Just plumbing in my zetec SE 1.7 puma engine and have a quick question.

The alernator us the stick ford one which has a two pin plug on the top (plus main power cable stud), can anyone tell me what these are for as I have only used ones in the past with the power cable and a charge light feed.

Thanks in advance for replies.

It will be Fords smart charge system, controlled by the ecu.

Nicked a picture from another forum

Description

[Edited on 27/11/15 by DW100]

Thanks, so do I need this to run the alternator or will it go into some wierd mode if I leave these disconnected or connect one to the charge light input on my etb digidash?

The alternator charge rate is controlled by pulse width modualation from the ECU and alternator also sends a digital signal to the ECU to enable the ECU to monitor the alternator and idle speed.

The ECU will function without the alternator signal but the alternator won't work without the ECU. As far as I know there is no way to get this alternator to work correctly without ECU control.
The instrument cluster on the original car will be entirely ECU driven , I would think it more than likely that the charge warning light is not hard wired directly from the ECU but driven from a micro processor in the instrument cluster?

Scanner Dannner has a YouTube video on his premium channel showing one of the Ford US smart charge systems.

Sounds like the same PD wiring the Mk 2 MX5 has (they are both the same parent company). There is a recent thread which details replacing the ECU with a regulator circuit
here http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/forum/5/viewthread.php?tid=200888

Many thanks guys, much appreciated. So, as an alternative, can anyone suggest an alternator that fits without too many mods and is of the older non ecu controlled type, dies the older zetec e fit?. I have a daewoo matiz small densomtype but this will need mounts etc making.

Thanks

As far as I know if you leave off the ECU control it reverts to normal type alternator. The ECU control is for ultra fast charging when cold on certain types of batteries (which escape me).

Thanks, that tallies with a reply on another forum, all I loose is the charge light which I can live with and I think my dash has a volt meter anyway.

quote:

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Originally posted by theprisioner
As far as I know if you leave off the ECU control it reverts to normal type alternator. The ECU control is for ultra fast charging when cold on certain types of batteries (which escape me).

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Interesting, that is the oposite from the advice on the other forum, thay said it reverts to 13.5v if disconnected but disables the fast charge, turn over charging and full battery cut off features. Now I am confused?

Note, the link talks about a three pin plug, mine is a two pin, is there a difference?

[Edited on 28/11/15 by Ugg10]

[Edited on 28/11/15 by Ugg10]

Not all Fords use the same system Mazda also have other systems.
Some of them have a system where the voltage on control pin on the alternator is pulled down by the duty cycle of a square wave from the alternator to control the output, zero volts on control pin = the alternator full output.

It makes you appreciate the simplicity of the old 3 wire ACR alternators

Daft question, can I spin it up with a drill and see what comes out the main feed cable stud?