Attention: TDR Forum Junkies I never had to post, just searched for a while, read, cross-referenced my manual, and figured out my alternator charging problem. Thought I'd post now, so someone's future search might benefit.
My alternator blew, took my serpentine belt too, last wednesday. Swapped the alternator with a new one. No joy. Took it, and the core, down to Napa, had them check, and sure enough, the new one was good, the old one tried to throw their test machine belt when they hit it with a load!
Tested the field at the alternator, no 12v. Traced fusable links, especially the two red wires that go to white on the driver's fenderwell. Swapped the a/c relay with the auto-start relay (plug is the same, number is the same). Continuity checked wires between the auto-start relay to the field on the alternator. Nothing. Jumped the field with the 12v at the auto start, now I am charging. So, I'm suspecting the PCM (engine controller in mine, a 5spd). Dumping code 41 too. And it controlls the other side of the field at the alternator (basically, an integrated regulator in 1992 and 1993 pickups). I was about to override it with an older regulator like mentioned here, when I noticed the engine-speed sensors in the search results, looked behind the crank pully, followed the wires up by #1, and the plug was undone! Guessing the belt nailed it? Wasn't working near there, but ya never know.
So, plug it in, still does not work. Swap the relay again, now it works - bad relay, bad alternator, plug for the crank sensor loose, and the belt went. To top it all, my voltmeter was sticking at 12v, so when revving after I finally did get the system working, it didn't show a working alternator when it was working. I noticed the hood light go dimmer when I turned the truck off with the manual fuel shut, and got the other gauge. Cripes.
Hope this helps someone else fighting battles that should take 30 minutes instead of a day! thanks tdr, jon. (sure takes away from my conversion project time, sigh).
My alternator blew, took my serpentine belt too, last wednesday. Swapped the alternator with a new one. No joy. Took it, and the core, down to Napa, had them check, and sure enough, the new one was good, the old one tried to throw their test machine belt when they hit it with a load!
Tested the field at the alternator, no 12v. Traced fusable links, especially the two red wires that go to white on the driver's fenderwell. Swapped the a/c relay with the auto-start relay (plug is the same, number is the same). Continuity checked wires between the auto-start relay to the field on the alternator. Nothing. Jumped the field with the 12v at the auto start, now I am charging. So, I'm suspecting the PCM (engine controller in mine, a 5spd). Dumping code 41 too. And it controlls the other side of the field at the alternator (basically, an integrated regulator in 1992 and 1993 pickups). I was about to override it with an older regulator like mentioned here, when I noticed the engine-speed sensors in the search results, looked behind the crank pully, followed the wires up by #1, and the plug was undone! Guessing the belt nailed it? Wasn't working near there, but ya never know.
So, plug it in, still does not work. Swap the relay again, now it works - bad relay, bad alternator, plug for the crank sensor loose, and the belt went. To top it all, my voltmeter was sticking at 12v, so when revving after I finally did get the system working, it didn't show a working alternator when it was working. I noticed the hood light go dimmer when I turned the truck off with the manual fuel shut, and got the other gauge. Cripes.
Hope this helps someone else fighting battles that should take 30 minutes instead of a day! thanks tdr, jon. (sure takes away from my conversion project time, sigh).
