I drove to work yesterday and notice the battery light start blinking then on the way home it went solid. So I took her to the parts store and had them run an electrical test and sure enough - bad alternator. Ok - bought a new one no problem.

Went home to change it out. Done this a few times before - it's just an alternator. Well, took the old one out. Put the new one in - hooked it up just the way the old one was and went to put the battery cables back on - negative then positive, and wham! Fusable link goes up in smoke.

I rechecked the alternator connections to see if I did something wrong and am scratching my head. This should have been a slam dunk fix. Now my problem is what caused the fuse cable to blow first (bad part, operator error, some other wiring problem), and second if I go buy a new link cable for $5 and hook it up am I just going to blow another one.


Does anyone have any ideas how just replacing the alternator on old girl would blow the link cable. Right now she's dead in the water till I can get this figured out.

Help is much appreciated and if your close enough will buy you a beer for the help!

Scott

 

Pull the alternator and take it back to the parts store and have them bench test it.

 

Will do. Will let you know the outcome.

 

Had the alternator tested and it passed. Have not been able to find just the fusable link cable part by itself. They say I have to buy the whole cable harness. I am not sure I want to do that and just have it blow again. If I don't get some kind of clue shortly I will have to take her to the shop....

 

Have to buy the whole cable harness? That's nonsense. Where did you have it tested? Some of those guys know something... some of 'em know nothing! If it is hooked up correctly I don't see how it could blow the FL. You're absolutely sure you have it all hooked up correctly? No possibility that the battery cables are long enough that you hooked them up backwards? The battery wasn't low and you jumped it to get it started and hooked the jumpers up backwards? That sounds more like what could have happened. To blow the fuseable link like that it had to be a dead short or hooked up backwards.

By the way, it's always a good idea to hook you pos. up 1st and your neg. last.

 

I am absolutely sure I didn't hook up pos to neg. I am a fairly smart dude. I am also sure I didn't touch anything to short it when I put the alternator in. In any event, I took it to the shop. They said it looked like the cable may have been in bad shape and putting the more powerful alternator on could have blown the link. They replaced the harness and it fired right up with the alternator that I put in. So she's back on the road and happy. Thanks for the help.