You were right. I had voltage which was what threw me off. It was just going through a cocktail straw. I definitely went to school on this one
You've already gotten burned by ohm''s laws once, I see a possible trifecta here. Those 2 gray fusible wires are sized for the potential load. Substituting 2 fusible wires that are rated at 18ga isn't a good idea IMO when the spec is for 12ga. And using a fuse link or fuse and holder isn't a good idea either. The burn rates are different. But you can do as you see fit. And the 3rd potential ohm's law violation would be assuming that you have proper amperage being output by the alternator and that that current is actually making it back to the battery. High resistance connections can allow for seemingly correct voltage at the battery but incorrect amps. Do you have a carbon pile? That is still a great tool that's a great way to check the charging system. Voltage drop testing is one way to check for high resistance connections in a circuit. Another way is to use a fog light bulb to see if a circuit can carry a load. I'm sure there are plenty of You Tube videos on both of these. I'm glad you found something.
This reminds me of the current state of auto repair around my area. The muffler monkeys around town hang all the gravy parts on a vehicle and kick the hard stuff. "We aren't equipped to handle that concern". Many times it ends up at our doorstep, and we will get to the bottom of it if I choose to accept the job. Once we find the greened-out wire or whatever the oddball fix is, we never gain a new customer and catch chit from the other shops on how much I charge. "Yeah, we thought that's what it was". A big F-U!! Then finish the job or quit throwing stones at the one shop in town that ain't afraid to roll up their sleeves and get after it. The overhead is substantial for equipment more than a test light, and what's between our ears is even more important yet. It's what separates the men from the boys, and in many cases around here the men from the girls. I punted 2 of these types of jobs just last week.
I saw this plenty as a tool guy. Most "techs" know enough that if it isn't charging then it needs an alternator. If the new alternator doesn't solve the charging issue, 90% of said "techs" have no idea what to do next.
Wait until they have to deal with intelligent charging systems. Adds another twist and complicates things. I commend Jason. He is likely trying to help someone out and needed a little shove to get over the finish line. Everything is easy. Until it's not.
Thanks. It bothered me I couldn't wrap my head around what was going on. I don't know if it's persistence or just being a hard headed sob. The idenifix page was very helpful though. I'll go ahead and swap out those 18 gaugers this week.
I am surprised about the "never gain a new customer" part of the above, For me, if I find someone who goes above and beyond to find/fix something like this, I am not going anywhere else. This happened to me with a furnace repair, that lead me through 3 different outfits before I found a competent (older) service person, and since then I have not gone anywhere else.
For some people, every cent counts, and that's why the Waltons are rich and famous. They perceive incorrectly that we are more expensive because we are reputable. However, comparing apples to apples tells a different story and some folks fall for fancy marketing gimmicks or the shop that looks like a junkyard because they think they're getting a deal.
I am so lucky - I found the shop in my area that all the other shops/dealers send their "hard" problems to. It was like a secret! Nicest guy and really knows his stuff.
