Swap, Alternator won't excite.

[steevz]

Okay, well running a wire with a lamp from another cluster inline, I couldn't get the alternator to excite.

I'm pretty sure the alternator was charging before the swap. Could hooking up the W and D+ together have damaged something inside the alternator? The normal blue exciter wire seems to be funtioning fine.

Also, I've read about putting a diode inline from B+ to D+ should cause the alternator to charge.. to test this does anyone know which way the diode should point?

Edit: Well, I checked for voltage while the car was running at D+ and W and there is 0.4V - 0.5V coming out of both, that number seems awefully low to me, thinking my problem is the alternator. Getting another this afternoon, will test with that.

[steevz]

Put in a new alternator and it works. Thanks for your help!

[hillfolk'r]

Sweet...yea ya musta hurt the voltage regulator in the old one..if ya can just get a regulator,hang on to the old one..
I forgot which way to place the diode offjand if needed but the problem would be it'll stay running when the key is turned off.I wanna say point the diode so power would flow into the alt but not back out. Hard to describe but picture the parentheses as an arrow..u go in the direction of the arrow for flow.....

I)
I would hook b+ on the left,and it'll flow thru to the right...but b+  would be blocked from flowing from right to left

[steevz]

Thanks again. It's all good, the original wiring worked fine.