Alternator wireing advice

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S10Wheels
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Alternator wireing advice

Post by S10Wheels »

I want to put an AD-244 145A on my truck ('03 S10 4.3) It now has the factory CS on it.
In my haste to find one, I ordered, what I think will be a 2 wire plug, it came out of an '06
Chevy, Silverado V8. At this time I can't say for sure (I won't get it for a week or so) but if I did screw up, can I get a 2-4 wire adapter, make one, change the regulator or am I screwed?


:nono: :shrug:
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Re: Alternator wireing advice

Post by dozer1530 »

http://store.alternatorparts.com/cs144- ... rness.aspx try this place out. see if you can find it here
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Re: Alternator wireing advice

Post by HenryJ »

You don't need an adapter to install the AD244 alternators. They are plug-n-play. All you need is the longer belt. Search for the bigger Alternator thread and it has all the details.

The above adapters linked are for the CS144. I would not recommend using one of those. The AD244 is a much better option.

If you are wanting to add the sense wire do to flickering lights, there is a good thread on how to do that.

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Re: Alternator wireing advice

Post by S10Wheels »

HenryJ wrote:You don't need an adapter to install the AD244 alternators. They are plug-n-play. All you need is the longer belt. Search for the bigger Alternator thread and it has all the details.

The above adapters linked are for the CS144. I would not recommend using one of those. The AD244 is a much better option.

If you are wanting to add the sense wire do to flickering lights, there is a good thread on how to do that.

But I'm going to need a 4 wire plug, like the original CS 130D had, or an adapter. Didn't it work better without the sense wire? I thought you removed it and it worked fine? I must have missed part of that, oh! OK I read it wrong, with the sense on the AD, everytiing was OK, but with the sense wire, the CS was messed up till you removed it, right? Where was it hooked to with the AD, the truck has a 4 wire plug with only 2 wires in it, a brn. and a pink wire. I still need a 4 wire plug or an adapter at the alt to plug it up. The problem is that sometime in 2005 GM went a 2 wire plug. That's why I don't know what's comming, the transition happened slow, if it's a 4 wire plug, I'm in good shape.
Last edited by S10Wheels on Sun Sep 26, 2010 2:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Alternator wireing advice

Post by HenryJ »

Wow. Lots of confusion here for sure.

Wait and see what you end up with. Sounds to me like you might end up with a DR44G instead of a AD244. If that is indeed the case, you may need to change the regulator? A regulator change runs about $40 ($20 parts + $20 Labor)
I am not well versed on the differences in the newer DR44 alternators. I do not know if an adapter will work or even exists. It is possible that the wires can be correctly oriented in a new connector if that is required. (P L I/F S) the pins exist for the wires we have you should be able to orient them correctly.
Alternatorparts.com wrote: AD244 Series High Output Alternators

When ordering, specify whether fit is for 2 pin or 4 pin plug, You must pull the plug and look inside the connection to see if it's 2 or 4 pin, you cannot just count the wires going to the alternator.

Why we believe the AD244 series alternator is better than the DR44 & DR44G alternator for High Output Alternators on 05 and newer GM vehicles.

* The DR44G alternator was used on most GM vehicles after 2005, most DR44G alternators use the 2 pin plug voltage regulator.
* The DR44G and AD244 alternator are almost identical except that the bridge rectifier on the AD series is a replaceable component where on the DR44G alternator the negative part of the bridge rectifier is built into the rear housing ,so if your negative diodes fail, which they do often, you must replace the complete rear housing, but on the AD series alternator you can just replace the bridge rectifier, and the bridge rectifier fails quite often on high output alternators.
Ours only has two wires stock. Adding the sense wire uses an external contact point to measure voltage rather than internal. I do still have mine attached.

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Re: Alternator wireing advice

Post by S10Wheels »

Hey thanks, Henry J,
I'm just going to wait & see what I get!
'03 S-10 ext. cab 4.3, truck top, CAI intake, reprogrammed PCM, Throttle blade mod., e-fans, 180* thermo., Flowmaster 50, Clear corner & tailgate lighls, LED's all around, Camaro RS/Z28 wheels, Sony HU, Sony Spkrs. in doors, small amp. & Sub., converted to power windows, bucket seats & floor console, big 3 mod, AD 244 alt.
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Re: Alternator wireing advice

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I had the sense wire with the stock alt. I had to remove it when I went to the AD244 as it was blowing voltage regulators within the alt. Not sure why. As well as voltage would low and spike. As soon as I took it off, worked great. It spiked high enough to blow my headlights and spew a little out of the battery. So word of caution with that. I would rather live with the flickering lights than the blown lights and voltage regulators. This issue may have just been my truck?
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Re: Alternator wireing advice

Post by HenryJ »

green02crew wrote:I had the sense wire with the stock alt. I had to remove it when I went to the AD244 as it was blowing voltage regulators within the alt. Not sure why. As well as voltage would low and spike. As soon as I took it off, worked great. It spiked high enough to blow my headlights and spew a little out of the battery. So word of caution with that. I would rather live with the flickering lights than the blown lights and voltage regulators. This issue may have just been my truck?
Make sure that you connect the correct wire. If your go to the wrong side that is the stator. Connecting that to the positive output wire would cause problems.
The Sense connection should not "blow" a regulator. If it does you have an internal short in the regulator and it is defective.

