Plug in to alternator replacement/fix ?

[dn010]

I've had 3 of his D-### alternators in the past, and right now I have 2 of them still. I have the D-140 installed in my D and I put the other alternator (I think it's a D120) in my '57 Cadillac to get rid of the generator. The one in the Cadillac is fine but the one in my D is noisy, so I don't know. My D is definitely not used on highways so that is good to know about the alternator - thanks. I do have the original Motorola alternator somewhere among my parts stack in New York but it's got a fried regulator.

Try to fix the wire in the plug - I do not know why there is an electrical component [I'm suspecting a resistor] soldered in there - I guess that is a question for John. My guess is you had a weak or damaged connection/wire giving you the flashing light and it finally just broke away. Once you fix the plug drive it over to a shop to have them adjust the belt tension if you can't get under the car.

I've heard horror stories of electrical issues from some owners, and none from others. I've gone through all my wiring, installed a main ground bus going from the front of the car to the back, routinely made sure all my connections are clean, tight and I've not had any major problems so I guess I'm lucky. If you've got bad grounds, dirty bulkhead plugs etc then you'll have multiple problems. These connections and components are old, they really need to be looked at from time to time. I knew someone in NY who had multiple engine problems. I took one bulkhead connection off and nothing but green dust came out with it. Cleaned all the plugs and then the engine ran like a champ.

If you were closer to Tampa I'd offer to help you out with fixing your D up, maybe there is someone closer who is willing...

- Dan B.

[JIMJAM]

I have a good friend N of ATL in the mountains who I usually visit every few years and spend a week or so. I usually wait until its to cold or to hot and put it off another 6 months. He live on top of a mountain with the last 17 miles having some 100+ turns so when the car is acting up I get nervous about going up there. Basically excuses for me not going up there.
I am tempted to order another because if a issue is still there I will always wonder about this part. But with John my experience is to flip a coin. It could be here in a week or 3 months. Call and you could get nice informative john who will talk your head off or "I am the only one here" and you keep bothering me, I am trying to work stressed out John.

I am not a electronics expert but do build quad copters and been in rc helicopters for 30 yrs. The pill looking resistor or whatever inside the silicon looks chalky white. Could be normal or but it just does not look good especially to be buried in silicon and not exposed to the elements. Guess it will not hurt to see what happens so I may do so and go ahead and order one.

I really appreciate the offer to help. There is only one other D owner and mech in my area but he was told by his wife she was sick of him spending so much time with the Delorean and so now he only maintains his.

[JIMJAM]

How many amps are running through this wire?
I tried to put a crimp on it and the end piece where he had solder to it snapped off. I am left with just a small wire just barely enough to either get a barrel crimp on or solder a wire to it. But if its got some juice running through it I do not trust just wire to wire solder. Not enough wire to wrap and solder. I wanna put a small barrel crimp on it and then run another wire to the existing one from the car.

[Bitsyncmaster]

How many amps are running through this wire?
I tried to put a crimp on it and the end piece where he had solder to it snapped off. I am left with just a small wire just barely enough to either get a barrel crimp on or solder a wire to it. But if its got some juice running through it I do not trust just wire to wire solder. Not enough wire to wrap and solder. I wanna put a small barrel crimp on it and then run another wire to the existing one from the car.

Very little current runs in that wire. Less than 1 amp so any connection should be fine since you will "pot" it with something that holds the wire from breaking if pulled.

[dn010]

The best thing to do is to remove the whole metal connector from the plastic plug and work on it that way. Otherwise if you don't want to mess with it, take it out and go to a parts store and ask them for a new pigtail connector, GM as Dave mentioned earlier. Compare it to what you have and you'll be set, bring it home, splice it in and be done with it.

I believe the most amps the alternator provides goes through the main, large power wire at the back of the alternator - not the plug.

[JIMJAM]

Hey old friend! Wondering when you would chime in. I just made the connectors and put some solder in them.Together with crimping these suckers aint coming off. While I am numbed up and down there I am going to go ahead and look over the connections.
I am hoping the belt was slipping so once I gt this back on and tighten the belt I hope it solves it. Back with the results later.

