Alternator has broken ground

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Hanford43
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Alternator has broken ground

Post by Hanford43 »

My '70 250 is not charging the battery. Took the 55 amp alternator out, traced out a broken wire, and according to the color chart it is a ground. Would a broken ground cause the alternator to not put out power? I understand that a ground in household wiring does not carry current, but in a DC automotive system perhaps it is different?

Does anyone here have a similar alternator and are willing to show me a picture of the connections? I am a little confused about how my alternator connections compares to the wiring diagram on this site.

I dont really trust places like auto zone, but on a whim I had them test the alternator and they said it was "bad". I still have my doubts.

Thanks
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69Ford
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Re: Alternator has broken ground

Post by 69Ford »

Grounding in a vehicle is just a path to get back to the negative side of the battery. Think of all the steel components bonded together in you vehicle as a wire. So if there is a break in a ground wire or steel bonded components "rust corrosion etc." you are loosing that path back to the battery.
1969 Ford F100 Styleside standard cab 360 C6
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