Wire from solenoid to alternator not connected, why

[emergpa1]

Hey guys, quick question. Want to know why A red wire from my solenoid to my alternator is not connected to the alternator. I have a Yannmar 3Gm30. The wire has never been hooked to the alternator as I can tell. The engine diagram shows the wire going from the solenoid to the alternator. The fused switch wire and of course the wire coming from the battery switch is connected. I am currently wiring a balmar external smart charger for an alternator upgrade. I am sure I will have more questions!

 

[centerline]

to what post does the wiring diagram show the wire is suppose to connect to on the alternator?.... it very well could be the high amp charge wire, or the voltage sense wire...

but, to answer your question as to why its unhooked, I cant do that as I wasnt there when the decision was made to not hook it back up

 

[Maine Sail]

Hey guys, quick question. Want to know why A red wire from my solenoid to my alternator is not connected to the alternator. I have a Yannmar 3Gm30. The wire has never been hooked to the alternator as I can tell. The engine diagram shows the wire going from the solenoid to the alternator. The fused switch wire and of course the wire coming from the battery switch is connected. I am currently wiring a balmar external smart charger for an alternator upgrade. I am sure I will have more questions!

the alt may have been directly run to the house bank or to a diode type isolator.. Follow the B+/Output wire from the alt and see where it leads...

 

[emergpa1]

to what post does the wiring diagram show the wire is suppose to connect to on the alternator?.... it very well could be the high amp charge wire, or the voltage sense wire...

but, to answer your question as to why its unhooked, I cant do that as I wasnt there when the decision was made to not hook it back up

Can't say, do not have the diagram showing which alternator post but here is the wiring diagram for the engine. You will see near the bottom of the diagram the red wire branches off to the alternator.
One end of the mystery wire is still connected at the solenoid as shown the other end is up near the alternator with a ring terminal and is bundled in with two or three other wires that have been disconnected since I purchased the boat.
Actually, looking closer at the diagram, the mysterious red wire from the starter solenoid appears to branch off from the fused red wire that goes to the keyswitch. So to summarize my solenoid there are three red wires one obviously goes to the battery switch the other one is fused and I assume goes to the keyswitch. Then the third wire in question comes off the same post of the starter solenoid as the other two wires but simply terminates in a terminal ring near the alternator it itself.

 

[emergpa1]

Now a similar question ha ha why does the wire come off the alternator to the cooling water temperature light. This wire, I believe, excites the voltage regulator? Why does it come off the water cooling water temperature light?
And of course, most importantly, how do I connect it to on the Balmar external regulator wiring harness?

 

[emergpa1]

Hmm trouble loading two photos here is the other one

 

[emergpa1]

Perhaps it is simply there to confuse me, causing me to stop, scratch my head and spend quite a bit of time wondering about that which has no answer?

 

[emergpa1]

Well guys, I wish you would hurry up I'm trying to wire this damn alternator and balmar external regulator sitting in the engine compartment of my cockpit and I'm in Brunswick and it is actually spitting snow.
I called electro Max earlier and he helped me with another step but I would really like to try to figure this out without calling them again so soon. You guys already know I'm an idiot. No need and spreading it around!
But that is okay, my wife and I got cabin fever during the rain and cold and continually overcast skies last night and booked a last minute cruise to the Caribbean, cents I am obviously not going to get my boat down there this season, and will be leaving on Sunday for that.

 

[emergpa1]

P. S. Mainsail, I do have a diode on a wire running from my house battery bank to a smaller engine start bank but have not tried to wrap my brain around the Why and how yet

 

[Stu Jackson]

When I installed my external regulator, I did a series of wiring diagrams. It helped me a lot to understand what was going on.

http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,4548.0.html

Pictures of electrical wiring without a diagram make it very, very hard to help you.

Good luck.

