91 323 se Battery will not charge!

[deadkat6666@gmail.com]

Hi, I just picked up a 91 323 se REALLY cheap, and now I know why. For some reason the battery is not charging from the alternator. Hopefully this is the right place to ask about it.

The battery fully charged sits at 12.6v, when running it averages about 11.3v. I tested with 2 batteries both known good.
I have a shop manual for 1988 and all the testing it said to do showed the alternator bad. I took the alternator to 2 shops and both tested it good. I tested everything again and same result. So I ripped the alternator apart and saw the brushes were on its last legs. So I had a local shop rebuild it since it needed it soon anyway.

So now I have a known good battery and alternator and it still doesn't charge at any RPM. The charge light operates properly, gets brighter the higher I rev.

I found that there seems to be a short somewhere because with the ignition off and the battery out there is a connection between + and - terminals, but its not always there. One time I pulled the 60A fuse and it went away then another time it didn't.

I'm guessing its in the wiring but i have no idea if its something else. I've tested the main lines from the alternator to the 80A fuse to the battery and that seems good. Nearly all of the wiring looks good, so i'm a bit lost at the moment. Should I start replacing ground wires or what??

Thanks!

[pressmanken@aol.com]

[quote]
Hi, I just picked up a 91 323 se REALLY cheap, and now I know why. For some reason the battery is not charging from the alternator. Hopefully this is the right place to ask about it.

I would look closely at the wiring for the charge system. Somehow, the juice isn't getting from the alt. to the battery. Double-check all connections, insulation, grounds, etc. Sometimes the tiniest little thing can be the culprit. I just picked up an 89 323, myself, and the PO had just replaced the alt. Mine also electrical problems that I haven't gotten around to yet. Good luck.