I have a 1986 Mercruiser 3.0. The alternator is not charging the battery. When I looked at the alternator I found that the purple (excitation) and red/purple (sensing) were clipped or broken off and taped. I have never had a problem in 3 seasons but the other day I had to jump start the boat due to a dead battery as a result of a switch being left on. That is when I noticed that the volts would not come up on the gauge and that trimming the outdrive would cause the engine to cut out. My question is whether the alternator will charge without these wires hooked up?
