Alternator + cable problem
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Alternator + cable problem
I am having a problem with the + cable coming from the alternator to the 75A fuse --- it keeps burning up and corroding. It started a few months back when I went through a very bad hail storm, and drove through a pretty deep puddle. The lights on my dash flickered and I my engine began to stall, but it recovered. A week later I went to start my car and noticed the BRAKE and BATTERY lights on my dash flickering, indicator an alternator charging system problem. Well I shut off my car and looked under the hood. The boot that goes over the + cable had almost completely corroded, as well as the + cable itself, and had broke off. On top of that, the nut holding the + cable on there was corroded as well, and it broke off, and so did half of the screw post that it goes over. I ghetto rigged it by cutting off all the corroded wire and wrapping the + cable wire around what was left of the post, and found a suitable screw to put on. Well that worked for a while.
But since then it keeps corroding the cable off. I bought another alternator boot and put that over it, and it corroded that one as well (I'll post pics of it later). When I'm looking at the + cable of the alternator, I can see an orange glow from the + wire against the nut on the end of the + cable terminal post. I don't think it's supposed to do this. I looked at my brother's S14 alternator + cable to see what was different, or what was missing (and almost started a fire in the process damn KA-T oil lines), and could not really tell, other than a nut holding down the black surrounding insulator part, with the + cable ring terminal attached on top of that, and a nut on top of that, with the boot covering it.
Any suggestions on how to fix this or make it so the cable does not keep corroding? Sorry this post is so long, I am just frustrated that I constantly have to watch my dash to see when the alternator stops charging
S13 with S13 SR20DET, S13 SR alternator
But since then it keeps corroding the cable off. I bought another alternator boot and put that over it, and it corroded that one as well (I'll post pics of it later). When I'm looking at the + cable of the alternator, I can see an orange glow from the + wire against the nut on the end of the + cable terminal post. I don't think it's supposed to do this. I looked at my brother's S14 alternator + cable to see what was different, or what was missing (and almost started a fire in the process damn KA-T oil lines), and could not really tell, other than a nut holding down the black surrounding insulator part, with the + cable ring terminal attached on top of that, and a nut on top of that, with the boot covering it.
Any suggestions on how to fix this or make it so the cable does not keep corroding? Sorry this post is so long, I am just frustrated that I constantly have to watch my dash to see when the alternator stops charging
S13 with S13 SR20DET, S13 SR alternator
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Join Date: Jan 2003
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It's glowing because the connection sucks, which is causeing it to heat up. It corroded because of the water you drove through, along with the battery effect of the bi-metal connection exposed to an electrolyte. Do what Steve said. Buy a new alt, cable, and boot. Reassemble and fill the boot with dielectric grease. The grease will keep moisture out, and corrosion at bay.
