So I wired up my alternator....old one was 2 wire(1985 2.8 alt), one for juice, one for kicking it on, new one is a cs130(from a 3.4 as you might already know) self exciting 1 wire...I have that wire connected to the post on the alternator, along with the wire coming off the junction block, I am almost positive this is the correct way to wire it, however my battery is not holding a charge(new battery) and I am almost positive that the alternator is to blame.
Also what in the hell should I do with my no longer needed wires, like for the AC compressor, or the hood light, or the old alternator wiring?'
Also my interior dimmer switch thing cuts out if I don't keep it in certain spots...not sure if this indicates bad wiring or something of that nature...

 

CS130 needs a exciting input on the L terminal unless it has been custom converted to 1 wire config

http://www.alternatorparts.com/cs130_sbpage3.htm

if it is actually 1 wire ,why have you got two wires on Alt terminal?
All you should have is a ( heavy ) wire from alt output terminal to battery or terminal block

 

My old setup had one red wire coming off the connector, it was short with a loop connector on the end of it, It went to the alternator post, and the junction block wire connected to the alternator as well, my new setup, I have the connector for the alt, it is one wire(not very thick one though....quite thin, like 18 or 22 gauge I think. It was pretty short as well, but had also been cut when that engine was pulled from the car it was in.
It basically has 1 wire connector, and a post on it.
And if it should only have 1 wire from the output post to the battery, then where the hell does the red one go?? Cause I'm pretty sure the junction wire has to carry the juice to the battery? Is there any chance one has to go on the post before the other in a specific order? I recall my starter solenoid being like that with its terminal..

 

"The output wire to the battery positive, and an "L" terminal wire connected to the charge indicator bulb, or to the resistor, or to both. A basic wiring circuit is shown (Figure 3)."

Ok it sounds like i have the junction block wire in the right spot, which was a no brainer, but I have no idea what the hell this resistor or indicator bulb is?

 

should I have the "L" wire connected to the brown harness wire??

 

If I recall correctly, you should have two wires coming off of the new alt. One big red wire that goes directly to the battery and a single small guage brown wire coming out of the connector. Hook this brown wire up to a key on hot wire. Dont hook it up to a constant hot. It will cause a batt drain. Check the plug from the old alt, there are two wires in this plug, one I know will be key on power only, splice these two wires together and you should be good.

If you still have a battery drain it will be coming from a voltage drain somewhere else.

 

no, just 1 small red wire in the "L" terminal, the only other wire it uses is the juice wire going to the junction block to charge the battery. From what I have read it seems the cs130 can be wired numerous ways depending on what connector you have...

 

I got my alt from an S-10 and did a serp belt conversion. I made sure I found an alt that only had one brown wire comin out of it. I then ran that to a key on power wire and works like a champ. I have an 83 Z28 and my alt connector had two wires in it. Just find a multimeter or test probe and see if it is key on power only.

 

I can check my setup when I get home this evening and tell you how I have mine hooked up.

Edit:
I just looked at a schematic for my 83 (V-6, V-8 same for this) and originally there were three wires for your alt.

-One large red one for the battery, should bolt to the rear of the alt
-One smaller red one spliced into the power distro (not needed for the new alt) take and tape this one up so it dosent short on anything
-And one brown wire. The brown wire is for your idiot light or guage if you have a guage. Hook up the brown wire if you want either of those two to function.

Otherwise, like was said, you only have to run the large red wire to the battery off of the post to make it work properly.

 

my setup is a bit different...originally there was a black wire from the junction block going to the back of the alternator post, a 2 pin connector with a brown wire going to the idiot light I assume, and the other wire a thick red one, that also went to the alternator post.

"One smaller red one spliced into the power distro (not needed for the new alt) take and tape this one up so it dosent short on anything" not sure what you mean by that as I think I didn't have that...unless by power distro you mean it goes to the same post as the black junction wire...
From my reading the red wire on my new alternator is supposed to go to the idiot light circuit, problem is, I no longer have an idiot light, I have real gauges now..so Idk if simply splicing that into the brown wire will work or not..i read something about it needing resistance and that the bulb might serve as the resistance in some systems, also read something about our cars not using that brown wire for the idiot light at all....I've read so much conflicting information that idk wtf to do......

