batteries diconnected sparks from alt

[tbearatkin]

Okay I went out to put new belts on my M1009. One broke the other day and took out the other one as well. Disconnect the batteries and replaced the drivers side no problem. While putting on the passenger side one when I loosened the alternator and moved it in to allow slack to put on the new belt SPARKS went everywhere. Once again the batteries are disconnect. How can I be getting sparks with no battery and what are the chances the alt is now fried? Is there a capacitor somewhere or does the alt have a stored charge in it?

 

[doghead]

Did you disconnect all 4 battery terminals?

Which battery terminals did you disconnect?

 

[tbearatkin]

The only cable I left on was the front battery ground cable.

 

[doghead]

The front battery ground should be disconnected first, and reconnected last.

If all three others were off, you should not have had power to anything.

There is no storage of power.

 

[tbearatkin]

Well I sure did not imagine the sparks and the smoke. And after I backed it off where it grounded too I checked again. All three cables were still off no where near their connections. I took off the front ground cable anyway but did not think that would have caused it as all it would have done is ground to ground. Scratched my head tried it again and sure enough sparks again on the top lug with two wires one red, one orange on it. All cables off and still sparked and smoked.

Belts are on tight and batteries are hooked up again. Started and all is charging as it should. But those sparks spooked me as I had nothing to disconnect to stop it aside from taking it away from ground.

Never seen static elec cause something like this and you would think it all would have dissipated with the first sparks. Will just put it down to Gremlins

 

[blackhueys]

Do you have a solargizer? I have one on my truck and even with no battery's in the truck I get 24 volts from it on a good sunny day. Belive me I was scratching my head trying to figure out what was going on.

 

[tbearatkin]

Nope no Solargizer, It can only be gremlins. Maybe I should start recording when I work on it. I am perplexed as I did not know of any power source nor did I ever know of a capacitor in a alternator.

 

[Stonepicker1]

Did you have a NATO slave cable hooked up to your truck and another vehicle ?

If not, what special items have you added to your truck...anything pluged into a power outlet ?

opcorn:

 

[Ruppster]

You have to remember that the CUCV series is not like most military trucks that are 100% 24 volts. Since most of a CUCV works off of 12 volts from the front battery there's an additional power connection between the two batteries. So if you only remove the ground wire from the front battery you still have the negative post from the rear battery connected to most of the truck. So depending on what gets shorted out it's still possible to get sparks.

 

[tbearatkin]

It was all stock nothing hooked up no vehicle slaved in, no AC volts present anywhere, no other source of 12 or 24 volt. And yes this thread is or video. But never figured on anything like this happening.

All I know it is running now and no issue with either alt and will check voltage next time I have to change a belt and will video it. IF I get bored and it cools off some here one day I may just do that anyway and see what I get as well.

 

[mistaken1]

Spooky

 

[K9Vic]

Do you live near a nuclear power plant?
Are there high power lines near you?

I really am just tossing nothingness out there and have no idea about those....... But I know there is the technoligy or wireless power to charge cell phones and such.

But that is really odd that you have power with all the batteries disconnected. No aftermarket radios or anything?

I know with modern cars the airbags have a capacitor that holds power for about 5-10 minutes so the air bag will deploy if the battery gets knocked out in an accident. But of course that is not the case in a 25 year old truck.

 

[Ken_86gt]

Since you appear to have a perpetual generator- you should capture the energy and sell it! You will make a fortune....until your battery or something dies.