alternator not charging battery

[Ron240sx]

so i got a ka24de alternator on my ca18de. My battery keeps getting drained and eventually cause the car to die. i just bought the new alternator maybe a month or two ago. i went to have it checked and it said it had Low output. With a new battery and alternator i shouldn't be having these issues. I did notice on my wiring harness where it leads the alternator i have a brown wire not connected to a plug or anything just a wire ( maybe dee can help me on this one.) so i have the two grounding wires and plug connected. what could be causing my alternator to have low output? Finnally what can i do to solve this problem? any help is mucho appreciated.

[sjbsuperman1425]

the alternator might just be bad. Did you buy it new from an auto parts store? if so, it should have a warranty and you should be able to get a new one for $FREE$.

[Ron240sx]

No i bought it remanufactured. they just had told me it had low output. but if i didnt have something connected properly would it even have output?

[sjbsuperman1425]

there should be a small ground, a big connector, and then the plug. you can't hook those up wrong, its near impossible. Where did you buy it at? Remanufactured parts from local auto parts stores still will carry some sort of warranty.

[Ron240sx]

i bought it at autozone. but i tried starting it then disconnecting the negative battery terminal. i died right after i took it off. i realize this means it has an alternator problem. i think its 75 amps do i need a higher amp for it or whats the deal?

[boost_boy]

If they told you the alternator has low output, then the sensible thing to do is give you another one. As stated, it's nearly impossible to screw-up the install of an alternator. Why are you using the KA unit and did you get it to fit correctly?

[Ron240sx]

yeah the plug fit right. The pulley had 3 ribs and it fit just right. the only thing that didnt fit was the bracket for the top. so i made a custom bracket for it. but i didnt switch faces the ka face has been working fine. and im using a ka unit because of fabio never sending me a ca one. we've been over that one. but it all plugged in and what not just the top bracket didnt fit right. So you suggestion would be to go and exchange alternators?

[Ron240sx]

so i took it off and had it put on the testing machine inside the parts store. they ran it through twice. passed both times. so i go home put it back on and have them test it again. they said it once again had low output. they told me it was reading 12.9 when it suppose to read 13 or 14. so im stumped. would tightening or loosening the alternators belt have an effect on its output?
really need some help on this one.

[sjbsuperman1425]

why have you not asked for a new unit yet, you have a warranty on it! If it has low output it has low output, there is no remedy other than a new unit or rebuilding it. I know for A FACT that the KA alternators from autozone have a limited lifetime warranty on them (I just checked on their site) so GET A NEW ONE. These are remanufactured alternators and can fail out of the box, just like brand new parts can.

[Ron240sx]

i forgot to mention they replaced it and gave me a different one to install. riddle me the answer now.

[sjbsuperman1425]

bad battery or sounds like a phantom load. Sounds to me like your battery can't hold a charge and keeps dying or something is staying on in the electrical system and draining your battery.

[boost_boy]

i forgot to mention they replaced it and gave me a different one to install. riddle me the answer now.

Something's not being done right. Is your battery in the stock location or did you do battery relocation swap? When you crank it on your car, what kind of output is the alternator giving you? Will the car run with the new alternator installed? Do you have anything sharing power with your alternator power? So many questions, but it's very hard to determine what the problem is until some of these questions get answered.

[float_6969]

If you start the car, and then remove the negative cable from the battery, the car should continue to run. If it doesn't, you either have a wiring problem or a bad alternator. It's as simple as that.

Which lower harness are you running? Did it used to work and it doesn't work now? Give us some more info to work with. The charging system is very simple so what ever is going on can't be too big of a deal.

[Ron240sx]

i forgot to mention they replaced it and gave me a different one to install. riddle me the answer now.

Something's not being done right. Is your battery in the stock location or did you do battery relocation swap? When you crank it on your car, what kind of output is the alternator giving you? Will the car run with the new alternator installed? Do you have anything sharing power with your alternator power? So many questions, but it's very hard to determine what the problem is until some of these questions get answered.

my battery is in the stock location. when i cranked it the alternator output read at 12.9 and i dont believe anything is sharing power with the alternator. i followed the sr dash connector swap quide is it possible that one of the underneath dash wires not being hooked up could have an effect on its charge? and dee the wiring harness has a brown wire not attached to anything that comes out of the same area as the alternators plug and grounds didnt know what this wire was for.
would belt adjustment effect it performance?

[boost_boy]

Something's not being done right. Is your battery in the stock location or did you do battery relocation swap? When you crank it on your car, what kind of output is the alternator giving you? Will the car run with the new alternator installed? Do you have anything sharing power with your alternator power? So many questions, but it's very hard to determine what the problem is until some of these questions get answered.[/quote]
my battery is in the stock location. when i cranked it the alternator output read at 12.9 and i dont believe anything is sharing power with the alternator. i followed the sr dash connector swap quide is it possible that one of the underneath dash wires not being hooked up could have an effect on its charge? and dee the wiring harness has a brown wire not attached to anything that comes out of the same area as the alternators plug and grounds didnt know what this wire was for.
would belt adjustment effect it performance?[/quote]
Your alternator is not performing correctly at 12.9volts. It should be at 13.5-7 or greater (depending on load). The belt should be tight enough with at least an half inch deflection. Don't sweat the brown wire..........

[Ron240sx]

so im still in need of some help. i went and had it tested once again and it says the results are no voltage. under that it says no load 12.34v then loaded 12.34v
would any of my dash wiring be able to cause the problem? the battery and starter both tested good. i have the grounds and plug connected on the alternator but there is one spare plug that isnt being used that splits with the alternator connections? is this plug a possiblity? i need some help

[boost_boy]

You will need to provide pics specifically of the things that concern you. I'm sorry you are having a hard time with your car, but I'm having a hard time believing that you're having troubles with an alternator on a 240 as they are a hit or a miss item(good or bad).

[Ron240sx]

so after a very close look over i noticed my 75 amp fuse for the alternator and battery was broke. i went to all the parts stores and no one had one. thankfully the dealership had 3 in stock. craziest thing is even though its charging properly for some reason it has a belt squeak after i put the fuse in. it will squeak upon start up and sometimes carry on for a couple of minutes then just dissappear. got an answer for this one?

[sjbsuperman1425]

belt to tight, alternator bearing.