MENTIONED AND ALSO BY CHRYSLER. THESE ALTERNATORS USE S/L, I/A, f1/f2, AND NOW P/D AS THEIR REGULATOR HOOK©UP DESIGNATIONS. S/L IS USED ON 212 ALTERNATORS, I/A ON 4, f1/f1 ON 7 AND P/D ON 2 WITH MORE TO COME. THE DESIGNATIONS ARE PRINTED ON A MYLAR TAG WHICH IS STUCK TO THE SIDE ON THE ALTERNATOR, OR WAS STUCK WHEN THE CAR WAS FIRST BUILT.

AN EXPLANATION FOR THE DESIGNATIONS IS:

S/L - S STANDS FOR SENSE AND L FOR LIGHT.

I/A - USED BY FORD, I STANDS FOR LIGHT AND A FOR SENSE.

f1/f2 - USED BY CHRYSLER © THESE ARE SHORT FOR FIELD 1 AND FIELD 2 AS THIS ALTERNATOR IS EXTERNALLY CONTROLLED BY THE REGULATOR INSIDE THE COMPUTER.

P/D - USED BY MAZDA & KIA THIS DESIGNATES AN ALTERNATOR WITH 1/2 OF THE REGULATOR IN THE CAR'S COMPUTER AND THE OTHER INSIDE THE ALTERNATOR.

 ONCE THE LABEL COMES OFF, HOW DO YOU TELL EXCEPT BY KNOWING WHAT YOU ARE WORKING ON AND THAT THIS MAY BE ONE OF THE PROBLEM ALTERNATORS.

 K.O.E.O WITH S/L, I/A THERE SHOULD BE POWER ON BOTH TERMINALS IN THE PLUG. WITH f1/f2 THERE SHOULD BE POWER ONLY ON 1 UNTIL IT IS HOOKED UP TO THE ALTERNATOR AND THEN THERE SHOULD BE POWER ON BOTH. AND YOU CAN'T TEST THE P/D UNITS.

THE MAN WHO ORIGINALLY GAVE THIS INFORMATION TO MY FRIEND WAS ALLAN MELTON OF NORTHWEST REGULATOR SUPPLY IN PORTLAND, OREGON AND HE HAS THE FOLLOWING TEST TO DETERMINE IF YOU HAVE A P/D ALTERNATOR. USING A DVOM SET ON DC VOLTAGE, ATTACH THE NEGATIVE LEAD TO THE POSITIVE TERMINAL ON THE ALTERNATOR. CHECK WHAT SHOULD BE THE P TERMINAL AND YOU SHOULD GET A READING OF .9 TO 1.1 VOLTS, MOVING THE HEAD TO THE D TERMINAL SHOULD GET A READING OF .5 TO .7 VOLTS. THE READINGS WILL BE HIGHER IS THIS WERE A S/L ALTERNATOR.

MY FRIEND ENDS HIS ARTICLE BY SAYING THAT THERE ARE NO AFTERMARKET UNITS OR COMPONENTS OUT THERE YET AND THAT THE LAST RETAIL PRICE HE HEARD FOR A UNIT WAS $ 695.00. NOT SOMETHING I WANT TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR BECAUSE I TESTED IT WRONG!

SOME 1986-92 FORD/LINCOLN/MERCURYS, USE THE "ELECTRICAL HEATED WINDSHIELD" SYSTEM AND BECAUSE OF THE COST TO FIX THESE THINGS IT HAS BECOME DESIRABLE TO BE ABLE TO DISABLE THEM, ALSO THE CHARGING SYSTEM WILL NOT WORK WITH A NONFUNCTIONAL HEATED WINDSHIELD. FORD HAS A TSB # 94/24/1 WHICH DESCRIBES HOW TO DISABLE THIS SYSTEM. BASICALLY, YOU LOCATE THE "HEATED WINDSHIELD CONTROL MODULE" AND REMOVE THE WIRES FROM THE # 1 TERMINAL AND TAPE THEM OFF. NEXT, LOCATE THE " ALTERNATOR OUTPUT CONTROL RELAY" AND REMOVE THE WIRE FROM THE 'MOD' TERMINAL AND TAPE OFF. THEN MOVE THE WIRE FROM THE "BAT" TERMINAL OF THIS RELAY TO THE "ALT" TERMINAL. THIS REMOVES THE RELAY FROM THE SYSTEM AND PREVENTS THE HEATED WINDSHIELD FROM OPERATING. GET YOU OWN COPY OF THE TSB TO MAKE SURE I'VE PUT THIS DOWN RIGHT!