[WelmoedJ]

Reading you having a lot of electrical gremlins tormenting you, I wonder if you ever have taken the time to check all ground connections.
Not only those for the battery, but also those in the relay compartment and all other places devices are having a lead to ground (even not close to the device).

Using info from Dave M I have been able to get a rock solid Voltage meter reading in the 13.8 to 14.2 Volts.
Involved in this were the grounds of the Inertia Switch (new thicker ground wire), the ground wires in the relay compartment.
Cleaned all the contacts of the connectors in the engine bay (near the coil and of all of the engine bay wiring).

I only have not yet done the battery wiring, but what I noticed on John H's website, his ground wire lost contact with the connector due to breaking soldering.

Perhaps this may help you find at least one of the gremlins.

Good luck,

Welmoed.

[JIMJAM]

Well add this to the 3 ft thick book of things to check on your malfunctioning Delorean. On the SpecialT alts if that wire is broken,loose it can have symptoms like a loose belt.This wire breaking. IMO it was already loose at the solder and probably being hidden and held together by the black silicon he packs it with. The wires were breaking contact when I reved it up. When I tried to tighten the belt,I did not break it but simply finished the job. Had it not fell out and been so obvious, it would have driven us crazy troubleshooting it.


Bat light ON with ign on. Strong + charge on the gauge. Something rarely seen. And "knock on huge solid thick piece of real wood,not particle board" the bat light is not flashing when I rev it up.
True test later when I take the D out for a spin.

Welmoed. I am the clean the grounds KING I am going to have CLEAN THE GROUNDS tattooed across my forehead. On the prevous dmctalk I guestimated "clean the grounds were mentioned in 400+ post of mine. My problem is everytime I poke around the relays and fuses something stops working or acts up so I do not dare venture near it unless the car is doa. Thats my advice to the Delorean newbie. If its working do NOT mess with it. Do not do preventive maintenance unless you are prepared to have the car down for a month and a few grand laying around. Like digging though your gf or wife's diary you might not like what you find and probably will. Same with the D. I know that goes against what most say but drive the car when you can.
My main issue that the best of the best have not solved is I have a ign issue that pops up from time to time. You turn the key. Nothing.. Then its no % or 2nd or 3rd but it ALWAYS will start you just do not know when. By start I mean the ign is dead. No buzzz, no nothing. Then you turn the key and it starts. Never left me stranded but more of a pita and a embarassment. The larger the crowd the greater the chance it will act up.

[lindbergh]

For those of you with the original Ducy alternator: My tip is if you ever replace it with a one-wire alternator, do not cut the old Ducy plug off. Instead connect the one wire from the new alternator to the old plug yellow/brown wire via a spade connector in the old plug (this goes to the 'alt light' part of the circuit). Then use a 1k resistor (.25 watt is fine) with another spade connector on the brown wire of the old plug to bridge the two wires. This will allow the alternator to charge if the light bulb ever burns out (just like the Ducy now). Replace the bulb at your convenience, as opposed to when the battery goes dead.

[David T]

For those of you with the original Ducy alternator: My tip is if you ever replace it with a one-wire alternator, do not cut the old Ducy plug off. Instead connect the one wire from the new alternator to the old plug yellow/brown wire via a spade connector in the old plug (this goes to the 'alt light' part of the circuit). Then use a 1k resistor (.25 watt is fine) with another spade connector on the brown wire of the old plug to bridge the two wires. This will allow the alternator to charge if the light bulb ever burns out (just like the Ducy now). Replace the bulb at your convenience, as opposed to when the battery goes dead.

On cars (not just Deloreans) that have a lot of problems with alternators, more often than not, the problem is the car, not the alternators. You have to make sure the alternator is lined up straight and square so the belt runs true, the mounts and hardware firmly secure the alternator, all of the wiring is secure and you have good, clean, solid connections. Of course all of the wiring has to be correctly hooked up and working. Same goes for the battery. It has to be good and all of the connections must be clean and tight. A bad battery can make a good alternator look bad and can even kill a good alternator. Anyone still using the Ducey should seriously consider removing it and getting something better. Another tip that can help prolong the life of the battery AND the alternator is to use a Battery Tender to keep the battery fully charged. That way the alternator doesn't have to work so hard charging a chronically low battery. When a car is not used regularly the battery is usually undercharged.