[hotrod389]

im working on a 65 olds that i swapped a 1993 GM 4.3L in.
i threw the TBI away along with the dist.
i picked up a 4 bbl intake and a points dist. from a earlier 4.3L

i went to hook up the alternator today and i saw a 4 pin connector on the alternator.
the main positive wire i have routed to the battery..

will this alternator charge without the 4 prong connector?
if not, what pins go where??

thanks guys.

 

[ericnova72]

Good wiring info here on this alternator www.novaresource.org These later alternators are rather sensitive to hook up, pay attention to what they say about resistance in the field wire circuit.

 

[302 Z28]

Painless Performance has all the adapter harnesses to use these late model alternators.

Vince

 

[joe_padavano]

Most of those extra wires are for extra functions used by the computer, such as changing charging rate under low load conditions to save a little gas. You don't need them for your application - in fact, most of the later model GMs that I've worked on don't even use all of these wires.

 

[hotrod389]

went to the junk yard today, picked up a plug for the alternator.
it has 1 wire comming out of ther 4 prong connector.. does this go to 12V?
i havnt been able to look at the diagram above, i will do so later.

THANX for your help guys!

 

[ericnova72]

Be forewarned that hooking the field wire on the newer CS-110/CS-130 alternators to just a 12 volt source will quickly cook the alternator. Heed what is said at the sites about having a certain amount of resistance in this feed wire, typically a light bulb.

 

[trees]

Interesting this post just came up. I started wiring the 37 Ford Pick Up project today and right off, I saw the 5 wire set up. This is a new GM Crate motor and they provided the 4 wire (all white) plug in and the 5th wire is obvious to the Bat via the large post on the starter. I have no experience with this new alternator and came on this board for some info. Unfortunately, the link Ericnova posted does not work for me. I went Google search and came up with a research company: nothing to help with our problem. Hope some one can come up with some real info on what to do with the 4 wires. All of mine are white with one being like a #18 and the other 3 like # 24 or smaller. Guess I will have to get a GM schematic unless someone comes up with some better info.

Trees

 

[302 Z28]

Trees, try this link.

Vince

 

[ericnova72]

Just a mix-up, Scott's Nova Resource has changed to .org due to some difficulty. www.novaresource.org

 

[hotrod389]

the plug i got from the junkyard had 1 wire comming out of the connector, i did hook it up to 12V+ and it charges... as for the resistance and all that other whoo-blah.. ill wait for the alternator to die, then install a TRUE 1 wire.

btw, the 1 wire comming off the 4 prong connector was one of the small pins that took 12V+

car is done... have a nice day

 

[ericnova72]

Hotrod389, I've been through this the hard way with the modern small case alternators, you will be lucky to get 2 weeks service from it with the field wire hooked up as you have it with no resistance inline. Went through 3 brand new alts before we learned this, less than 200 miles each, they overheat themselves. Just a heads up, they are a good alt if you have lots of low rpm amp draws like electric fans, waterpump, fuel pump, etc. because they produce more at low rpm than the one wire set-ups.

 

[hotrod389]

will a ballast resistor work?

 

[ericnova72]

will a ballast resistor work?

I don't know. Check the SI-to-CS alternator conversion info at www.novaresource.org

I used a small dash light bulb for the resistance.

 

[Jim Rockford]

bulb or run it to a gauge, you need one anyway.

http://www.alternatorparts.com/cs130_sbpage1.htm

 

[trees]

OK, I have read these links and it seems straight forward enough, BUT just wiring in an idiot light to terminal L (no such label on my alternator, but looks just like the CS120/130 in the links) confuses me. I can understand the light coming on but do not understand the light going out when the alternator is operating properly. If I wire the alternator as depicted, then the only time I am feeding voltage to the L terminal is before engine start. When the alternator starts charging, then there is no current flow through the the light so it goes out and for this to happen, then the alternator is self sustaining when charging as the way it is designed. Weird!!!

Trees

 

[ericnova72]

OK, I have read these links and it seems straight forward enough, BUT just wiring in an idiot light to terminal L (no such label on my alternator, but looks just like the CS120/130 in the links) confuses me. I can understand the light coming on but do not understand the light going out when the alternator is operating properly. If I wire the alternator as depicted, then the only time I am feeding voltage to the L terminal is before engine start. When the alternator starts charging, then there is no current flow through the the light so it goes out and for this to happen, then the alternator is self sustaining when charging as the way it is designed. Weird!!!

Trees

You are still applying power to the bulb from the ignition hot side, just when the alt starts making power it puts power to the bulb from the ground side, effectively "removing" the ground path for the bulb, making it go out. When the alt is not turning, this field wire is the ground for the bulb, through the alternator to ground, and the light comes on. If the alt is turning but still not making voltage(bad alt), no power is put into the field wire from the alt side, so the bulb stays grounded and lit.

 

[trees]

Light just came on. Thanks

Trees