Alternator and Electrical Question Options

[Barretta]

Quick question, I know all you knowledgeable 914'ers must be burnt out on electrical questions, so I'll keep it breif--for now (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif). My 74 1.8 isn't charging but the light will go off on the dash and when the alternator is unplugged and re-plugged into the main harness you can notice a parasitical loss...but it doesn't read that it is charging when tested on the battery. There is a red w/ white stripe wire (seems to be a live wire) that has been snipped off the alternators harness...what is this for? where does it go? could it be the problem? Any ideas would be a lot of help. Thanks.

I am a newbie to the 914 land, obviously.

[Barretta]

It is the heavy red/white wire that is cut, not the lighter gauge wires. The heave guage is supposed to go to the starter? It comes out at the same location that the light gauge wires do--right at the relay. And it is live. If it is supposed to go from the alternator to the starter why does it come out at the relay? Am i supposed to take the wire all the way back through the engine compartment to the starter? It doesn't seem like this is the way the harness is set up. Would this wire disconnected cause the car not to hold a charge? So many questions....

thanks again.