Alternator help

[FyreDaug]

My alt in my 87 DX went and I went to a wrecked to pick up a new one. I didnt know at the time that there was a different alt for EFI/Carb motors and I guess they pulled it out of an LXi. So I spent 3hours pulling it out of my 87 because it was so crowded and it wouldnt come and then almost an hour putting it in. I go to hook it up, and the wiring harness is different, mine is 3pin and this is 4pin. Is the other one there for a specific reason? Can I make this alt work with some fabricating (and a new 4pin -minus the pin I dont need- soldered in) to get the car to run? I cant afford to spend another 3 hours pulling it out driving almost an hour to get a new one (if they even have, this was the only (my year) accord in the wrecker at the time) and then fight to get it back in.

Sorry if thats too gramatically scrunched, but I need this 4 pin alt to work with my 3pin harness if its possible.

[Oldblueaccord]

My alt in my 87 DX went and I went to a wrecked to pick up a new one. I didnt know at the time that there was a different alt for EFI/Carb motors and I guess they pulled it out of an LXi. So I spent 3hours pulling it out of my 87 because it was so crowded and it wouldnt come and then almost an hour putting it in. I go to hook it up, and the wiring harness is different, mine is 3pin and this is 4pin. Is the other one there for a specific reason? Can I make this alt work with some fabricating (and a new 4pin -minus the pin I dont need- soldered in) to get the car to run? I cant afford to spend another 3 hours pulling it out driving almost an hour to get a new one (if they even have, this was the only (my year) accord in the wrecker at the time) and then fight to get it back in.

Sorry if thats too gramatically scrunched, but I need this 4 pin alt to work with my 3pin harness if its possible.


Well Im not a carb guy but I bet that fourth wire is for the carb somehow. I think it will charge if you just run the main wire to it (the heavy guage one) to the main lug on the alt. this would get you going until you figure out the other two. I know one is for the little light on your guage cluster.

wp

[FyreDaug]

Well Im not a carb guy but I bet that fourth wire is for the carb somehow. I think it will charge if you just run the main wire to it (the heavy guage one) to the main lug on the alt. this would get you going until you figure out the other two. I know one is for the little light on your guage cluster.

wp

Sorry I mustnt have said that properly, my alt that was original in my car was 3 pin (as is my harness) they pulled an alt from an LXi which has 4 pins.

The 3 wires I have on my harness are all the same guage, maybe 16 or 18. Theres the 1 wire off by itself that connects to the housing of the alt, assuming that is the ground.

In my harness there are 2 vertical and 1 horizontal (well whichever way you look at it) and on the new alt there are 2 horizontal. I dont know which one to pick to try and see if it'll work. If the 2 that are in the same spot (the 2 vertical have not changed positions) are all I really need to charge the car thats all I care about. I dont need the charging light or anything on the dash. Aslong as the alt will produce energy to keep the car going and to charge the batt at the same time I'll be happy.

Any ideas? Rather urgent so any reply would be appreciated.

[Oldblueaccord]

Sorry I mustnt have said that properly, my alt that was original in my car was 3 pin (as is my harness) they pulled an alt from an LXi which has 4 pins.

The 3 wires I have on my harness are all the same guage, maybe 16 or 18. Theres the 1 wire off by itself that connects to the housing of the alt, assuming that is the ground.

In my harness there are 2 vertical and 1 horizontal (well whichever way you look at it) and on the new alt there are 2 horizontal. I dont know which one to pick to try and see if it'll work. If the 2 that are in the same spot (the 2 vertical have not changed positions) are all I really need to charge the car thats all I care about. I dont need the charging light or anything on the dash. Aslong as the alt will produce energy to keep the car going and to charge the batt at the same time I'll be happy.

Any ideas? Rather urgent so any reply would be appreciated.

the large lugged wire is the main wire to the battery that carries current. I meant in a spot i think you can hook that wire up and it will charge.

the white /green (S) and IG (black/yellow) should have battery voltage also. I think you can take the pins fromm one plug and switch it to the other. I am lookng at page 24-22 in the Helms book.

EDIT: also the wht/red appears to goto the ECU sothats EFI only so you should have a wht/blu that appears to power the charge warning light,choke heater on your carb.

also check fuses #1 (15a) undr your dash and #8 (underhood relay box)

[FyreDaug]

EDIT: also the wht/red appears to goto the ECU sothats EFI only so you should have a wht/blu that appears to power the charge warning light,choke heater on your carb.

Yeah I figured that out, I went out to a wrecker and picked up a 4pin harness, chopped off my 3pin one and soldered it in. Disregarded the white/red one and it works good. Got the battery and charging system tested and its 100%.

Thanks, honda-tech.com didnt give me any help.

[Oldblueaccord]

Yeah I figured that out, I went out to a wrecker and picked up a 4pin harness, chopped off my 3pin one and soldered it in. Disregarded the white/red one and it works good. Got the battery and charging system tested and its 100%.

Thanks, honda-tech.com didnt give me any help.

cool this would be a good write up how too. I never new there was a differance in alts. and it made me look at the schematics a little closer.


wp

[Dutchboy]

an easier way woulda been to take the back of the alternator off and swap the 3 pin block onto the wrecker alternator.. theres no difference in the alternator except for the extra pin. you could swap brushes without removing the alternator from the car actually.
theres only a couple nuts to remove and then theres a couple screws holding the pin block to the alternator... i think that you have to remove the little brush pack too but its really simple if you just pay attention to how everything goes on.
pull your old alternator apart to see waht im saying...