Hello All,

I am having probs with my alternator charging.  A short history:

1) Replaced my engine with a rebuild.
2) At 180 miles after the swap the engine dies - battery is obviously
low as the flashers quit after about 20 minutes -  and the van gets
towed home.
3) Have battery recharged (trickle) and test to hold load - all OK
according to the shop
4) Check voltage across battery at 2-3,000 RPM - 11 volts
5) Clean off voltage regulator
6) check voltage as above - same result
7) get new, rebuilt alternator - still no joy but does show a little
increase to 12Volts at 3,000 RPM
8) suggestion made to check LED - does not turn on.
9) Get new LED - still no joy.
10) Finally (hey the van is a 91 - figure all those things may need to
be replaced anyrate) check the Bently procedure to trouble shoot the LED
and charging system (wow - considering all the omissions in that manual
didn't dream that they'd have such a detailed description of this).
11) So grounding the D+ term causes the LED to light up when switching
on the ignition.  Of all the possibilities to resolve with that result
to the test the only one that makes sense is that the alternator isn't
grounded properly/well.

Question #1: can any one help describe where all the grounding straps
are supposed to be? I have not been able to get that info out of the
Bently.  I have a smallish red wire that leads from the left head to the
body just below the coil.  Or is the ground through the negative
terminal on the battery?  Because that looks a little rusty (odd being
in the van and all)

Question #2: Does anyone have another explantion/resolution to this
problem?

Thanks in advance,

Barry
Electrically clueless in Toledo.