PDA

View Full Version : Wiring Ghost poping alt fuse in S13 chassis w/SR swap


S14cagged
04-13-2009, 01:33 PM
I got an email from a friend down in wilmington and trying to help him out but having a hard time understanding fully what he is trying to say


"I bought a car from one of my friends that got a DUI. This was his 1st SR swap that he has ever attempted, he has done 2 KA-E's to DE swaps and is familar with S-chassis. I helped him drop in the motor and get it bolted in, but did not mess with any of the wiring at all....

This is where i wish i was there to help or figure out what the hell he did. He did all the wiring himself(not having any previous wiring experince) converting the wiring harness from a jdm chassis to usdm chassis. At 1st glance i saw it was a shitty wiring harness job, but i guess it was good enough to make the car run. i bought the car from him and drove it back home with no problems besides the fact it was running a little warm 5-10 degree's.


Well after driving it to the beach and back i noticed that my whole interior light and dash lights cut off(this was at night of course) i went and popped my hood and see if something was loose or a fuse had blown(1st i checked the cabin fuse box,it was fine).I find that my FAL fans arent spinning causing my car to start to overheat. I turn off the motor and leave the key where the fuel pump would still be on.then i pop the relay box and find a penny shoved in the alt relay prongs. Im sitting here thinking WTF is this shit. I take a scerw driver and adjust the penny a little bit and my interior power/lights come back on. I immeditaly call my friend asking what the hell this was and he said oh i forgot to tell you that it was blowing the alt fuse so i stuck a penny in it and now its all good, just move the penny around and it will be good. after a little cussing him out i hang up and decide to get the car back to my house.

Got the car back to my house after having to adjust the penny 3 more times on the way home. my 1st instinct was there was something grounded out on either the engine harness or tranny harness. I was more leaning towards the tranny harness since he had did a battery relocation job on it and maybe somewhere in his jerry-rigging i would find it. I pulled the motor examined the harnesses and couldnt find any fraying/arc marks/melted wires. i put the motor back in and put the wires to new grounds and it still has the same problem... i have like 20 alt fuses to try and see if i can get rid of this penny in there but it is still blowing them. Do you have any idea what it could be... if you know anyone tell them i have like 20 bucks in my paypal waiting for someone to lead me to this problem

projectRDM
04-13-2009, 02:41 PM
Cliffnotes please. I don't have the time to read the kid's life story.

jorge1190
04-13-2009, 02:46 PM
Check to make sure the piece of plastic between the alternator housing and the big terminal is still there. It likes to break causing the power wire to ground out.

S14cagged
04-13-2009, 02:59 PM
Cliffnotes please. I don't have the time to read the kid's life story.


Car was swapped to a SR

Kid was apparently a noob at wiring

Car lost power to the cabin such as interior lights and dash as well as power to the fans

Kid pops hood and checks passenger side fuse box and finds a penny in the alt. fuse slot

kid takes the penny out and tried to source the "ghost" that keeps popping the Alt. fuse. Note: there was a jerry-rigged battery relocation job done...

Kid is still trying to find the "ghost" that is popping the Alt. fuse

Does this help???

projectRDM
04-14-2009, 09:16 AM
Better. Check the alternator charging stud for a short to ground due to a cracked or missing insulator. Also check the power terminals to the battery for corrosion or a loose post, or possible grounding here too.

fliprayzin240sx
04-15-2009, 11:05 PM
OR alternator is crapping out plain and simple...