Ok, I've managed to fumble my way through almost all the wiring on my car. I'm now up to wiring the alternator. Here's my situation. I'm using a Rebel harness. It has two wires that are hardwired into the fuse panel one is the exitor wire and the other is power. In addition to the Rebel harness I got a alternator wiring kit from M.A.D. electrical. The diagram he sent me shows a wire running form the #1 connector on the aternator to the ignition switch. It also has either a diode or a idiot light wired into it. The other wire goes from the #2 connector on the alterntor to a terminal block which I have mounted on the firewall. the third wire goes from the battery lug on the alternator to the same terminal block on the firewall. I guess what is really messing with my head is that the Rebel harness has the the 2 wire hard wired to the fuse block and the other diagram I have shows the wire NOT tied into the fuse block. ***** I am using a GM 10 SI internally regulated alternator***** What is the best way for me to wire my alternator. Thanks, Todd
The wire on No. 2 supplys battery voltage to the regulator inside the alternator..It is best to get this wire hooked to where the positive battery cable goes on your solenoid. This way it sees as close to true battery voltage as possible.. That said it can also be hooked up to the battery stud on the back of the alternator. The rebel way of hooking it to the fuse block lead is also good..As long as it sees true battery voltage your fine.
I'd use the rebel wiring instaed of using an add-on? harness instead of the rebel built in alt wiring. That's if the rebel is spec'd for your exact model alt. There is no reason I can think of as to why it wouldn't go to the fusepanel because sometimes wires p*** through it rather than attach. While you are there... Do you know anything about the Norwich swap/show tomorrow at Dodd stadium? I heard about it on the radio, then found their website and it claimed hundreds of vendors which must be bs? I have several builds going and need a good swap... is it lame?
I went to it a few years ago. It ****ED!!. Tuner cars mostly. No swap to speak of. A friend of mine went last year. He said it ****ed to. The radio stations hype it up so people will show. Todd
It looks like the Rebel wire setup might run the exciter wire through the accessory side of the fuse block to avoid feed back from the alternator to the ignition. What confuses me is why you would feel that you needed to buy a separate alternator harness. It looks like you have everything in The main harness that you need.
Ok, so what you are saying is the wire can go from the fuse box to the #2 post and I can just jumper another wire from the #2 stud to the battery stud on the alternator. Am I understanding this right? Todd
Your probably right. I should just stick with the Rebel setup. This is my first time wiring a car and I think I may have bought more **** than I needed. Todd
I've got all the MAD manuals and a rebel wire kit, I know I ran the idiot light wire to the ignition switch with a light(I like warning lights) and the exciter wire to the distribution block, bus block, whatever. Its been a while so off the top of my head I can't remember if I used the wires as they came from the kit or if I had to run my own, I think I ran my own for the idiot light wire. You can always email the rebel wire guys, I may even have come think of it. Regardless, mine works fine as I did it. If I read your quesiton correctly, your decision is to either run the #2 sensing wire to the fuse box or the distribution block on the firewall? Either will work, but the fuse box would be preferable, IMHO, since it's farther away. You're on the right track EDIT: You don't need 2 wires coming from the #2, and you don't need the mad kit I don't think. If you decide you just want to run #2 to the hot wire from the alt that'll work too. In practice I don't think you'll notice *any* difference if you wire it in any of those 3 ways. They're all gonna work. NOW, did you use half a dozen relays like mad electrical has told you to?!?!? That guy is relay crazy, but I tell ya what, my headlights have never looked better and I don't have to worry about overloading my switches
Make sure to include the light or diode, or the car will not shut off. You didn't mention what alt, so I guess all are ***uming GM. MAD always byp***es the amp gauge on mopars. Maybe that's what the kit was for?
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