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New Battery; New Alternator; Not Charging (UPDATE: KILLING ALTERNATORS)


GP1138
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The battery was 100% dead on the Cutty when I bought it - I installed a brand new battery in it, and it appeared to run fine. The batt gauge came on and the alt tested bad on the car - I replaced it, and again, everything seemed fine. Then the battery died. So I spent today lying in a parking lot trying to diagnose this problem.

 

I tested fusible links - both carried voltage across them, or appeared to.

I ran a 8ga cable directly from the alt to the battery positive terminal/positive nut post. Aux post is tight. I tested the wire, it does carry current.

 

Alternator doesn't appear to be putting anything out at the terminal.

 

Alternator is a CS130D with the 4-terminal plug. Just one wire and it's for the idiot light. I've read that if this circuit is faulty the alternator will refuse to function. I then ran 12v from a relay (tested hot) to the red wire on that harness. No dice, still reading battery level when running.

 

I'm not sure what the hell could be the issue here.

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I THINK I might have figured it out.

 

Wiring instructions for the GM Delco Remy internal regulated cs130 alternator. How to wire a GM cs130 alternator. The GM Delco-Remy cs130 alternator was used on GM vehicles from about 1986-1996. 1995 -1998 was a transitional period for the cs-130. Between those years you may have the CS-130 or the CS-130D alternator. The wiring hookup is the same for the CS-130 and CS-130D alternators. On both the CS-130 and CS-130D alternators must have a resisted ignition wire to the "L" terminal. Resistance can be obtained thru use af a resistor or you can use the no charge light as the resistor, the light bulb will supply proper resistance.

 

So basically I need to find the wire that goes to the dash light, and run that wire to the L terminal on the alternator plug. This is assuming that the current wire in that place is dead.

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I THINK I might have figured it out.

 

 

 

So basically I need to find the wire that goes to the dash light, and run that wire to the L terminal on the alternator plug. This is assuming that the current wire in that place is dead.

 

 

Here's how to test the L circuit quickly:

 

Hook a voltmeter up to the battery and hook the clip of a regular test light to the + battery terminal. Unplug the connector with the single L wire and start the car. Touch the probe end of the test light to the pin that the L wire goes to ON THE ALTERNATOR and look at the voltmeter. The alternator should now be charging (13.5-15volts) when you touch the L terminal. If it does you're alternator is good and something is wrong with the L circuit. You can also try grounding the L circuit (the connector this time, not on the alternator) and it should turn on your battery lamp on the dash, but it may not if the circuit is open or obviously if you have a burned out bulb, which will also bring down the entire charging system.

Edited by jman093
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THANK YOU for this info! That will actually help me a HELL of a lot!!

 

Update. Went and tested the alternator after pulling it off the car again. It FAILED. Warrantied it, got a new one. Put it on the car. SUCCESS. Testing ~13v. Went down the street, popped the hood. Still testing 13v with the lights off.

 

Went on a longer drive, WOT runs, hard stops, the full monty. 5 blocks from home, charge light comes on. Same deal as before, rev the engine, it goes away, then comes back. WTF? So my car is killing alternators now?? I have a lifetime warranty, and I can pull them off all day in a half hour now that I have the procedure down, but it's REALLY fucking annoying now.

 

Any thoughts? Obviously something is sending ~12v to the L terminal on the alternator. I discussed this with Ken, we decided that it'd be possible to run a wire straight from the L terminal to the instrument panel dummy light wire, creating the necessary resistance, but would the PCM be cool with this, it being a '96 OBDII? I know it was jumped backwards at some point in the car's life, but the fusible links and all fuses are good. I get no SES light when I start the car, but the only code stored was a random misfire code, cured by the coilpack replacement. I'm wondering if the computer took a shit.

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THANK YOU for this info! That will actually help me a HELL of a lot!!

 

Update. Went and tested the alternator after pulling it off the car again. It FAILED. Warrantied it, got a new one. Put it on the car. SUCCESS. Testing ~13v. Went down the street, popped the hood. Still testing 13v with the lights off.

 

Went on a longer drive, WOT runs, hard stops, the full monty. 5 blocks from home, charge light comes on. Same deal as before, rev the engine, it goes away, then comes back. WTF? So my car is killing alternators now?? I have a lifetime warranty, and I can pull them off all day in a half hour now that I have the procedure down, but it's REALLY fucking annoying now.

 

Any thoughts? Obviously something is sending ~12v to the L terminal on the alternator. I discussed this with Ken, we decided that it'd be possible to run a wire straight from the L terminal to the instrument panel dummy light wire, creating the necessary resistance, but would the PCM be cool with this, it being a '96 OBDII? I know it was jumped backwards at some point in the car's life, but the fusible links and all fuses are good. I get no SES light when I start the car, but the only code stored was a random misfire code, cured by the coilpack replacement. I'm wondering if the computer took a shit.

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Question. In your first post, you mentioned that the fusible links appear to carry voltage across them, did you mean to say current? If you measured a voltage across the fusible link, I'd say that is your problem right there. Anytime you can measure a voltage across something, that indicates that what you are measuring has resistance, and a fusible link shouldn't have any resistance.

 

Of course if you meant to say current instead of voltage, then all that just meant nothing :lol:

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I should clarify that. I got the same voltage measurement on both sides, grounded to the body, battery voltage.

 

Indicating no resistance, thus not burned out, gotcha. Of course they could be partially burned through and not flowing enough current. No good test other than replacement though, although I think that the direct connection to the battery you added would have provided a solid connection if that was the issue. I'd say that the previous advice given regarding the indicator lamp is the right track.

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Picked up a JY PCM today for $45. Went and warrantied the alternator, installed both. Voila. Drove it for an hour, set the DMM so I could watch it as I drove. 13v at least the entire time, except sitting at lights with the headlights and A/C on, where it would dip to 12.5. These are power hungry cars. I don't care. I love it! Sweeeeeeeeeet!

 

Thanks for all your help!! I appreciate the posts!

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Picked up a JY PCM today for $45. Went and warrantied the alternator, installed both. Voila. Drove it for an hour, set the DMM so I could watch it as I drove. 13v at least the entire time, except sitting at lights with the headlights and A/C on, where it would dip to 12.5. These are power hungry cars. I don't care. I love it! Sweeeeeeeeeet!

 

Thanks for all your help!! I appreciate the posts!

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12.5v?? ouch. Thats not right man.

 

Your running appx 1volt too low.

 

My 95 CS (granted its a 3100) runs at 13.4 volt with both cooling fans blasting away, headlights on, and my Infinity 4-channel beating the piss outta my stock speakers (amp is 111wrms @13.8V x4 @ 4ohm)

 

There should be no reason the altenator is being maxed out while idling with just headlights and the cooling fan and hvac fan.

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positive battery cable that goes to the shock tower/jump tower whatever you want to call it? Mine wouldn't start at all because it was all corroded and crap.

 

i would remove that and clean up the mount point with a digrinder/sand paper/drummel tool.

 

Also could be where it connects to the starter?

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