[vex]

Originally Posted by FRED

Your series four car gets its excitation from the White/Black wire via the Alt Relays coil, inside the CPU. It does not get it from the idiot/warning lights. The Alt relay is powered by the METER fuse on your series four car.

I think you're misunderstanding what I was inferring. If the coil is not charged than the alternator warning light does not light up, correct? There is another wire coming from the same power source, which is a switched 12V supply feeding in through the same plug, but not through the relay of the CPU. From my reading of the diagram it shows a diode internal of the CPU relay indicating to me that the only way that relay will close is if the alternator warning light wire (The White/Black wire) will complete the circuit to ground. Now in all possibility I could be reading this wrong, as I can't fully read the internal explanation of the alternator, but it seems to me if the White/Black wire connects to ground the warning light will light up indicating that no excitation of the coil is occurring. As it stands right now I believe bridging the 12V switched from the Black/White wire and the White/Black wire will allow the alternator to function without issue (besides the warning light from the CPU).

Even if the excitation wire falls off the alt (not likely, just a scenario).......the alt will most likely self excite when the engine is rev'd quickly above say three grand or so. Then it will regulate in a normal manner IF the Black/White wire is installed (switched power).

Ahhh, I see. So the initial excitation does occur via the relay. Does the relay circuit break after 12V excitation occurs? And is there any ill effects from bridging both the white/black and black/white wires to a 12v switched source?

See jpg for series four alt diagram.

What's the deal anyway? Why does not the white/black wire not exist in YOUR car? If it does not exist for whatever reason............splice a wire to the white/black AT the CPU plug for the excitaion wire for the alternator. Easy fix.

I'm installing a standalone EMS and feeding all wires concerned with the engine through a cannon plug. I would like to eliminate as much of the stock harness as possible, and that includes the alternator wires not concerned with charging. I may invest in a one wire alternator, however if I can get 'away' with using the stock one for awhile by simply re-wiring the connector I'll go that route.