Quote:
Originally Posted by tuzzio
I have ditched my stock cluster and built a cluster with speedhut gauges. I took the OEM subharness and gutted out the unused wires. (W/R being one of them) and never had an issue.
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It is impossible for your alternator charge circuit to be fully functional without a working charge warning bulb and that L terminal wire being hooked up to the alternator. I've said this many times on this forum. That L terminal wire provides the startup power for the alternator field coil. Without power on that wire, the alternator WILL NOT charge until you rev the engine at least once after starting the car.
Your car is not charging after you start it. I guarantee you, your vehicle voltage is 12.66 volts or less when it sits there idling. It is NOT rising above 12.66 volts until you rev the engine at least once.
Here is a paragraph from Nissan TSB NTB94-011 (page 4) to prove my point:
Charging System Operation When the ignition switch is in ON or START, current from the battery flows from the L terminal to the E terminal of the alternator, causing the CHARGE lamp to light up. Then when the engine is started, the voltage output increases as the alternator rpm increases. When the voltage output becomes greater than the battery voltage, current for recharging flows from the B terminal. Simultaneously, voltage at the L terminal disappears, causing the CHARGE lamp to go out. Note: It is possible for the alternator to charge, with the "L" circuit in operation by accelerating the engine so the RPMs are above 3,600. The current will raise high enough to complete the field current. The alternator will continue to charge until the engine is turned off. Alternator will not charge below 3,600 RPM because the field current has not been turned on by current induced by residual magnetism. Checking Terminal Voltage When diagnosing the charging circuit the same precautions and test methods as used for the starting circuit should be followed. Visually checking for wires and connections that are loose, corroded, chaffed, etc. can aid in the diagnosis process. The voltage drop method can also be used to isolate poor connections and unwanted resistance just as in the starting circuit.