CWinter

Recently the brake light and charge light came on together in my 1989 Corolla DX. I know I have an alternator problem. I figured the brushes had finally worn out (sixteen years) so I did the logical thing and changed out the alternator (for a junkyard special). But now I'm wondering if the fault lies elsewhere. The warning lights are not on, but I still get no current out of the alternator. I might have a broken wire, which shut down the original alternator, and got a dead replacement from the junkyard. I'm hoping these symptoms will ring a bell with someone who can narrow down the possibilities. Under normal circumstances I'd just take the car to a dealer. Right now I don't have the budget for that. Thanks in advance for any hints.