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Charging problems

Tiny
HANDYMAN243
  • MEMBER
  • 1995 CHEVROLET BLAZER
  • 6 CYL
  • 4WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 183,000 MILES
I have a 1995 chevy s10 blazer that wont charge I have put on a new alternator and battery the battery light is not on. Gauge shows no charge. And where is output terminal at?
Monday, March 14th, 2011 AT 1:36 AM

16 Replies

Tiny
CARADIODOC
  • MECHANIC
  • 33,737 POSTS
If the battery light is not on when the ignition switch is on, the wire going from the dash to the generator has a break in it. That is the turn-on signal for the generator. That break could be in the generator itself. First of all, double-check if the battery light comes on with just the ignition switch in the "run" position but the engine is stopped. If it does not, unplug the connector on the side of the generator. There should be a brown wire there. Ground that wire, then see if the light is on. If not, measure the voltage on that wire. If there is 0 volts, check the gauges fuse or look for a break in that wire. If you do find around 12 volts, the bulb is burned out in the instrument cluster. The circuit will still work. Measure the generator's output voltage. That is always the fat wire that is bolted on the back, never plugged in, ... Well, ... Except on a few Fords that like to burn up! Measure that voltage with the engine stopped and with it running.
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Monday, March 14th, 2011 AT 2:24 PM
Tiny
HANDYMAN243
  • MEMBER
  • 8 POSTS
I just found the dash has been taken out to change the heater core, when I turn the key on nothing lights up but the gauges work, except the amp gauge it shows the life of the battery
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Tuesday, March 15th, 2011 AT 12:20 AM
Tiny
CARADIODOC
  • MECHANIC
  • 33,737 POSTS
Oooh. This is even better. If the cluster isn't pushed in all the way the circuit going to the generator will be broken and it won't get the turn-on signal. Measure the voltage on the brown wire at the generator. If you measure it with the plug disconnected, you should find around 12 volts there.
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Tuesday, March 15th, 2011 AT 1:08 AM
Tiny
HANDYMAN243
  • MEMBER
  • 8 POSTS
Hey can the cluster be bad still no charge
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Wednesday, March 16th, 2011 AT 8:31 PM
Tiny
CARADIODOC
  • MECHANIC
  • 33,737 POSTS
Could be bad but not likely. More commonly, if it is not fully seated the circuit from the battery light to the generator, (brown wire) will be open circuit. That is the turn-on signal for the generator. That's why you should measure the voltage on that brown wire when the ignition switch is in the "run" position.
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Wednesday, March 16th, 2011 AT 8:42 PM
Tiny
HANDYMAN243
  • MEMBER
  • 8 POSTS
There is no voltage at the brown wire there are three brown wires in the cluster plug they all appear to be the dash light wire if you run the brown wire to the alternator to the hot wire on the alternator the battery light comes on and the alternator charges
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Thursday, March 17th, 2011 AT 12:43 AM
Tiny
CARADIODOC
  • MECHANIC
  • 33,737 POSTS
There has to be a break in that brown wire. The most common place to find it is in the cluster connector. That circuit is fed from the "gauges" fuse. If that terminal had the bad connection the gauges wouldn't work either. It's the terminal going out to the brown wire that would have to be the problem. The only other possibility would be if there is a hairline crack in one of the copper circuits in the flexible circuit on the back of the cluster. I ran into that once for a high beam indicator light. That gave me the idea to create a tiny cut in the circuit for my students to troubleshoot. To see if there is a break on the cluster, use an ohm meter to test each circuit. Find the battery light and put one ohm meter probe right on the socket contact, then follow the circuit to the plug and put the other meter probe there. You should find 0 ohms. Test the other side of the bulb the same way. If you find an open circuit, there is a break in it. When you find it, scratch the plastic coating off and bridge it with a little solder but you should embed a thin piece of wire in it to prevent it from cracking from normal vibration. You can also run a longer wire between two points that are easier to solder to if the break is in a confined area.
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Thursday, March 17th, 2011 AT 1:03 AM
Tiny
HANDYMAN243
  • MEMBER
  • 8 POSTS
The bright light indicator dont work and the left turn signal dont work but the gauges do
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Thursday, March 17th, 2011 AT 1:16 AM
Tiny
CARADIODOC
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Unless you can see a damaged spot on the flexible circuit, I would suspect a problem with the connector not seating properly.
