Charge and Brake Warning Lights Stay On

[Petros]

It just so happens my Charge and brake lights came on friday evening, I thought no propblem I have a spare alternator at home. I drove home on the battery, only a 15 min drive but I was working the lights would draw it down so every change I could I turned them off, turning them on for traffic or those really dark and scary stretch of road where you can not see a thing (it was also raining hard so had to use the wipers too!)

So saturday I go out int the rain to double check my alternator. Darn it, my volt-olm meter is shot (it is a cheap one from Harbor Freight, no big deal). So I went ahead and just removed the alternator since all indications from head lights is there it is not charging. in the process I damage my mechanical oil pressure sender by severing the tiny tube that does to the gaug, I spend an hour looking for the parts to replace the swaged sleeve, end up replacing the whole fitting with a new one. So finally I dig out my spare internal voltage regulator alternator and go to install it and...What? it has a completely different lower mount, and the three wire connector on back is complete different?!?! I thought there were only two distributors, internal and external voltage regulated ones. Looks like there are two internal VR type. I thought somewhere in my boxes of parts I have another mounts, spend over hours looking for it, can'nt find it but I did find an airconditioner mount that has it built in. so I swap the mount out. I am contemplating pulling the newer type connector off one of my project turcels but really hate to cut a good wire harness, I spent 15-20 min trying to slip the contacts out of the connector without damaging it, no luck. So than I think I will just make an adapter with a some short pig tails and contacts, male and female at each end, spend another 15 min looking around for the parts I need. I find just enough but on making the pig tales I damage one of the contacts (over crimped it and I cut it in half accidently), so I spend another 20 min looking in my boxes of stuff for another contact, fortunately I find one.

So than I finally install the spare alternator, and have to replace the upper mount too that goes with the A/C mount, and than remember the a/c equipped car must use a longer fan belt. I loosen the powersteering pump and fight the pump belt off so I can change the fan belt, another 30 min spent. So I go digging in my spares for another 45 min, I find 4 fan belts, including one brand new one, but all are the shorter one for the none a/c. I was sure I had the longer one somewhere, but I gave them away as spares to Marlinh and Irowiki when they went on road trips with their newly acquired Tercels. Oh well, I will have to drive into town to try and find a longer fan belt at the auto parts store.

I put away all my tools and get ready to close the garage door and as I am pushing the boxes of parts back in place under the work table I find that darn non-a/c lower mount! It was on the floor next to the box I thought it was in. So I take the alternator out, remove the upper and lower mounts, install the non-a/c lower mount, and reinstall the short fan belt, get it on and get the adapter to work. I start it after it is dark and raining hard now. charge light is off! at last.

what a wasted day.