 

[centerline]

this is tough.... teaching wiring 101 this way wont get it very far...
as you may not be as full of electrical knowledge as it will take to do what you are attempting to do, (according to the questions you're asking) you should read up on how electronic gauges should be connected in to the system.... then take the thing on step at a time...

the gauges are probably hooked up there because someone was too lazy to do it correctly.
the gauges need power, but the gauge operates on a variable ground resistance thru the sending unit.... so someone connected to the closest power source, but thats only a guess, as I am not there to actually see it....

im not sure what alternator you have and/or how many wires it would normally need. some use one wire, some use two, some three... and more depending on the type of alternator and accessories you have connected into the system.
and im not even sure if you are hooking up a charger or an external regulator, as they are very different... you called it a charger, but chargers are the simplest things ever to hook up. there should be clear instructions available on the internet, if you dont have them in your hand already...

but dont feel too bad, as when even the best electrical guy has to work on a system that has somehow been morphed into a spider web of unknown wires, its a pain in the AS* that takes time to figure out... a GOOD tester is your best friend when trying to figure out an unknown wiring nightmare. something like this you can then do about any type of electrical test or wire trace you will ever need to to on a 12 or 24 volt system... of course, thats AFTER you learn how to operate all the functions of the tester.

I have had one for a couple of years, and use it often, but STILL havent used all the functions it has available....

 

[Maine Sail]

Sorry I will be out of cell range most of the weekend. Almost out of range now.. Off skiing and staying at my friends off-grid cabin that has no cell service....

 

[emergpa1]

this is tough.... teaching wiring 101 this way wont get it very far...
as you may not be as full of electrical knowledge as it will take to do what you are attempting to do, (according to the questions you're asking) you should read up on how electronic gauges should be connected in to the system.... then take the thing on step at a time...

the gauges are probably hooked up there because someone was too lazy to do it correctly.
the gauges need power, but the gauge operates on a variable ground resistance thru the sending unit.... so someone connected to the closest power source, but thats only a guess, as I am not there to actually see it....

im not sure what alternator you have and/or how many wires it would normally need. some use one wire, some use two, some three... and more depending on the type of alternator and accessories you have connected into the system.
and im not even sure if you are hooking up a charger or an external regulator, as they are very different... you called it a charger, but chargers are the simplest things ever to hook up. there should be clear instructions available on the internet, if you dont have them in your hand already...

but dont feel too bad, as when even the best electrical guy has to work on a system that has somehow been morphed into a spider web of unknown wires, its a pain in the AS* that takes time to figure out... a GOOD tester is your best friend when trying to figure out an unknown wiring nightmare. something like this you can then do about any type of electrical test or wire trace you will ever need to to on a 12 or 24 volt system... of course, thats AFTER you learn how to operate all the functions of the tester.

I have had one for a couple of years, and use it often, but STILL havent used all the functions it has available....

Good points everyone. What I'm going to do is spend some time sketching the circuit, then investigate until I understand it. I'll keep this thread alive as I work through it.
Maine Sail, have fun!

 

[Bill Roosa]

The diagrams are the "from the factory" and "with factory alternator" so you may be looking at apples and oranges trying to compare the two.
Is it the stock alternator, if not do you have an external regulator and what type.
My first blush is to invoke the "if it ain't broken don't fix it" and it does not seem to be broken as you did not mention a charging or starting problem.
Starters 101 a high amp cable runs from a battery to the solenoid. a high amp cable runs from the solenoid to the starter (or runs internally to the starter depends on the make of the solenoid) A low amp wire runs from the start switch/ignition start terminal to the solenoid to control it.
On OEM installs the alternator high amp output runs to the solenoid high amp supply and there is another cable from either the solenoid or the alternator high amp terminal to the batteries. This is a cost saving technique as you are generally (OEM thinking) going to charge and use as a start the same battery. This is not typically the case in boats as we all know and I think that is what is going on in this case.
I'd talk alternators but there is so much variation among the different types it would only confuse without knowing which model you have.
basically there is a terminal for + output, and may be one for a high amp return ground and a few control wires.
To answer the question "why does one of the wires connect to the temp and oil pressure waring circuit?" that one normally has 12 volts on it when the alternator is making current. It has 12 volts on the other side of the light so the warning light sees 12 volts on both sides and stays unlit. When the alternator stops making current for any reason the voltage on its side of the light goes to zero and it acts like a ground and the warning light lights This is the setup for an OEM internally regulated alternator so all bets are off till we know what you have alternator regulator wise.

 

[emergpa1]

Here's the diagram, at least I have gotten this far. I am not sure, (labeled as "where to?" In the lower right-hand side of the photograph) These connections make.

 

[emergpa1]

Yes, thanks Bill , it will take me a few minutes to absorb your post.