Hey all. I got the engine running, I have everything hooked up and all is right with the world except two things... A small header leak which I'm fixing and one big problem....

My alternator is not charging during testing. I'm going to move the ranger starter wire over instead of the explorer one to use the fusable links. The gauge works so the LGRN/RD wire is hooked up normally, the yellow/white wire from the alternator up to under the battery box works because it doesn't start unless that's hooked up (ignition), and it's a brand new alternator testing with two separate batteries. Truck starts with just the battery cable hooked up and no alternator cable hooked up, so I know that red wire isn't fried, so the yellow/black big wire that goes right to the alternator must have gotten too hot. I'm not sure.

On the ranger harness the red->black/yellow alternator wire is fusable linked with two grey links, then a separate yellow wire is also fusable linked. I don't know where it goes. 2001 ranger 3.0 harness and fusebox. 2000 explorer 5.0. if I hook up the yellow/black with the fusable links and the alternator still doesn't turn on, should I add ANOTHER ground strap? What is the extra yellow wire that is fusable linked from the ranger harness?

 

Alternators all have the same wiring

Key OFF
B+ is the stud/nut terminal on the back of alternator, has the larger/largest wires, this terminal is hooked to Battery positive via Mega fuse or fusible link, this is Voltage OUT of alternator
So this terminal should test as battery voltage, use alternator's metal case as ground for test
If not 12volts its unhooked from battery positive
Battery positive will have a wire hooked directly to engine fuse box, that wire's end is where B+ connects, via Mega Fuse or fusible links

2 or 3 wire plug-in on alternator, unplug it
Yellow/white wire, Voltage regulator's monitor wire, usually hooked to 10-15amp fuse in engine bay fuse box but can be part of fusible link connection, nothing to do with engine starting or running

Green/red wire, should be 0 volts, key off, this is the ON/OFF switch for alternator, also Battery Light wire
Turn key on
Green/red wire should now show 12volt, this comes from the clusters 12volt power being on with key on, this wire has no connection to voltage gauge

If there is a white wire, its a jumper wire that plugs into a single spade terminal on the back of the alternator, some newer alternators have this connection internally so no white wire needed

 

Who would have thought that the colorblind man mixed up colors?

This wasn't possible with my explorer alternator harness. I had to use the ranger one with the fusable links and the yellow and white wire which runs to the alternator. On the explorer harness, the yellow and white runs to god knows where in the rest of the harness. That was my issue. I confused the yellow/blue wire in the 12 wire connector (that I previously asked you about) with the one coming from the alternator. Using the ranger harness, I spliced everything up and got over 14v. Thanks a million RonD. I'd shake your hand if I could. Youve been the single most valuable resource to any person with a Ford ranger across the entire internet for as long as I could find. God bless you.