Mechman alternator install = smoke show

[066]

Hoping someone can tell me what’s wrong since Mechman is closed for the day.

I wired up this 370a alt, one 1/0 lead to each battery, doubled up 1/0 grounds on both. No fuses. I left a 1/0 cable between batteries.

When I turned the key, this blue wire started melting. Shut down, disconnect batteries.

Looks like no damage to the alternator, just the wire.

Everything looks okay to me?

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[Firewalker]

1st. Always use fuses between batteries so those blow and nothing catches on fire.

2nd. What diagram did send you for wiring that up? Mine came with written plus pictures when I got it from J&S.

Hopefully nothing happened to the Alternator, GL!

 

[066]

Thanks for the response! I suppose I should’ve specified the vehicle too. This is a 2006 6.0 F250.

I got some generic instructions.

But from my Powerstroke forum, another member said


The old alternator cable and the glow plug power cable join together with a fuse link, near the battery end -- then connected to the battery post

you could just re-connect the cable at the battery post and insulate the end at the alternator
or connect back to the alternator if the post has room

The sensing wire adjusted the voltage regulator near where the glow plug power was taken -- I suspect to prolong glow plug life, from over voltage

So it sounds like I just need to reconnect the old alt/battery cable because it powers my glow plugs.

When I turned the key, it tried to charge the glow plugs (>200a load) through that 16ga wire.

 

[2023 LTZ]

Nice catch

 

[066]

Thank you!

The alternator is working great now. I reconnected the old alt cable to both battery and alternator. Seeing 14.5-14.8v at idle and no smoke.

Will a mod please change the title to Noob installs Mechman= smoke show

 

[Jimi77 5,000+ posts]

When I turned the key, it tried to charge the glow plugs (>200a load) through that 16ga wire.

That will melt 16ga in a hurry.

 

[metalheadjoe 10+ year member]

Thank you!

The alternator is working great now. I reconnected the old alt cable to both battery and alternator. Seeing 14.5-14.8v at idle and no smoke.

Will a mod please change the title to Noob installs Mechman= smoke show

A better would be "Noob thinks this site has mods"!

 

[066]

LOL