Alternator problem?

[Bill Blue]

Yesterday, while zipping along I 26, Shannon Boal's Alpine suddenly died. The battery, alternator and battery cable were hot to the touch, the solenoid was not, but everything electrical was dead. We thought that perhaps the battery cable shorted out. He has since learned that both the battery and alternator are junk. Question of the day, could the alternator have fritzed out and caused this, or is it an innocent victim?

Bill

 

[puff4]

Check your ground and battery connections. If they come adrift whilst the motor is running you can toast the alternator. Alternatively, if the battery is also toast, perhaps the connections inside the battery came adrift and that caused all this. Either way, if you ever run an alternator in a disconnected state you run the risk of burning it out. Likely the diodes have gone off with the fairies, but the unit can still be rebuilt.

 

[DanR]

Latest on the Alpine travelers. New battery ! New Alternator ! Hit the road again for SUNI about 3PM

 

[Bill Blue]

Well, if there is no external cause, that leaves the alternator as the culprit. Internal dead short? I don't know enough about the primary wiring on an Alpine to understand how a short in the alternator can heat up the battery cables. Lets see now, if the alternator output is wired to the positive terminal on the solenoid ..... but Shannon said the solenoid terminals were not hot.
Color me stupid.
Bill

 

[Shannon Boal]

Well, I think the alternator failed first. I think it had to be a part inside the internal, sealed (potted), voltage regulator. I have no clue why. I will most likely never know why.....