Good news, I have all the bugs worked out and my boat is finally running well enough to move on to the little things that don't matter much. The first thing on that list is my alternator. It does not seem to charge at all. When I got the boat the wiring was a total mess (including a "red" wire that goes to one of my batteries as a ground and a "black" wire that was actually a positive, yikes!) I had a stray heavy gauge orange wire that I was told was the alternator output. I connected that back up but there was no change. I am good with almost all engine systems except the alternator so I need some. Help. What is the proper step by step procedure for testing the alternator? (I searched the forum but didn't find anything.) What are some things to look for? Should I bypass my ammeter because I am not sure if it is working? I have a spare engine and can swap the alternator from that but I would rather do some testing first. My engine is almost inaccessible in my boat so the least amount of wrenching that I need to do the better. I have to go to the chiropractor just looking at my engine.
This isn't a huge concern because I could go all season without the alternator but I would have more peace of mind knowing that it works "just in case."
This isn't a huge concern because I could go all season without the alternator but I would have more peace of mind knowing that it works "just in case."
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