1993 Mercury Sable Alternator

Hi mobes_01. Welcome to the forum. Where are you finding this .24 volts? Also, describe the connector. Do you have the regulator built onto the back with a green / red wire and a yellow wire with a fat one bolted to the rear or do you have one with the plug on the side with two really fat black wires with orange stripes in the plug itself?

caradiodoc

It has the regulator built on the side of the alternator. I got the .24 from the main positive post a black and orange wire going to it. I also got a connection with a yellow and white, green and red, and a white one. then a third connection of a blue wire.

Now the question is where was the other meter probe? If you measured .24 volts from the output wire to ground, suspect a blown fuse or corroded connector. The output wire must have full battery voltage all the time. If a very large fuse is blown and the generator is working, you will measure a much higher voltage when the engine is running, typically around 15 - 18 volts because it's not getting back to the battery which would help regulate it.

If you're measuring between the output wire and the battery positive post while the engine is running, ideally there should be 0 volts difference, but no wires are ideal; they all have some resistance, and the .24 volts would be the result of current flowing through that resistance.

You can also measure the voltage on the white wire while the engine is running. If it has around 6 - 8 volts, the generator is producing output. That voltage is what tells the regulator to raise the voltage on the green / red wire to turn off the warning light on the dash.

caradiodoc