• Hello there guest and Welcome to The #1 Classic Mustang forum!
    To gain full access you must Register. Registration is free and it takes only a few moments to complete.
    Already a member? Login here then!

Alt Ground hookup????

JRANGER

JRANGER

Active Member
Ok so ive been reading and reading and trying to figure out how my alt is going to be hooked up. The wires are all jacked up and spliced together. So Ive got a new Concours Headlight harness and will be ordering a new alt wiring harness to go with it.

So i looked at my alternator and I see only 2 wires hooked up.

A thicker black wire to the top post and a smaller white wire to the lower post. Thats it.......I see no ground what so ever. The thicker black wire (maybe 12 gauge) goes to the solenoid via a split in the wire. This all seems to look similar to the small block setup. My question is where does the small ground go on the harness? Does it go to one of the other 2 post on the alt or do i ground it out where ever?


This is the harness i was going to get.
WALT4A.jpg



I assume the red wire will be used as the white and the bigger connection as the top connection. The bigger split connection i assume goes to the solenoid and the small the ground?

Does that seem right?
 
alright ill just have to look at the alt real close..I couldnt see much on the back but i just saw 2 additional posts and no ground attached..

Thanks
 
One of the two other posts will be insulated against the case and the other won't. The one that isn't should have a "G" or "GND" stamped in the case. That's the ground point.
 
Here's the best pic I've got of my old one, the GRD is the bottom left of the 3 studs, as mentioned it's the only one w/o plastic insulation around it.

Alt65A.jpg


Jon
 
Thanks! Now considering now my mustang wont start at all....Just makes a buzz im assuming the wiring has finally gave way. It had been struggling to start the last couple week and well the corrosion on the terminal to the alt look bad!!!

Thanks everyone
 
Just looked at my alt and the power wire broke free so i suspect my battery hasnt been charging and it probably dead. The insulator colors dont match your pic but its identical to yours. Just no ground hooked up to it. I will hook it all up properly when i re-wire it and the headlight harness in a couple weeks. Might also be why the black with red stripe wire is fried in general. Which i believe is a ground....
 
Yeah, buzzing is usually the solenoid trying to make a solid connection but without enough juice it just keeps clicking without locking in. Fried wires, bad (internally corroded - stiff or fried- rubbery) battery cables, electrical cables (sounds like what you have), poor grounds, not enough grounds, etc. will give you this.
Take the battery in to your local parts store and have them put it on an overnight slow deep charge then have them do a load test on it when you pick it up the next day, that will verify that the battery is still good. While the wires are off and it's only 2 bolts it'd be worth it to take the alt. with you and have them load test it too, it's all free as a service.
Jon
 
Ok im confused again!! Looking at the alt harness the small loop connector connects to the big connector that goes to the solenoid. So that cant be the ground? Can it? If not, where it is suppose to go? Do you run a completely separate ground to the alt???

Thanks
 
"JRANGER" said:
Ok im confused again!! Looking at the alt harness the small loop connector connects to the big connector that goes to the solenoid. So that cant be the ground? Can it? If not, where it is suppose to go? Do you run a completely separate ground to the alt???

Thanks
Click to expand...

you can come look @ mine if you need to.
 
i think i figured it out. Seems to be both are ground. One for the solenoid connection and other to the alt...Too bad its short! UGH!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top