either will work, the "experts" will recommend soldering it and covering it with heat shrink. I'm not an expert, I think I crimped the one I put in my car 15 years ago, no problems.
Either will work, soldered will still work after the crimped one corrodes and stops working. If you live in Arizona I can see where corrosion is not a problem. If you live in the rust belt and plan to keep the car more than a year, solder it.
There is a right way and wrong way as far as the dirction goes - it has been a while and i don't remember exactly but there is a 'band' at one end to tell you how it is biased. I believe the band faces away from the altenator, test it to see - what you need to accomplish is that power can go from the altenator but not return into it, the diode is a one-way gate and will read continuity from one direction only. Like others, i solder and shrinktube it.
Diode stripe towards alternator will block the current flow from the alternator. What's the point of having this diode in there anyway? (FNG here).
I had to install the diode to get my engine to shut off, when I added the MSD ignition. The MSD switch wire draws very little current, and the alternator idiot light wire backfeeding to the ignition circuit kept the engine running after I turned off the key.
sooooo....I read that it goes in the exciter wire. Cool, but does the diode get installed in that wire in front of or behind the 194 bulb?
Just why is that important? One of the great benefits of this site is that you can search for the solutions to your problem.
Crimp using Packard Electric product crimp and pliers. Double the heat shrink. First the short piece then a longer piece. Knock on wood never. Had one fail in 20:years.
A 1 amp or less bulb p***es enough current to excite the alternator but not enough to backfeed the coil. No diode needed.
Yes and no. Depends on the rest of the wiring scheme. It is potentialy enough to keep a relay energised if the ignition circuit is powered through relays.
I've wired cars with diodes and others with a "alternator/generator/charge" light, or whatever you choose to call it; but never used both on the same job.
Kinda off topic but kinda not. I have a battery draw on my car that I can not find. Someone said it could be a bad diode in the alternator. Is that possible?
>>I have a battery draw on my car that I can not find.>>> It's likely the alternator's voltage sensor if its wire is connected to an unswitched part of the circuit. Not unusual. Telltale sign is when you disconnect then reconnect the battery, you might get a little spark when nothing else is turn on. Typically draws less than 0.1amps. Not much. But may be an issue if the car sits for a few months.
The diode takes the place of light, since I did not want the bulb. Both are basically doing the same thing, which is to prevent the back feeding through the ignition. Without them the engine will stay running with the ignition turned off. May not be the case in all wiring schemes, but mine did.
> >Right, I ended up with both light and diode. > > That's because the bulb should be connected directly to the relay's output terminal, not to its gate terminal to which the ignition switch is connected Still no diode needed
The Jalopy Journal
