Club 80-90 Forums

Hi guys, registered a week or 2 ago and have a problem I was hoping someone could possibly help with please?

my 1.9dg is not charging, there is the correct circa 14volts at the alternator but not at the batteries, as you look above the left hand cylinder head there a red spade connector, and next to it a broken thin black wire, which if I earth the van stalls, I cant find where it goes and wonder if this cound be the cause of my problem? I have traced it upto the little relay box in the corner but cant see where it goes engine side, thanks hopefully in advance for any ideas!

Hi there, Dont know if this will be of any help but i had an issue with battery not charging.What i learned was there should be three wires going into the back of the alternator. 2 thicker wires ( in my case they were red) and one thin wire ( in my case it was blue) Perhaps yours is black. Does this broken wire come from the back of the alternator? If it is this wire then it is called the exciter wire and runs to the battery warning light on the dash. If this wire is broken or even if the warning bulb is out it can cause battery problems. Also check the state of the wiring attached to the alternator as mine disintegrated in my fingers when i touched it which was not good. ( I renewed the wiring from the alternator to the protective sleeving ). It always helps if you can post pics to show the wise folk on here exactly what you are talking about. Good luck

Black wires are ignition positive so they are switched when the ignition is on.

THEY ARE NOT FUSED so DON'T go shorting them to the body or you could burn your wiring out or start a fire , the reason it stalls is because you draw so much current down a small wire the voltage to the coil/ignition module will drop and that kills the ignition

The wiring for a late DG has four black wires on that side, one larger wire comes from the black box to the coil with a thinner wire also from the black box to the thermoswitch in the thermostat housing, it controls the relay in the black box that switches your manufold heater circuit.

I guess that is the one. go to the thermoswitch and follow the wire back, there is also a temperature sensor in the thermostat housing,

so you can tell them appart the thermoswitch has wire colors black ( probably the broken one) and lilac black the temperture sender has wire colours yellow/red and brown

There is another black wire from the coil to the ignition module and another from the coil to the carb +12V circuit feeding things like the bypass cut off valve but I don't think it will be them as you say it goes to the black box and is small.

I very much doubt this has anything to do with charging, the alternator should connect to the starter motor with a thick wire and the starter motor to the battery with an even thicker wire, if you have 14V on the alternator my guess is the wire from the alternator to the starter motor is duff.

Go easy none of it is fused if you do something wrong you can burn yourself or start a fire. DON'T try touching them to the body to 'see what happens'

Good post itchyfeet. Full of usful info. Dont mean to hijack anyones post but would you know if its a green black wire that goes to the oil switch between the pushrods.

Bluebell65 wrote: Dont mean to hijack anyones post but would you know if its a green black wire that goes to the oil switch between the pushrods.

answered by PM to keep the thread clean