Evan Purple240zt Posted August 3, 2001 Share Posted August 3, 2001 Hey guys, compliments of a charging system problem, my car got a ride home on a flatbed trailer at 3 am the other night. I cant take it anymore. Heres what i have done that is reeking havock. I installed an A/C delco CS130 alternator. Does anyone have any experience with this thing. I keep seeing a resistor in the field circut but cant figure out what the thing is rated at. The alternator never charged above 13.4 volts at any time. however, that may have been due to a crappy battery which gave up ship. I got a new battery today. If you have experience with the CS130, or have a vehicle with one in it. Please tell me what the charging voltage is AT the battery when revving the motor, not at idle. Thanks so much guys, im very frusturated. This is the only reason i still have not finished break in! too unreliable. BTW, i ran a 4gauge hot wire to the battery for the charge to go through. I dont seem to be getting ANY output from the alternator right now. Maybe I f-ed something up. I can get another. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randy 77zt Posted August 3, 2001 Share Posted August 3, 2001 i dont know much about this alternator but i know it is not a 1 wire unit.the plug in the alternator has 3 or 4 wires but you will need at least 2.1 wire will go to key on and 1 wire will sense battery voltage.get a wiring diagram from a car that used a cs130 altnand trace wiring down-you will find the answer to the puzzle.some of the newer cars use the ecm to regulate the voltage on alt.i am a fird tech and we have be reprogramming windstar ecm to supply more charge to battery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted August 3, 2001 Share Posted August 3, 2001 Evan, I had a customer the other day who used a CS130 with my GM alternator bracket. Still, you would find it much easier to use a standard GM 10si or 12si. You CAN use a one wire configuration or go with two and use a stock Datsun voltmeter out of a 76-78 280Z. Craig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evan Purple240zt Posted August 3, 2001 Author Share Posted August 3, 2001 Craig, do you know if he had any sucess with his setup? Is there any way you can get me in contact with him? I already have the reman CS130 alternator on my car, so theres kinda no turning back now Thanks guys= Evan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted August 3, 2001 Share Posted August 3, 2001 Evan, I sent you the person's email address. Check your yahoo account. Also, if you get a good idea of how it is done, please send me a howto to put on my site. Thanks, Craig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evan Purple240zt Posted August 3, 2001 Author Share Posted August 3, 2001 If steve can help me out, which im confident he can. i will be MORE than happy to help!!! Evan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pparaska Posted August 4, 2001 Share Posted August 4, 2001 Evan, all I learned from the owner of M.A.D. Enterprises (the guy is an auto electronics WIZARD) that the CS alternators don't really need an external sensing wire, as there is one set up internally to the output. The center of the 3 small prongs on the alt connector is the field source wire. You need to send voltage to this wire, with either an incandescent lamp ("ALT idiot lamp") or a small resistor in the line (maybe 10 ohms?). From a battery POS source, put a bulb in series to the center small prong on the alternator to "turn it on". I don't know what would happen if you gave it the full battery voltage. I'm not sure what resistance to use instead of the "idiot lamp". I wanted an idiot lamp anyway, to tell me if the ALT was not working, I threw a belt, or the battery was shot, etc. Anyway, that field source wire is the only one needed on that 4-wire connector on the ALT. Oh yeah, Mine reads right around 14 Volts at idle or 4000 rpm . HTH, [ August 03, 2001: Message edited by: pparaska ] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evan Purple240zt Posted August 4, 2001 Author Share Posted August 4, 2001 Pete, My understanding was the same as yours. Does your alternator maintain that voltage with accessories on? I have the SDS, HI6 and big fuel pump drawing LOTS of current. Im making progress, i read on a camaro page to hook the thick wire (dont remember its letter designation) right to the hot side of the alternator. Then hook up an idiot light in series with the hot wire to the alternater "switch" on lead. So far, so good. It seems to be working but im still not satisified with my voltage output. For awhile i did apply full voltage to the regulator, at that time it was working fine. Maybe thats what killed it? I drove my car tonight, and the alternator seems to be charging but its acting the same as it was when it pooped on me last time. I am getting high 13s at the battery from the alternator. It has never shown me a satisfactory 14 volt output. I really need to run a ground from the alternator to the battery too (forgot to do that tonight). For im sure thats not helping any. Thanks for the help pete! maybe ill go warranty my alt. tomorrow just in case!! Evan PS.. can you find out from the alternator wizard what an apropriate bulb to use is please??? I am using a radio shack panel mount indicator bulb in red. It seems to be coming on and going off at the apropriate times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pparaska Posted August 4, 2001 Share Posted August 4, 2001 Evan, My alternator seems to put out 13.9-14 volts no matter what's running when at idle. That's the beauty of these alternators. If it's charging, I'd think you didn't hurt it. I ran an 8 gage wire from the lower mount bolt of the alt to where my 2 gage negative battery cable bolts to the block near the starter. I don't know if it helped, I just wanted to make sure it had a good ground path to the battery, with minimal voltage drop. M.A.D. Enterprises number is 559-539-7128. No 800 number, no website anymore, no email I know of. Give him a call, but be ready to be on the phone a while, as he like to talk. Very knowledgeable guy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pparaska Posted August 5, 2001 Share Posted August 5, 2001 This idiot is using a red plastic encased incandescant bulb from radio shack. Sounds like the same one you're using? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evan Purple240zt Posted August 5, 2001 Author Share Posted August 5, 2001 haha pete, sounds like one and the same! Are you using the factory wiring to your alternator? I bypassed all of it and am starting to wonder if that isnt part of my problem. I need to take a good look at the wiring schematic to figure out where they actually go! Thanks man= Evan PS.. glad to hear you have the same idiot light as I, two idiots in a pod i guess you could say! LOL I also snagged blue and green ones for turn signals and highbeams! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evan Purple240zt Posted August 5, 2001 Author Share Posted August 5, 2001 Thanks pete! thats exactly what i needed to know. however i am not maintaining the constant voltage. Sucks, ill try hooking up a solid ground and see what happens. i can always BS my old boss and defect the alternator out on monday just to be safe. Pete, what are you using for an idiot light? Evan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pparaska Posted August 5, 2001 Share Posted August 5, 2001 All new wiring to the ALT here too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evan Purple240zt Posted August 5, 2001 Author Share Posted August 5, 2001 I conqured the CS130! Yeah! Pete, thanks for all your help. I got the light wired into my ride and shes charging like a charm now. What had me concerned was that my car would NOT run off the alternator, therefore if my battery went south i would be stranded again. I found the problem, when i wired the battery up i used BOTH the side and the top terminal on the hot side. Well, it seems that since they dont actualy "touch" each other the motor will die. If you stick a jumper between the side post and the top post things function correctly and i get my 14+ volts of power!!! I am driving this thing 4 hours tomorrow, so im DAMN relived I figured out the problem. I have a squeeking belt now though. I think oil got onto it. Im not sure if its the alternator bearing or the belt. ITs only really audible at idle. Any suggestions without trying swapping out the belt??? Thanks guy, you RULE= Evan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLKMGK Posted August 6, 2001 Share Posted August 6, 2001 I only wish I had an ALT indicator for my car. I'm not sure how I'd wire one up with this one-wire alternator but it sure owul dbe handy. Oh, considered LEDs for the signals and whatnot. It really looks nice IMO but it's a bit more complicated to wire. Brake and highbeam use a switched GROUND as I recall. PITA to wire and I ended up using relays... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.