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Charging system problem

joeyaguirre21

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So my cucv is converted from 24v to 12v. The problem I'm having is its not charging, it's only charging 12.3v . I changed the voltage regulator a couple months ago and it was charging just fine at 14.5v, then the other day I checked it and its back to 12.3v. I changed out the alternator, but still charging at 12.3v.
 

Tinstar

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12.3 is not charging.

Is the replacement alternator known to be good?
Checked by alternator shop?
Belt tight? Simple I know but not obvious to everyone.
Any fusible links left?
Check all your under Dash fuses and relays?

12v conversions are not all the same.
Bad thing about them is that help here is very limited because of the unknown wiring job.
 

Mainsail

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Check the alternator bracket and the power steering pump bracket for cracks. The alternator might work fine until it gets a load on it, and then the belt starts slipping.

Totally a longshot but who knows.
 

acthomp781

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I am having the same issue. The m1009 I have has been converted to 12V. I am planning on going back to 24 V. I only have the passenger side gen 2. For now I would like to be able to drive and enjoy the truck. I am not getting any voltage at the brown wire of the voltage regulator connector, with it unplugged and key on. I have checked fuses and am thinking the diode or relay for gen 2. The alternator I have is an original one that I just had rebuilt at a reputable shop. Thoughts? Thank you for your time.
 
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Bighorn

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Have you tried to full field #1 alternator?
Jump 12 volts to #2 terminal of the flat connector.
In fact there is a hole on the back of the alternator you can poke a wire through to force the regulator into full field mode too.
That will tell you right there if the problem is in the alternator or wires leading up to it.
There's a dude on ebay that sells the 27 si repair kits.
It is dead simple.
Also; something as simple as the gen light burning out WILL stop the alternator field coil from energizing the alternator.
The plug that fits into the plastic overlay printed circuit behind the speedometer can work loose and cause the same problem.
Reach up under the dash and twist the gen light bulb out of the socket and check it first.
Then lay on the drivers floor on your back and look up under the dash behind the speedo with a bright flashlight.
Locate the long plug that connected the plastic printed circuit with the wiring harness connector.
unplug and replug a few times.
Check the ground wire from your previously isolated ground alt that should be now connected to the block after conversion.
If you did the conversion, you should have a spare alternator laying around yes?
Swap that in.
 

joeyaguirre21

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I am having the same issue. The m1009 I have has been converted to 12V. I am planning on going back to 24 V. I only have the passenger side gen 2. For now I would like to be able to drive and enjoy the truck. I am not getting any voltage at the brown wire of the voltage regulator connector, with it unplugged and key on. I have checked fuses and am thinking the diode or relay for gen 2. The alternator I have is an original one that I just had rebuilt at a reputable shop. Thoughts? Thank you for your time.
What else have you done to your truck?
I have my right(passenger) alt hooked up and it's a brand new alt, jusy bought it the other day. So I know alt is brand new. Now idk if it's right but I have 10 ohms of resistance when the truck is running and the alt is only putting out 12.4
 

Bighorn

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What else have you done to your truck?
I have my right(passenger) alt hooked up and it's a brand new alt, jusy bought it the other day. So I know alt is brand new. Now idk if it's right but I have 10 ohms of resistance when the truck is running and the alt is only putting out 12.4
Where are you measuring 10 ohms resistance?
Nevermind.

It is very simple.
You have converted your truck to 12 volts right?
If yes, follow along;
There is a bolt on battery positive terminal on the back of the alternator.
There is also an isolated ground on stock cucv alternators that MUST be sent to a ground on the block when converting to 12 volt.
If you bought a stock K5 Blazer alternator then is grounds through the case.
The small flat connector has two wires.
#1 is a voltage sensing wire that goes to a point further along the wire harness to tell the alternator what the voltage reads and allows the voltage regulator to increase voltage to account for drops in the wiring wuch as when the head lights or blower are suddenly turned on.
#2 is the field exciter wire which also originates in the solid state voltage regulator.
This wire will have 12 volts on it when you turn the key on BUT ONLY IF THE GEN LIGHT IS WORKING.

When you turn the key to run, does the gen light work?
You might think it is just a light but it serves a very important function as well.
If you remove the bulb, your alternator will not excite on start up and you will not have charge.

You can also simulate that excitement but inserting a conductive wire through the test hole located directly behind the voltage regulator in the alternator case.
Or you can apply 12 volts directly to the #2 wire.
If you are measuring 12 volts at #2 with the key on run, you have an issue inside the alternator.
Usually a voltage regulator is the culprit.
It is entirely possible to have a brand new (rebuilt) alternator fail.
First make sure it is grounded.
Make sure it has a good battery connection on the big terminal.
Make sure it has 12 volts at #2 on the small connector.
Make sure the gen light turns on brightly when in run position.

If all the above are working; apply 12 volts to #2 or use a paperclip through the test hole to full field the alternator.
If that fails; remove and rebuild the alternator or take it to the autoparts house and have it tested/replaced etc.

As for testing;
You can disassemble the alternator and test the bridge rectifier and diode trio with a multimeter set on the diode test setting.
You can inspect the brushes and commutator assembly and test the windings etc.
The voltage regulator is something you cannot test with a normal multimeter.
If everything else checks out; suspect the voltage regulator and replace it.

Incidentally, if you happened to short the alternator during installation.. even a little bit, you puffed your voltage regulator.
Did you completely remove all battery power before assembly?
It is very common to damage them by taking this shortcut.
 
