Awhile back I got some excellent feedback on the problem I had where the alternator was draining the battery after the rod had sat for 2 weeks or so without use. Most solutions were basically: disconnect it when not in use. Well, thats a pain when the battery is under the seat, and almost as much when you have to wire in a bulky switch and mount it in an out-of-sight, yet easily reached, spot. To boot, the doors are solenoid operated, so when the battery is dead....yup...jack it up and put the charger on the starter solenoid. One product I looked hard at is a remote toggle operated unit made by Hotronics. Advantage: easy to mount the toggle in a good spot, and no wiring headaches. Disadvantage: remember to use it! (and cost - over $100.00)Finally, I found the ideal solution. It's called Priority Start, and works like an automatic cutoff switch, monitoring battery drain (from whatever source) and using a servo motor switch to cut the battery off when reserve is about 12 volts. Pushing the solenoid door button, however, doesn't create enough of a draw (like a light switch, or the ignition switch) for the unit to close the contact. So I rigged a momentary contact switch (hidden) to turn on a halogen bulb. The bulb never actually comes on, but the draw is enough to activate the unit to re-connect the battery. So, push button 1, then button 2, and go. Hope this is interesting to a few of you.

HOW ABOUT JUST PUTTING A TOGGLE SWITCH ON THE EXCITER WIRE ON YOUR ALTERNATOR. YOU CAN MOUNT THE SWITCH ANYWHERE. THAT SHOULD BE ALL YOU WOULD NEED.

I had a similiar problem, it ended up being the clock on my digital stereo that was wired hot all the time.
--
Lance B.

Yes, that would be fine to cut out the alternator, but the switch would have to carry 100amps when the alternator is charging, as it is a 1-wire GM unit. I thought of a relay, but a relay capable of carrying 100amps is about as expensive as the Priority Start device. The toggle might work for an externally regulated alternator, though.

YOU WOULD BE CORRECT HERE IF YOU PUT THE TOGGLE ON THE HOT SIDE, BUT I HAD SAID THE EXCITER SIDE. DO YOU HAVE A HOT PEG, AND A SEPERATE WHITE OR BROWN PLUG WITH A RED AND A BROWN WIRE IN IT? IF YOU DO, THE BROWN WIRE #2 TERMINAL, IS WHERE I SUGGESTED THE TOGGLE. IF THIS DOES NOT HELP, I HAVE A FOOL PROOF WAY OF FINDING YOUR ELECTRICAL DRAW. LET ME KNOW..ED

Thanks to all who replied. The only connection my alternator has to the wiring harness is a single post, which has a wire running directly to the battery lead on the starter. I'll run the detail about the diodes by some friends who are far more knowledgable than me in this area, and perhaps the mystery will be cleared up. This alternator was built locally from new stock parts, but maybe they messed up somewhere.

if the alternator is the cause of the current draw,
replacing the diode trio and rectifier bridge will correct the problem.
rickd
--
project...39 ford pickup

i should go one step farther, you can test the diodes and might have to only replace one or the other (trio or bridge)
rickd
--
project...39 ford pickup

Don, I've been having the same problem to the point that it pulled the battery down over most of last winter. Charging made the battery hotter than usual and a voltmeter confirmed that altho the battery was less that a year old it would not charge higher that 10.5 volts---a shorted cell. Finally traced it recently to a one wire GM alternator drawing about 65 miliamps. Doesn't sound like much but does add up. My fix will be to pick up a 100 amp diode at the local electronics surplus emporium and simply place it in series with the line between the alt. and the starter. since the voltage drop is only .6 VDC across the diode, very little heatsink if any will be required and the alt. is rated only for 85 amps. Ohms law sez that at a draw of 85 amps from the alt. would equal 51 watts..Heat sinks are simple to make as long as they're well insulated from the diode so one battery later, I've learned to disconnect the battery if long periods of non-use are anticipated. Eventually I'll have the alt. rebuilt but will be looking for the same thing to eventually happen again. Hope the idea helps.. Fred P

PS, the give-a-way was "hard" starting lol


might triumphs over right(sometimes)
--
Fred P.