Avoid American Autowire Alternator conversion

[OJ1988]

I ordered an external to internal regulator wiring conversion kit by American Autowire. Installed it, and installed the new alternator.

After connecting the battery cable, the alternator started smoking.

I ended up cutting the conversion plug open that connected to the external regulator wiring.

According the posts on this site, you only jump the two outside wires together. The conversion had this, but also had the two wires in the middle jumped together.


The white wire, at the alt, which is supposed to be unused, was going to plug 2 on the alt.

According to this site, plug 2 should be jumped to the post on the alt.

Luckily this only destroyed the alternator, and did no cause any damage to the truck.

I pulled it off, and rewired based on the posts I have seen here. Its good now.

[AirSpeed]

I found a simple way to wire it right at the regulator plug, someone on here posted a how to for this and it worked perfect and cost nothing, except for the new alternator of course. Took about two minutes to cut and splice a couple wires.
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[OJ1988]

After going through this, I found the thread here that showed how to do it as well.

[fixit-p]

Originally Posted by OJ1988

I ordered an external to internal regulator wiring conversion kit by American Autowire. Installed it, and installed the new alternator.

After connecting the battery cable, the alternator started smoking.

I ended up cutting the conversion plug open that connected to the external regulator wiring.

According the posts on this site, you only jump the two outside wires together. The conversion had this, but also had the two wires in the middle jumped together.


The white wire, at the alt, which is supposed to be unused, was going to plug 2 on the alt.

According to this site, plug 2 should be jumped to the post on the alt.

Luckily this only destroyed the alternator, and did no cause any damage to the truck.

I pulled it off, and rewired based on the posts I have seen here. Its good now.

The American Auto wire kit didn't kill your alternator, something else did. If the center two terminals are jumped together (red and white wires) then the whit wire should absolutely go to the #2 terminal. And the outside 2 terminals (brown and blue wires) go to #1 terminal. If you look at the diagram below and follow the wires from the back of the alt you will see the #2 wire and the batt wire both connect at a buss (circled) this take advantage of the alternators ability to sense voltage remotely and is more efficient than just jumping the wire to the back. The colors at the alt in the drawing differ from what you had but that is only because the jumpers on the drawing are from 1-3 and 2-4 the only thing that matters is that the brown wire ended up at #1 on the alt and the red wire at #2.

[special-K]

All I know is I bought an American Auto Wire HEI tach harness and the plug they put on for the tach connection is the wrong one. It won't plug in w/o modifying...so what's the point? I've made my own tach harnesses until this one. I was just hoping for a factory look. It's enough for me to go elsewhere for my wiring needs.

[slikside]

Subscribed......first bad rap i've heard about AAW.

Most seem to love their full wiring harness kits.
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[leddzepp]

ive never had an issue with americanautowire. i have used their headlight, engine, cab, tach, and speedwarning harnesses, and they are all identical to OEM in every way.

tim- what was wrong with your HEI tach harness? mine have all had the correct wiring and firewall grommet. perhaps they sent you one with the OEM horseshoe connector? thats all i can figure, the HEI one i have from them is the correct plugstyle connector and hooked up with no problem.
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[special-K]

I'd have to show you a picture,probably. But,the connector is "almost" right. It just won't push into the cap. There is a rib on the distributor side of the connector that keeps it from working. I'll have to shave it off. It could be worse,but just darned aggravating trying and trying to click it in leaning over the engine before realizing it just won't go. I just changed the cap and it still won't go. I'll change my mind,but right now they're on my bad list.

[OJ1988]

All I know is I pluged mine in, connected the battery cables, and the alternator started smoking. Disconnected it, verified installation, got new alternator, connected battery cables, and smoked another one.

Removed it and wired according to thread here, got new alternator and its all good now, no smoke.

[OJ1988]

Originally Posted by fixit-p

The American Auto wire kit didn't kill your alternator, something else did. If the center two terminals are jumped together (red and white wires) then the whit wire should absolutely go to the #2 terminal. And the outside 2 terminals (brown and blue wires) go to #1 terminal. If you look at the diagram below and follow the wires from the back of the alt you will see the #2 wire and the batt wire both connect at a buss (circled) this take advantage of the alternators ability to sense voltage remotely and is more efficient than just jumping the wire to the back. The colors at the alt in the drawing differ from what you had but that is only because the jumpers on the drawing are from 1-3 and 2-4 the only thing that matters is that the brown wire ended up at #1 on the alt and the red wire at #2.

Maybe not, but the truck was fine with the stock alt, replaced it witha 63 amp internal, and the AAW harness. Smoked the alternator, chenged alternator, smoked it too. Dissconnected the harness, wired the truck based on thread here and it worked fine. No other changes.

[DaHos]

Originally Posted by special-K

I'd have to show you a picture,probably. But,the connector is "almost" right. It just won't push into the cap. There is a rib on the distributor side of the connector that keeps it from working. I'll have to shave it off. It could be worse,but just darned aggravating trying and trying to click it in leaning over the engine before realizing it just won't go. I just changed the cap and it still won't go. I'll change my mind,but right now they're on my bad list.

Just found this out today also........

They put the "batt" terminal on the brown "tach" wire !!!!

Ugh,,,,,,,,

[gmachinz]

Originally Posted by special-K

I'd have to show you a picture,probably. But,the connector is "almost" right. It just won't push into the cap. There is a rib on the distributor side of the connector that keeps it from working. I'll have to shave it off. It could be worse,but just darned aggravating trying and trying to click it in leaning over the engine before realizing it just won't go. I just changed the cap and it still won't go. I'll change my mind,but right now they're on my bad list.

Not that it matters now, but I stock the correct GM style "brown" HEI tach connector. The off-white connector is for HEI BATT and the brown connector is the TACH lead-weird how the AAW one won't plug in-I don't know that there's a different style....unless of course they switched suppliers and are using an offshore version of a Delphi connector.....that wouldn't surprise me.