Alternator / Starter Wiring

[jdhughes17]

I finished putting this 81 Fiat Spider back together recently, but am having trouble getting an adequate charge from the alternator to the battery. I just want to confirm the wiring with someone with an "in tact" vehicle. If you are looking at the wiring side of the solenoid, there is a nut connection on the right, and one on the left, with a vertical blade connector at the bottom between the two. On the alternator I have a post/nut connection, and a blade connector. Here is how the wiring goes:

From the Solenoid - Red wire from blade connector and brown wire from post/nut on right, go into a sheath and toward the firewall. A green battery cable is also connected to the same post.

From the Alternator - Black wire from the blade connection, and black wire from the post go into a sheath and toward the firewall.

A green wire connects the alternator to the solenoid from the single post on the alternator, to the same post (right) on the solenoid.

[url]https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/t3 ... _o.jpg/url]

[lglade]

I'm on a trip away from my car right now or i'd be happy to check connections for you.

But before going through too much brain damage, make sure that the charging light on the dash glows when you first turn the key to the 'run' position. If the bulb is loose or burned out, the alternator won't charge the battery. I'm sure the Italian engineers had a great reason for setting it up this way, but if the bulb doesn't initially come on then you know the bulb is bad, and if the light comes on later then you know the alternator isn't working.

I recently upgraded to a 95 amp alternator and it didn't work. It was only after consulting with Csaba did I learn how the bulb was critical to the system. I fixed the my bulb and all was right with my charging system again. Thanks again, Csaba.

[76was124]

See wiring diagram in this thread http://www.fiatspider.com/f15/viewtopic ... it=Starter