S14 Alternator charging problem

[dbeiler]

You really shouldn't be jumping any pins in the gauge cluster. Are you referring to the charge light pins? That would be pins 15 and 21, not 14 and 20.

A wire jumper does not take the place of a light bulb. If you jump those pins, you are directly grounding out that circuit via the alternator ground. You will blow a fuse or fry something.

For the alternator to function, it must have:

A power wire to Terminal 1, to flow output power produced by the alt, which you've already checked.

A good ground to Terminal 2, which you've already checked.

A small W/R wire to Terminal 3. This wire is grounded by the alt to illuminate the charge warning light. If you jumper this wire in the gauge cluster, you are directly grounding out the circuit via the alt. This charge warning circuit must be functioning for the alt to charge. Install the proper bulb and check the fuse for bulb power. I believe that is a 7.5amp fuse labeled as "gauges" or EL power" in the driver's footwell fuse box.

A small power feed wire to Terminal 4, this is connected to the fuse box, and is used to supply battery voltage to the alternator IC regulator. The alt monitors this wire voltage to decide if it needs to be charging the battery.

[Mister.E]

Originally Posted by dbeiler

A small W/R wire to Terminal 3. This wire is grounded by the alt to illuminate the charge warning light. If you jumper this wire in the gauge cluster, you are directly grounding out the circuit via the alt. This charge warning circuit must be functioning for the alt to charge. Install the proper bulb and check the fuse for bulb power. I believe that is a 7.5amp fuse labeled as "gauges" or EL power" in the driver's footwell fuse box.

If completely bypassing the bulb, how would one go about hooking this wire back up? Would it get wired directly to a 7.5A BAT power fuse or a 7.5 ACC power source?

I was trying to get an answer for this elsewhere but no luck...

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