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Beta43 Starter Alternator Plug.


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Rev Counter stopped working and found wire from smaller Starter Alternator disconnected / broken where it connects to plug. Probably due to engine vibration and the harness not being supported. 

 

Grey plug on Alternator at 12 o'clock position appears to be secured by a tab of the same colour, which I suspect needs lifting, however I'm unsure of the best way to release the plug.

 

Tab feels very rigid and I'd hate to excessive force and cause any damage in the attempt. 

 

I'd be grateful for any advice or guidance. 

 

Regards and Thanks

Brian. 

 

 

20220606_142904.jpg

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I've not tried to remove one of these, but you can see some over spray of green paint on to the plug. Looks like Beta wrapped some masking tape round much of the plug and the first half inch of the wires. before letting loose with the green spray gun. The paint may be giving some extra resistance to removing the plug from the alternator. On the plus side, it looks like your diagnosis is correct. The Black/Blue wire is the W connection to the rev counter, according to the Beta wiring diagram I have for my boat. The other two are excitation (brown) and warning light (brown/yellow).

Jen

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I don't know that plug but if you look at the inverted T piece it looks as if the tail is below the metal up-stand of the alternator. This makes me think there is a tongue latched into the metal piece, there may be one on the other side so have a look. Try squeezing the top of the or gently levering the tail out with a small screwdriver while pulling the plug out.

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Quick update. 

As Tony suggested, squeezing the tab, not lifting,  releases a latch.

Replacing defective connection is another  problem. 

It looks like a one time only as there does not appear to be a way of releasing individual pin connections. 

Looks just like that found on e-bay :

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/282925670766

 

or with wires attached. 

 

https://www.autoelectricsupplies.co.uk/product/1309/category/258?prefer_full_site=1

 

20220606_161543.jpg

Edited by Brian422
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7 minutes ago, Brian422 said:

Quick update. 

As Tony suggested, squeezing the tap, not lifting,  releases a latch.

Replacing defective connection is another  problem. 

It looks like a one time only as there does not appear to be a way of releasing individual pin connections. 

 

 

 

Looks just like that found on e-bay 

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/282925670766

 

or with wires attached. 

 

https://www.autoelectricsupplies.co.uk/product/1309/category/258?prefer_full_site=1

 

20220606_161543.jpg

Hideous connector.  The connector elements are crimped onto wires passing through the plastic body. the wire is then pulled back, pulling the connector into the plastic where a pip on the connector locks it in place.

It may be possible to push the connector back out and solder the wire to it before reassembling.If not its a new connector complete and the correct tool for crimping the wires on.

 

Why manufacturers use these one time connections is beyond me. I suppose its cheap for them and they don't want you to be able to fix anything anymore.

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5 hours ago, Tracy D'arth said:

Hideous connector.  The connector elements are crimped onto wires passing through the plastic body. the wire is then pulled back, pulling the connector into the plastic where a pip on the connector locks it in place.

It may be possible to push the connector back out and solder the wire to it before reassembling.If not its a new connector complete and the correct tool for crimping the wires on.

 

Why manufacturers use these one time connections is beyond me. I suppose its cheap for them and they don't want you to be able to fix anything anymore.


It’s a pretty standard way that any connector works on anything from boats to vehicles to aircraft. As you say, there is a pip (or tab) on the connector pin that locks it in place. If you want to release the pin you insert the appropriate tool which is effectively a thin tube that goes over the connector pin, this pushes the tab away from the plastic body and the pin can be pulled or pushed out.

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Thanks to all for your suggestions and whilst I appreciate nicknormans' contributions I'm not quite sure of how they relate to my situation.

Thought a bit more plug detail might be more enlightening. 

 

 

20220607_082326.jpg

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If you look at the images in the links given you will see that the rectangular white plastic inserts seem to hang down while this image shows them pushed up and flush with the base of the plug. I wonder if these lock the terminal into the plug, so see if you can use something like a dart to lever one of them down or a thin screwdriver to try to push one down from the wire end. Just from looking, no actual experience of these because they are too new for my time on the tools

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1 hour ago, Brian422 said:

Thanks to all for your suggestions and whilst I appreciate nicknormans' contributions I'm not quite sure of how they relate to my situation.

Thought a bit more plug detail might be more enlightening. 

 

 

20220607_082326.jpg


My point is that the individual metal connector pins (wire on one end which has fallen off, socket on the other end which mates with pins on the alternator) can be pushed out of the connector block. You can then solder the wire back on again and re-insert the connector pin. In my earlier post I presumed a circular pin but it looks like they are flat pins/sockets (like a mini spade connector). However the principle remains, you can insert a removal tool to push the locking tab back, then push the metal bit out.

 

A9273C61-9EFD-48CA-A4AF-7AC5DE5808A5.jpeg.9cd5394b92362c0807ba184fa36b5bc5.jpeg

 

This shows the general idea, just a connector pin I found on the internet, not your specific one. When pushed (left to right) into the housing, the little tab I marked with a red arrow, folds slightly to pass an obstruction then locates the pin because if you try to pull it out again, the harder you pull the more the tab is jammed out. But if you insert a thin sliver of metal from the front it can hold the tab flatter allowing the connector pin to be withdrawn again, tab passes the obstruction without hitting it. You might be able to fashion something suitable by eg cutting up a feeler gauge into a long thin narrow tool.

 

 

Edited by nicknorman
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10 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said:

A sliver of a beer can cut with scissors will retract the tab to let you pull the connection out.   Don't lose the red rubber seal.

Yes that should work. Don’t forget to drink the beer first.

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The spring lug on this type of terminal is the opposite way round to stop the terminal pulling out when the plug is disconnected.  If you look closely at the end of each rectangular terminal insert in the end of the plug you should see a slit about half way across one of the longer edges.  The spring lug is on the opposite longer face, some plugs have an opening to give access in the side so you can depress the lug and push the terminal out.

Others make it more difficult, the thin blade approach may work if you push it in hard enough from the wire end, if not, in the past I have taken a guess at the position ( say 6mm from the end of the terminal) and made a small hole in the side of the plug with a hot panel pin. Through the hole you can depress the lug and push the terminal out if you are lucky!

Either way terminals are a fairly tight fit so use something round and blunt to push from the wire end.

The wire was probably crimped in so you will need to make a hole for the wire to get a proper solder joint

Edited by adrianh
typo
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Thanks for all the help and advice but I've decided to replace original plug with one with pigtails.

To replace individual pin whilst bending over engine and my head resting in shelf is just a little too much.

The existing plug wires are short and not supported; which is why I think they failed.

Intend making mechanical joint, soldering and shrink tubing connections then supporting extended cable to minimise potential vibration problems.

Hopefully my experience will help anyone with a similar problem.

 

Regards and Thanks

Brian

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1 hour ago, Brian422 said:

Thanks for all the help and advice but I've decided to replace original plug with one with pigtails.

To replace individual pin whilst bending over engine and my head resting in shelf is just a little too much.

The existing plug wires are short and not supported; which is why I think they failed.

Intend making mechanical joint, soldering and shrink tubing connections then supporting extended cable to minimise potential vibration problems.

Hopefully my experience will help anyone with a similar problem.

 

Regards and Thanks

Brian

I think that is a sound solution rather than struggle in situ with that pesky connector.  Don't forget the seal.

 

 

Send fish.

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