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Thursday, March 17th, 2011 AT 1:30 AM
Tiny
HANDYMAN243
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  • 8 POSTS
Hey was the cluster it was 35 bucks and thank you for all your help we will keep in touch thanks again.
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Friday, March 18th, 2011 AT 12:22 AM
Tiny
CARADIODOC
  • MECHANIC
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Happy to hear it's fixed.
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Friday, March 18th, 2011 AT 12:25 AM
Tiny
TCHITTIM
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 1995 CHEVROLET BLAZER
  • 6 CYL
  • 4WD
  • AUTOMATIC
1995 chevy s10 blazer. Alt will not charge. Have power to post on alt. Fuse links coming from back of alt both have powerleaving. Battery gauge is not functioning. What else could this be? 4x4 4.3 v6.
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Monday, February 6th, 2017 AT 3:37 AM (Merged)
Tiny
JDL
  • MECHANIC
  • 16,098 POSTS
You have to make sure the battery has a full charge. You can't do any testing if the battery is down. Take it off and get it charged. Use a digital multimeter across the battery posts, everything off. The generic spec for a full charge is around 12.6 volts. Start the vehicle take second reading across battery posts, second reading should be higher than the first if charging system is working. Also check for excite voltage to alternator, key on, L terminal. Could be a faulty alternator?
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Monday, February 6th, 2017 AT 3:37 AM (Merged)
Tiny
TJANUSKA
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 1995 CHEVROLET BLAZER
I own a 1995 chevy blazer, 4 door, v6 4.3L 4wd
It has ablut 150 k miles on it.
I returned hame last night, after work and parked the car. Everything seemed to be working fine.
I went out about 45 minutes later to run some errands, and started the vehile up. I noticed that It was making a strange (stranger) noise, like it was laboring or something. I glanced at my guages and noticed that the charge level was only half of the usual, about 7 or eignt volts. I ran a quick errand, returned home, opend the hood and felt the alternator. It was too hot to touch. I load tested the battery, and it was ok. I checked the alternator output at the battery, and it was only about ten volts.
I then checked by dash guage again, and the charge level was nowdown to about 4 volts. I shut the engine off. And, as it was dark, went in for the nignt. This morning, when I tried to start the car, nothing hapened. I disconnected the two wires from the large terminal in the rear of the alternator, and tied them togeather, and taped them so there would be no chance of a short circuit. I was able then to jiump start the car. (But of course no alternator, so I cant go far). The alternator isn't making any noise, (or laoading down like it was, or making any bearing noise. I put a digital meter on the terminal from which I removed the wires earlier. + On terminal, neg to ground, and read aprox 3 mili volts. Do I need to replace the alternator, or could something else be causing a massive current drain that would cause the alternator to load up like that. I have nothing extra on the vehicle that would draw any electrical current. :( Thanks for any help in advance
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Monday, February 6th, 2017 AT 3:38 AM (Merged)
Tiny
E40WATER12
  • MECHANIC
  • 522 POSTS
I would go with getting a new alternator, Also make sure youre battery is able to hold a full charge as well.

Good Luck.
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Monday, February 6th, 2017 AT 3:38 AM (Merged)
Tiny
WEISSCE
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
I own a 96 blazer 4x4 with around 130k miles, and I recently encountered a similar problem. Started with a funny noise and when returning home it completely died on a busy road. When I tried to restart the car all I got was the clicking of a dead battery. I charged it up with jumper cables and a buddy's car, in hopes to charge it up enough to get home (less than a mile away.) I drove without lights or anything electrical on, except running lights, and managed to make it to my driveway, where it again died. I purchased a new alternator after the original tested weak, and replaced it. I just got the battery not long ago and it is fine. I charged the battery overnight, but the guage was only reading 10 volts. The car started and was idling, but no change in the guage. Could I have a bad regulator, or what? I am somewhat out of options and am missing work due to lack of transportation and am a struggling college student who needs to buy refurbished parts and replace them myself. If you have any suggestions please respond A.S.A.P.
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Monday, February 6th, 2017 AT 3:38 AM (Merged)

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