Operation CHARM: Car repair manuals for everyone.

Charge Line, Alternator and Battery Wiring

Alternator and battery wiring

Due to the alternator and battery electrical connections shaking loose or corroding the resulting contact resistance can be so high that the battery is no longer charged sufficiently. These conditions can also occur only intermittently. Simple visual inspection is generally not sufficient. Particular attention should be paid to the ground connection of the engine and body.
It is possible that the fault may be dependent on load as the engine can move within certain limits thus mainly affecting the connections in the engine compartment.