LUVTruck.com

A few weeks ago we replaced the (electric) fuel pump and the alternator on my son's '78 LUV. Yesterday it died on him on the way to school, he said the generator light came on then it sputtered dead. He could restart it, it would run 10 seconds, then die. We towed it home and tried several times to keep it running and the only time we were successful was when the gen light didn't come on once. However, the next time we started it the light was on and it only ran 15 seconds again. Is there a relay or something tying the alternator to the fuel pump?

Yes.


The fuel pump relay is set up so that it is on when you turn the key to start, but is otherwise off unless the alternator is spinning. This is so when you crash the pump shuts off instead of starting a giant fire under the hood. If you have charging problems, they will often show up as the fuel pump not working.

That relay is under the odd looking metal cover on the passenger's side fender, but it sounds like your problem is the alt or the regulator not the pump or relay.

Is the regulator internal to the alternator? It is a new (rebuilt) alternator from NAPA and worked fine for 2 weeks. There are 2 connection on it then those wires run into the harness. Is there an external reulator somewhere?

Thanks for the help. I checked my rebuilt part and one of the wires in the plug leading off of it was broken out of the plug due to a brittle wire I suppose. Works great now!

Good to hear you got it solved, cheap and easy too! I had one like that too, wire had broken enough times that it was too short, started breaking often. I finally rewired it with some slack and solved my problems.

To answer your other question, there is an external regulator. It is on the driver's side inner fender, almost straight out/up from the alt. Looks like a black (silver/metal on some older regs) box about 2 by 2 by 4 inches or so. It will have a plug with somewhere around 8 wires tieing into it and a little condenser filter cap too.

78in iowa, i'm having the same kind of trouble. read my post -starts but don't run- sound familiar? 800xl, how did you learn so much about these LUVs. i know i'm not the only one who is gland you have.

thanks again

Oh well 800xl isn't really human... Look at his picture= Hes a cyborg. And hes posted an exessive of 1500! His rating is Encylapedia Luvteca... so hes just part of the web site...



J/king 800xl, Your help is unparrelled...

glad you got it fixed.

_________________
"Experience is a hard teacher, for she gives the test first, and the lesson afterwards."

1978 Chevy LUV - 2WD - [Work In Progress]
w/1976 1.8L 1815cc Stock Isuzu Motor

http://forums.luvtruck.com/viewtopic.php?t=8843

uuhhh... glad not gland

Silly Hunams, your civilization will be long gone and we will still be here driving your LUV trucks and trying to exterminate the cockroaches....

Seriously tho, thanks. Its nice to be appreciated. I've learned a lot of what I know just dealing with my own trucks, but I learned a whole lot more from reading posts here. I may have absorbed and retained a lot of info, but much of it came from the other experts around here.

I'm jealous XL. I'm at an age where CRS is setting in. I used to jokingly say, "I've forgotten more than you've learned." Now it's true.

Lol, well at least we have someone to remember for us eh?

_________________
"Experience is a hard teacher, for she gives the test first, and the lesson afterwards."

1978 Chevy LUV - 2WD - [Work In Progress]
w/1976 1.8L 1815cc Stock Isuzu Motor

http://forums.luvtruck.com/viewtopic.php?t=8843

I've got CRS of practically everything else. If I could only remember everything my wife says as well as I can luv truck stuff, my life would be oh so much simpler.