What was found
LOW VOLTAGE LIGHT CAME ON SEVERAL TIMES DURING FLIGHT. PERFORMED ENGINE RUN-UP FOR OPERATIONAL CHECK OF ALTERNATOR. ALTERNATOR CHECKS GOOD. BATTERY AND GROUND ALTERNATOR TERMINALS WERE FOUND BROKEN. THESE WIRE TERMINALS APPEAR TO BE THIN AND ARE BREAKING JUST IN FRONT OF THE CRIMP. REPLACED WIRE TERMINALS TO ALTERNATOR AND OPER CHECK GOOD. SE78-38 APPLIED TO 1979 VINTAGE C172 PRESCRIBED A PROCEDURE TO ISOLATE AND SECURE ALTERNATOR WIRES TO AFT FRAME OF ALTERNATOR IN SEVERAL PLACES AND ELIMINATED WIRE TERMINAL BREAKAGE. SUGGEST S/N AND MODEL APPLICABILITY BE REVISED TO INCLUDE RECENT PRODUCTION ACFT WHICH WOULD ELIMINATE ELEC SYS MALFUNCTION AND/OR FAILURE IN 53 C172R ACFT.