need help with charging problem....TTA....im losing my mind!!!

[TTAfreak]

ok, ive read and read all the posts here about the charging systems of the GNs, but I havent found any on the TTA.

I know the GNs have the dreaded "Idiot light" problem....but TTAs have a guage.

do TTAs also have a light that can cause the same charging problem?

my alternator reads 12 volts exactly from the back of the alternator. it drops into the 11s when the lights are turned on.

I get the same exact reading from the battery, and from the scan master!!!

ive got a new battery, and have tested both the stock alternator and a brand new on (both tested while on the car) and both have the same readings. 12.0 volts and lower.

there is a hotwire kit on the car and a new walbro fuel pump.

is this an alternator problem? or something else?

good lord im going crazy.

 

[TTAfreak]

TTT

anyone???

if you check voltage directly from the post on the back of the alternator, and it reads 12v or lower.....wouldnt that say the alternator is bad??

thats the direct source for power......right on the alternator itself.

am i wrong here?

 

[John Larkin]

Sounds like two bad alternators or one bad testing person x 2. Do a search for "exciter" and check the volts light wire.

 

[TurboJim]

TTT

anyone???

if you check voltage directly from the post on the back of the alternator, and it reads 12v or lower.....wouldnt that say the alternator is bad??

thats the direct source for power......right on the alternator itself.

am i wrong here?

If you have 12v at the brown wire in the alt plug (checked with the plug unplugged) with the key on or the engine running, and 12v to the post on the bac of he alt, then the alt is bad.

If you dont have 12v there, you need to trace and find out why. You can apply 12v to the alt on the brown wires terminal and make the alt charge to test.

 

[TTAfreak]

Sounds like two bad alternators or one bad testing person x 2. Do a search for "exciter" and check the volts light wire.

thats one thing I questioned in my original post. TTAs have a guage. they dont have a "volt light" do they?

 

[TTAfreak]

If you have 12v at the brown wire in the alt plug (checked with the plug unplugged) with the key on or the engine running, and 12v to the post on the bac of he alt, then the alt is bad.

If you dont have 12v there, you need to trace and find out why. You can apply 12v to the alt on the brown wires terminal and make the alt charge to test.

i will be checking the brown wire momentarily. thanks

 

[TClassic]

TTA Freak,

Looking at the manual it looks as though there is NO Exciter circuit (Voltage sensing Imput) used on the TTA's. The Wiring Schematic shows the small wire from the battery goes to the ring terminal of course, heres the interesting part....the Brown plug-in wire goes to a Connector (S206) and from there it goes 2 places (Intersections off), it branches off to the High and Low Fan relays (2 brown wires), and to the Fuse Block connecting to the 20 Amp "C/H Fan" fuse. Thats it!! I'll get this scanned later on today and E it to ya as promised....

I'm also having an Electrical problem, and theres not much help here...I have traced mine down to the Ignition.

 

[TTAfreak]

TTA Freak,

Looking at the manual it looks as though there is NO Exciter circuit (Voltage sensing Imput) used on the TTA's. The Wiring Schematic shows the small wire from the battery goes to the ring terminal of course, heres the interesting part....the Brown plug-in wire goes to a Connector (S206) and from there it goes 2 places (Intersections off), it branches off to the High and Low Fan relays (2 brown wires), and to the Fuse Block connecting to the 20 Amp "C/H Fan" fuse. Thats it!! I'll get this scanned later on today and E it to ya as promised....

I'm also having an Electrical problem, and theres not much help here...I have traced mine down to the Ignition.

thanks a ton man. replied to your email.

 

[v6turbojunkie]

I just had a problem similar in my charging system. The alternator wasn't turning on and the battery volts were at 11.5 and dropped to 9.6 under heavy throttle. The brown wire didn't power-up when the key was turned on and no blown fuses. I had another keyed 12V source already 3 inches away so I used it as a quick fix but a local auto-electric shop said to make sure you put a resistor in the new wire.

 

[TTAfreak]

it is definately NOT an alternator problem. have now tried 3 and they all read EXACTLY THE SAME.

back to square 1.

 

[TTAfreak]

update for anyone that cares.

PROBLEM FOUND.

when I hooked up my scanmaster.....I used an "add a fuse" deal i got from autozone. this thing slides into the port on the fuse block for a switched power source.....and then the fuse out of the block plugs into the "add a fuse"

well, I had it in the "CH FAN" slot. well evidently this slot is connected to the alternator charging system and does not like having an additional power drawing source using its space.

unhooked scanmaster and put regular fuse back in CH FAN slot and BAM.....car is charging fine.

now my question is......where are you guys hooking up your scanmaster to its "switched power source"

thanksssssssss

 

[David65]

I had another keyed 12V source already 3 inches away so I used it as a quick fix but a local auto-electric shop said to make sure you put a resistor in the new wire.

Exactly. The Lamp Lead (L) terminal is an open-collector transistor output that gets switched to ground when there is a fault in the alternator. It's probably good for only a few milliamps, so by connecting the L terminal to +12V without some resistance (lamp or resistor) you'll blow the regulator in the unit. See figure 3 here: http://www.alternatorparts.com/cs130_sbpage3.htm It's similar to the CS-144 model.

David

 

[TTAfreak]

now my question is......where are you guys hooking up your scanmaster to its "switched power source"