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acthomp781

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Massillon, OH
I did not do the conversion. I have not done anything except check to see if any voltage at the brown wire with key on, connector unplugged. I am going to do the checks mentioned later in this post.
 

dependable

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Belt tight? Simple I know but not obvious to everyone.
This is the first thing to check if intermittent alt light and low voltage, even if belt seems tight, and there is no obvious slippage. Tighten the belt to make squeak go away, they get too narrow even if seems tight. It can creep up slowly too, with alt charging some. Condition will slowly worsen as battery draws down from low charging condition.

If you've been running around with slipping belts at all, check for correct width, belt will likely need to be replaced.
 

acthomp781

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Location
Massillon, OH
I am getting close. I jumped 12v to the brown/wht wire at the alternator(the schematic says just brown, but mine is brn/wht) with the vehicle running for just a few seconds. The reading on my multimeter started out at about 13.5 then slowly rose to ~14.5 and leveled there. I let the truck run for ~30 minutes and came back and same voltage. I then shut the truck off, restarted and only got ~12.8v, then repeated the process and got ~14.5. So that tells me the alternator is OK. I checked for power from the pnk/wht wire at the gen 2 relay with key on, and got power, but no power to the brn/wht wire. I am thinking relay. I switched relays and put the one on for the voltmeter and same result. I guess it is possible for both relays to be bad. I have had this truck long enough to know stranger things have happened. Thank you for your suggestions.
 

Bighorn

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I am getting close. I jumped 12v to the brown/wht wire at the alternator(the schematic says just brown, but mine is brn/wht) with the vehicle running for just a few seconds. The reading on my multimeter started out at about 13.5 then slowly rose to ~14.5 and leveled there. I let the truck run for ~30 minutes and came back and same voltage. I then shut the truck off, restarted and only got ~12.8v, then repeated the process and got ~14.5. So that tells me the alternator is OK. I checked for power from the pnk/wht wire at the gen 2 relay with key on, and got power, but no power to the brn/wht wire. I am thinking relay. I switched relays and put the one on for the voltmeter and same result. I guess it is possible for both relays to be bad. I have had this truck long enough to know stranger things have happened. Thank you for your suggestions.
Nice work.
Now the power to that wire originates in the ignition switch circuitry.
So that, when the key is in the run position, 12 volts is fed to the gen light(s) and then to the excite wire #2 on the alternators flat plug.
With the key in run but engine stopped, the gen light illuminates because it is being fed 12 volts from the ignition side but grounds through the voltage regulator (and the small resistor that looks like a fuse) inside the alternator.
After you start the truck, the alternator spins up and when working correctly supplies voltage backwards through the #2 wire.
Seeing 12 volts (14.8) at both sides of the gen light (ignition feed and alternator feed) makes the light go out.
What you need to find out is why you are not getting 12 volts to the #2 wire when the key is in the run position.
Not knowing how it was converted to 12 volts is problematic but not impossible.
The system was working correctly until recently yes?
What changed.
Check all the fuses.
Particularly the blower fuse at the top of the fuse box.
Look for corrosion.
Check the 12 volt terminal block under the hood behind and to the left of the glow plug solenoid ,on the firewall.
Clean and reattach those wires.
Check the gen light socket and bulb for corrosion or damage.
That gen light is working yes?
Check that every accessory that is supposed to have power in the run position, actually has power.
Check that big long connector into the plastic printed circuit overlay behind the speedometer.
Take the plug out and re-seat it.

You are on the right track.
 

joeyaguirre21

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Location
el paso, texas
Ok update, I was messing with my truck earlier. I checked the gen light and sockets behind the dash bent the prongs a little to make better contact, check connections, started wigglig the wires at the regulator connection and surprisingly it jump up to 13.7v, turned truck off then back on and stayed at 13.7, then Left to buy a wider belt and went back to doing thr same thing but at 5-6v coming out the black wire of the regulator connector. Cleaned the connectors, checked the gen light bulb again ,wiggled the wires still stays at 5-6v
 

nyoffroad

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Rochester NY
Ok update, I was messing with my truck earlier. I checked the gen light and sockets behind the dash bent the prongs a little to make better contact, check connections, started wigglig the wires at the regulator connection and surprisingly it jump up to 13.7v, turned truck off then back on and stayed at 13.7, then Left to buy a wider belt and went back to doing thr same thing but at 5-6v coming out the black wire of the regulator connector. Cleaned the connectors, checked the gen light bulb again ,wiggled the wires still stays at 5-6v
A replacement plug is available at some auto part stores, it a pretty common GM problem. It comes with a couple inches of wire and just butt splice in place.
 

acthomp781

Member
79
30
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Location
Massillon, OH
OK. Update. I have continuity from orange wire that feeds gen 2 light from fuse box to plug for instrument cluster, and for brown/red wire from instrument cluster connector to gen 2 relay, I will check brown/wht wire from relay to connector at alternator next. But I think I found the problem. The instrument cluster printed circuit does not have continuity from the "tab" from orange wire "socket" to gen 2 light socket, where the copper bends to the socket is broken. So, power from the orange wire is not getting to the gen 2 light because of the printed circuit is bad. Any suggestions besides replacing the printed circuit? I seem to remember you can get "copper paint" to repair the "circuit" for a rear window fogger. Thoughts? Thank you for your time.
 
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