jm

[jmaynard33]

i have an AIWA CD player i have installed into a 1996 Ford Ranger and have had alternator problems since. I followed the wiring diagrams on the conversion kit. I did not secure the ground to a metal part of the vehicle, i just wired it up to the kit the same way the original stereo was hooked up. Should i be grounding that wire to metal instead.

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[iceteebone 5,000+ posts]

what do you mean by alternator problems? low voltage? whine? be more specific. also how the hell did you come up with the title "jm"?

 

[djman37 5,000+ posts]

it might be fine, but you should follow the instructions.

 

[jmaynard33]

i have had to replace one alternator so far and i talked the part people into giving me yet another under warranty. yes my problem was low voltage. jm is my initials, i was in a hurry. it's better than bm

 

[iceteebone 5,000+ posts]

i have had to replace one alternator so far and i talked the part people into giving me yet another under warranty. yes my problem was low voltage. jm is my initials, i was in a hurry. it's better than bm

i see your new to the forum but you don't put your intials as a title lol. something is seriously wrong then if you are getting low voltage just from a headunit. are you running any amps?

 

[jmaynard33]

running amps? not sure what you're asking. i drove the truck with the new cd player in it for a couple of days and noticed it powered itself down and tried to power back up. i then noticed my alternator gauge dip and stay down until i turned everything off but the engine. when i took the vehicle to the parts place they tested it and said my alternator was bad. i replaced the alternator for a pretty penny and was still having the same problems. i put the original stock radio back in last night and have had no problems with my alternator.

 

[tRiGgEr 5,000+ posts]

running amps? not sure what you're asking. i drove the truck with the new cd player in it for a couple of days and noticed it powered itself down and tried to power back up. i then noticed my alternator gauge dip and stay down until i turned everything off but the engine. when i took the vehicle to the parts place they tested it and said my alternator was bad. i replaced the alternator for a pretty penny and was still having the same problems. i put the original stock radio back in last night and have had no problems with my alternator.

No way can a HU give you volyage drops. It's just not possible. The alt can not be damaged by a HU.

 

[iceteebone 5,000+ posts]

running amps? not sure what you're asking. i drove the truck with the new cd player in it for a couple of days and noticed it powered itself down and tried to power back up. i then noticed my alternator gauge dip and stay down until i turned everything off but the engine. when i took the vehicle to the parts place they tested it and said my alternator was bad. i replaced the alternator for a pretty penny and was still having the same problems. i put the original stock radio back in last night and have had no problems with my alternator.

judging by that response you probably don't have any subs or amplifiers in your car. something has too be wrong somewhere in your electrical system where a little headunit, drives down the alternator like that. try going to a different shop.

 

[jmaynard33]

ok. i would like to try and put the new stereo back in the truck. Should i take the ground wire and secure it to metal just to make sure

 

[jmaynard33]

just wondering if i should try grounding the black wire to something metal. I have secured it to what i thought was a negative lead.

 

[tRiGgEr 5,000+ posts]

ok. i would like to try and put the new stereo back in the truck. Should i take the ground wire and secure it to metal just to make sure

Yes.

 

[jmaynard33]

okey dokey. thanks

 

[iceteebone 5,000+ posts]

even if you grounded it in the stock harness, that still shouldn't have screwed up your alternator. since you are regrounding the headunit, just ground it directly to the battery.