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Battery not charging

Discussion in 'Daihatsu Hi jet' started by Cjv2014, Jun 25, 2020.

  1. Cjv2014

    Cjv2014 New Member

    I have a 1993 hijet. I'm having trouble with the alternator not charging the battery. I have purchased a new alternator. With the new alternator put in the battery light on the dash lights up. Never did that before with the old alternator. Still not charging the battery with the new alternator. I have also added another ground wire from the battery to the motor. All the wiring seems fine. Needing help on trying to figure out why it's not charging.
     
  2. Jigs-n-fixtures

    Jigs-n-fixtures Well-Known Member

    Mine has three wires: the lead to the battery connected to the post terminal; the other two are on one plug, one to the idiot light, and one which comes from the ignition to energize the alternator.

    If the one running from the ignition isn’t hot, the alternator doesn’t generate any current. Check teh plug, to see if one of the wires in hot with the ignition on.
     
  3. Cjv2014

    Cjv2014 New Member

    I checked the plug in with a test light and one of the ends of the plug in is hot when it is running and the other is not. When the truck is off nothing is hot on the plug.
     
  4. Jigs-n-fixtures

    Jigs-n-fixtures Well-Known Member

    If you’re getting the exciting voltage, and it isn’t charging, then you may have a bad alternator. I suggest that you take it out and have a parts house check it.
     
  5. Cjv2014

    Cjv2014 New Member

    I have bought 2 new alternators and the same thing from both. I'm not getting the voltage. With it running I'm only getting around 12.4 to 12.6 volts to the battery.
     
  6. Jigs-n-fixtures

    Jigs-n-fixtures Well-Known Member

    It could be a bad battery or battery cable. I’d take the battery for testing, and if it is good, then look at running a new lead from the alternator to the battery directly. The stock cabling runs down to the starter and then back to the battery.

    When I upgraded the alternator to a 90-amp unit, I ran a pair of new #4 conductors from the alternator post directly to the battery.

    The replacement alternator I went to had the three wire plug, which gave me a sensor wire to the battery, so the alternator is looking at the voltage at the battery, instead of at the alternator. The two wire plug version which is rock only senses voltage at the post on the alternator, so if you have any resistance in the lead to the battery, the alternator can think it is charging the battery fully, and the battery may only be seeing 12-volts, and not really getting a good charge.

    To get the new alternator installed on mine, I had to re-clock the alternator to get the wiring to match the stock location. Not really hard but a bit intimidating if you haven’t done one before.
     
  7. Cjv2014

    Cjv2014 New Member

    Thank you for the help. Problem solved!! It turned out to be the 10 amp motor fuse under the dash that was blown. The alternator now charges the battery.
     
  8. Jigs-n-fixtures

    Jigs-n-fixtures Well-Known Member

    I’d have suggested checking the fuses, but when you said you had power at the plug, I figured it should be good.

    Makes me wonder if the idiot light on the dash is also ground switched, and you were getting the voltage for the light at the plug.

    Would you mind, checking the wires at the plug again to see if they are both hot?
     
  9. Koffer

    Koffer Active Member

    I'm Pretty sure the idiot light comes on when the key on engine off happens as 12+ feeds from the ignition to the bulb in the dash and down to the alt where it pulls a ground thru the charging circuit, when you start the engine up the output in the alternator feeds 12+ up that wire turning off the bulb as there’s now 12+ on each side of the bulb filament .
    10amp fuse feeds the excite wire .
    He was most likely seeing the idiot 12v+ on the one and the other was the 10 amp fuse excite and was the 0v
    Been there done that
    The original alternator was most likely bad ( no idiot light) and took out the 10 amp fuse when it let the magic smoke out .
    Just replaced a alternator on a Suzuki Alto that had this same issue , no idiot light with key on
    Did it about a year and a half ago . Car came in from Japan with a no charge issue , pulled the alternator out and had it rebuilt which is a total pain in the ass as you need to pull the lower control arm off swing everything out of the way and lift the motor up .
    Car sat in the warehouse and finally sold last week , wasn’t around to double check everything and when it left the alternator crapped out . Had less then 10 miles on it . When I looked at it same no battery light when the key was on ( reason it was missed if you don’t know to look )
    Pulled it out again , took a few days to rebuild since they whiffed the rebuild and they replaced everything inside this time .
    It’s easier to replace a 4wd sambar transmission then it was to pull that alternator
     

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