Alternator Wiring Question

[CobERA]

Bob,

We put about 130 miles on the car. When I went to start it the other night (fortunately in the garage), the battery was dead. It seems that it was not charging.

I double checked the wiring at the alternator and all seems to be in order, except that ground and field connections were not tight. (It is a little hard to get in there to tighten them. )

Would loose connections be enough to prevent charging?

Also, the manual says that you should "make sure that there is electrical continuity from the case to the engine." Does that mean that I should run an additional ground wire from the "ground" terminal of the alternator to the engine?

If so, what gauge wire and where is the recommended grounding location on the engine?

Thanks,

[BB427]

The mounting bolts should be enough to ground the case to the block. Get it started and put a meter on the battery terminals to see if it's charging.

[Bob Putnam]

CobERA,

I've posted some troubleshooting hints here.