alternator issues

I was told my continental wouldn't like an aftermarket alternator either but my 275a Singer alternator works just fine.

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ImageUploadedByTapatalk1412202341.997364.jpg


ImageUploadedByTapatalk1412202352.049710.jpg
 
I was told my continental wouldn't like an aftermarket alternator either but my 275a Singer alternator works just fine.

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Well.... The LS has absolutely NOTHING in common with the Continental; other than the Lincoln nameplate that is. By all means don't follow the advise of anyone here and get an el Cheapo from your local auto parts store. When you start having problems all you need to do is search the countless alternator threads here to try and find out why the el Cheapo doesn't work correctly or last very long. HINT: Check out the high output alternator thread.......

But, by all means, do what you want.....
 
Well.... The LS has absolutely NOTHING in common with the Continental; other than the Lincoln nameplate that is. By all means don't follow the advise of anyone here and get an el Cheapo from your local auto parts store. When you start having problems all you need to do is search the countless alternator threads here to try and find out why the el Cheapo doesn't work correctly or last very long. HINT: Check out the high output alternator thread.......

But, by all means, do what you want.....

I understand that - different platforms, different eras, different electrical systems. As an audio enthusiast/basshead the electrical system of my car is absolutely vital. My alternator cost a nice $500 and is one of the most reputable high output alternator brands on the market today. Cheaping out isn't an option when current draw can exceed 500a, nor should it be with any cars electrical.
 
Clarification I swapped my 66 with the optima

Optima is not safe to use in the trunk of the LS. Even Optima has said this (search, it's even on this forum). You may be able to make it safe if you do a really good job of gluing some vent plumbing to it and connecting it to the vent tube.

The OEM battery for the LS is quite good and is (surprisingly) reasonably priced from the dealer.
 
... My alternator cost a nice $500 and is one of the most reputable high output alternator brands on the market today. ...

The thing is that almost no aftermarket brand works correctly with the gen I LS's odd PCM control scheme for the alternator. I have heard of one aftermarket that worked, but that was only because it used the Ford "voltage regulator." As such, I don't think it put out much more than the stock alternator, so why not just get a quality rebuilt Motorcraft and be done with it.
 
The thing is that almost no aftermarket brand works correctly with the gen I LS's odd PCM control scheme for the alternator. I have heard of one aftermarket that worked, but that was only because it used the Ford "voltage regulator." As such, I don't think it put out much more than the stock alternator, so why not just get a quality rebuilt Motorcraft and be done with it.

To my knowledge my alternator uses an OEM casing and voltage regulator, just beefed up everything else, essentially.
 
When I add a ground to the alt case. It seems to produce more volts.

There's a hi-current ground strap that runs from the firewall to the starter. This grounds the starter and the engine. The engine then grounds the alternator. I would assume that if there were a problem with the ground strap, the starter would be even more troubled by it than the alternator.
 
To my knowledge my alternator uses an OEM casing and voltage regulator, just beefed up everything else, essentially.

well I would venture to say its a safe bet that stinger doesn't make an alternator for the LS so it really doesn't matter, it could be made of solid platinum and use fission internally to create 1000 amps...
 
Looks like the Continental has similar plastic cooling parts as the LS.... Even the degas reservoir looks the same......
 
Looks like the Continental has similar plastic cooling parts as the LS....

I thought i remembered the upper coolant pipe on my mark to be metal, but that was over a decade ago and the car would now be 20 years old...
 
Singer, not stinger. Mike Singer makes them by hand out of Ohio.

EDIT

http://singeralternators.com/

It won't matter on the Gen 1. Long story short, the LS computer controls the alternator's output directly. It is not controlled by a dumb regulator like it is on most other cars. Now here's the important bit: on cars that use the computer to control the alternator, or a smart regulator, the computer monitors the system load and increases or decreases output accordingly. On the LS, the computer does NOT monitor the system load. Instead it uses an internal power map to decide what the power load SHOULD be according to the parameters it was loaded with and that's the power you get. If you add a huge stereo system to the LS then the car doesn't know this. If the computer thinks the system load should be 27 amps but you have a 500 amp stereo system installed, you can install a 2000 amp alternator but the LS will still only allow 27 amps. Even the LS "engineers" realized this was stupid and changed it back to a more conventional system for the Gen 2.

About the only way around this is to put a second alternator on the car, and build a completely separate system to power your stereo system. People have been trying on this board to find a way around it for as long as I've been here, but it requires access to the power parameters and nobody's cracked that yet. Unless you know a computer guy who can crack into the LS computer, that is. If you do and you guys can come up with a product to allow total access to the LS computer, you'd make a couple of bucks as there'd be a market of about 50 people for it, maybe.
 
There are a lot of grounds in the car. What exactly are you looking for?
 
I want to know them all, I'm not postive but I believe I have a ground issue with my car
 
I want to know them all, I'm not postive but I believe I have a ground issue with my car

There are about 20 major grounds, and probably a hundred minor ones. The major ones do have location call outs and diagrams, but that's just a bit much to scan and copy.

Let's be realistic here. Your starter works, so the ground from the body to the engine must be okay and the ground from the body to the battery as well. The alternator's power ground is to the engine. Have you measured the voltage drop between the alternator and the body of the car?
The alternator is controlled (sort of) by the PCM. Grounds to the PCM are probably okay, since the engine runs okay (doesn't it?).
Power from the alternator runs to the battery connection at the starter. Have you measured for voltage drop between the alternator and the stater, with the engine running and as many accessories on as possible?
Pin 3 of the 3 wire connector to the alternator should have full battery voltage on it at all times. Does it? (The red wire.)
Pins 1 and 2 (white/red and gray/red) are the communication lines between the PCM and the alternator. Are those okay?
Is it possible that this new alternator is defective?
Is it possible that the PCM has a fault?
 

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