 

Ok, I pulled up your schematic, you do have a different set up.

-The black wire with red stripe goes to your junction box, then to your batt on a black wire.
-The brown wire is for your dash light or guage depending on what you have.
-You probably also had a red loop wire that just tied back into the alt which is not needed.

If your Black with red stripe wire is small guage, run to the parts house and pick up some 10 guage wire and matching ring terminals and make a new wire from the post on the alt directly to your pos batt terminal. If you do that, you can cut the black/red wire off at the junction block and be fine.

 

If the red wire goes to your guage, then you would connect the brown wire off of your new alt to that so your guage works. Let me know if you are still confused. I will help you get it figured out.

 

that is the setup it had, never noticed a red stripe on the black wire, but its probably there,faded or grime covered. it is decently heavy gauge wire, are you saying I need to run it directly to the battery and bypass the junction block? the red loop i cut off from the connector. And so what about the new red wire though, do I just run it to the old brown one??

 

Don't think you understand the connector that was on the alt when I got it has only 1 red wire on it, no brown wire, my factory harness however has a brown wire...I believe I am supposed to connect the two...

 

If the black wire is good size, dont worry about it. Should be just fine.

The other red wire may be the one going to your guage if someone replaced it, ran a new wire for the voltmeter, or spliced it in with the old brown wire. In the schematic it says it is a brown wire.

 

Ok, I just went back and re-read this whole thing. I understand what you are saying finally, sorry for confusing you. You are saying the new alt has only a red wire coming out of the connector. In that case, vetteoz is probably right. You need to run that to a key on power source to make the alt excite.

 

By volt meter do you mean the dash gauge? cause thats been working quite well...dead accurate and no lag...but it definitely isn't holding or getting charged, and new battery so pretty sure the latter, I am going to try splicing the red wire to the brown 1 tomorrow and see what happens...

 

You could try it, but that red wire from the alt harness probably needs to go to a key on power source. I dont think the brown wire will work cause I think it has a resistor in it, but it might.

 

http://www.alternatorparts.com/cs130_sbpage2.htm
maybe that will help you help me,lol...but from the sound of it, that wire needs to go to a resistance source...

 

Look at the diagram in the link I posted.
The idiot light is the " resistor".it cuts the power down on that circuit going to alt
As shown you can have either or both but need at least one
Brown wire supplies key on power through bulb to excite Alt
When alt not charging ( engine not turning ) the light is on; when alt charges there is no ground for light circuit at alt so the light goes off showing alt is making power

 

Yeah I eventually figured out that the indicator light it was referencing was the gauge idiot light. Problem is I don't have an idiot light anymore...sooooo now what o.O?

 

Exactly as the that circuit shows.
Run a wire that is hot ; key on to the alt L terminal through a light bulb or a resistor
Info on resistance/ bulb size here
http://www.novaresource.org/alternator.htm

 

hmm, so could I just rip a light bulb out of my old cluster and splice that in along that same wire between the alt harness and car harness?

 

is it possible that the wire going into the L terminal has built in resistance if it came from a car with a real batt gauge?? I have no idea if the car it came from had real gauges or not...

 

Probably but "real batt gauge" is fitted on the heavy main wire to battery; measures alt output.
At a min; most cars have a idiot light fitted ( as well ) so that light would serve as the resistance.
Check the circuit diagrams for how your car was wired from factory

 

I found this thread:
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/v6/4...-charging.html
And PMed the OP as its the exact same boat I'm in and figured he either solved it by now or figured out another solution, and when I asked him he said:
"The red wire was hot going back to the battery. Hope that helps."
Just wanted to see if that sounds right at all? Also from what six_shooter said, it sounds like it should work the way I have it wired atm...