What I read (I believe it's the same TSB you're talking about) said to run a new wire.
I know why it was done the way it was in the first place.
I re-read the TSB and it seems pretty clear that it says the problem is in the wire between the battery and the alternator output terminal, not the reference wire.
If the reference wire had a high enough resistance and if the regulator pulled enough current through the reference wire to cause a severe voltage drop, it could cause this problem. But I do not think that the regulator draws much current through the reference wire--it likely only draws a very tiny amount (milliamps).
If the reference wire had an intermittent connection that would also cause this problem, regardless of current draw.
An interesting test would be to turn as many electrical loads on as possible and measure the voltage between the alternator output terminal and the positive battery terminal. The displayed voltage is the voltage drop. I suspect it's pretty high on the cars exhibiting this problem.
Last edited by brianl703; 01/03/06 07:38 PM.
