Wiring 4 wire alternator with external voltage regulator with Dakota dash and painless wiring harness

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Geostang

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Joined
Oct 30, 2024
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Location
Florida
My Car
Stock 302 with HEI distributor added ac
1971 mustang coupe 302 alternator wiring
I need some help folks. I for the life of me cannot figure why the brand new alternator and voltage regulator will not charge. I have the Dakota digital dash and painless harness installed. I’m working on it after someone else installed it all so I didn’t start from scratch. I need to figure out how to make the 4 wire alternator with external regulator work. What wires go where and all that. Thanks for your input.
 
How is the regulator wired at the moment? Are you using the factory harness? The Painless harness throws a wrench into the works, but it can be handled. factory harness.

How is the regulator wired at the moment? Are you using the factory harness? The Painless harness throws a wrench into the works, but it can be handled.
I don’t not have the factory harness. I have the pigtail/plug for the regulator. It’s pretty much not wired up now so I’m at square one now. I have a wire to all 4 terminals of the alternator(batt, ground, field, stator) I just don’t know where to run those and or the 4 wires of the regulator.
 
Assuming the Dakota dash doesn't have an alternator warning light, IMO, the cleanest installation would use a factory gauge package alternator harness available from the various Mustang parts suppliers. You'll only need to hook up ignition switched power to the Green w/Red stripe wire at the regulator connector. The black ring terminal connects to the Batt (+) side of the starter solenoid, and the Yellow wire with bullet connector is for the radio noise choke, which you likely don't need.

https://www.npdlink.com/product/wire-loom-alternator-feed/102024/202878?year=1971


1732287259950.png

Regulator diagram for an earlier car, but the functions are the same

1732287447067.png
 
Getting that harness isn’t likely to happen for me unfortunately. Also im not sure if I mentioned or if it matters that I have an HEI distributor?
If I built that harness where does the other end of the black wire go? Thanks
 
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