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Re: Alternator wireing advice

Post by green02crew »

It was correct. Worked flawlessly with the stock alt. The voltage regulator would work but only when the sense wire was removed. Otherwise the voltage would jump around, either no output at all or too high an output.
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Re: Alternator wireing advice

Post by HenryJ »

Make sure that the terminal connections for the replacement alternator are in the same positions. Regulators can use different positions.

Sounds like your regulator had a problem.

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Re: Alternator wireing advice

Post by green02crew »

3rd alt. 2 remans and 1 brandy new all with the same problem until I got rid of the sense wire. So two regulators were of the same design, the brand new alt had a "higher quality" regulator.
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Re: Alternator wireing advice

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green02crew wrote:3rd alt. 2 remans and 1 brandy new all with the same problem until I got rid of the sense wire. So two regulators were of the same design, the brand new alt had a "higher quality" regulator.
Sounds like you had your wires crossed then :) , or a short to ground.

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Re: Alternator wireing advice

Post by green02crew »

Its possible but operated like that for a year on the new alt before problems showed up. Either way I got rid of the sense wire and it works flawlessly now.
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Re: Alternator wireing advice

Post by S10Wheels »

S10Wheels wrote:Hey thanks, Henry J,
I'm just going to wait & see what I get!
Well it is a DR 44G, I'm a stubborn old cuss though, I wanted an AD 244, a few days later I ran into a 200A AD 244 at a price I could not refuse. It was a clone (unmarked) case with a chrome sticker that say's 200A, made in USA, no numbers or maker names on the case at all.
I put it on the truck last weekend and it cold starts doing a steady 14.3-.5V and 13.7-.9 when the fans, the A/C and the music is on, the lights will only lower voltage to 13.5 or so at times. The only problem is that my Batt. lamp comes on & off. I got SOME numbers off the diode pak and looked on the net, it appears to be a Transpo DR 4402HD with 80 A diodes, I couldn't find any numbers on the regulator.
MY next "plan of attack" is to change the regulator to a D200XHD from Springhill alt.(it worked for Henry J., why not try it?) and then try a sense wire maybe, then I'm out of ideas, Got any?
:surrender: :crazy:
Last edited by S10Wheels on Sun Oct 17, 2010 9:53 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Alternator wireing advice

Post by HenryJ »

Sounds like you have a good plan of attack. Examine the regulator closely before installation. A good regulator will have lots of cooling fins.

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Re: Alternator wireing advice

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HenryJ wrote:Sounds like you have a good plan of attack. Examine the regulator closely before installation. A good regulator will have lots of cooling fins.
Well, I got the new reg. from Springhill, it is a Transpo D200XHD with a 14.8 Vset it has 8 thin fins, in a Transpo box, so I know it is just what I ordered. It looked just like the one that in there, figuring that it was ether a PCM missmatch or a bad reg. I removed it anyway, it was also a D200XHD but the second number was different: old reg. was D200XHD then 1689 also it had an "A" stamped on the heat sink, wile the new Transpo was D200XHD and 2000 with no stamp, so I put the new Transpo on thinking of what HenryJ ran into. I haven't time yet to put back on the truck to see what it does now, but I let you know, hope it does right!
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Re: Alternator wireing advice

Post by HenryJ »

Still got that DR44G ? Is it a two wire regulator? If it is, wanna trade for my AD244 ace in the hole alternator?

Check out my thread in the classifieds.

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Re: Alternator wireing advice

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HenryJ wrote:Still got that DR44G ? Is it a two wire regulator? If it is, wanna trade for my AD244 ace in the hole alternator?

Check out my thread in the classifieds.

Yea, it is a 2 pin reg. 145A off an '06 Sierra with 43000 mi.
The only thing is the plastic cover was cracked & repaired on the bottom. (no big deal)
I haven't had it tested yet, I'm sure it's fine though. I'm going look around to find out what your "Ace in the hole" AD244 is, I'll be bock!
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Re: Alternator wireing advice

Post by HenryJ »

Sounds perfect! I'm just looking to swap spares. My AD244 for your DR44G.

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Re: Alternator wireing advice

Post by S10Wheels »

OK, your "ace in the hole" AD244 is a 130A junk yard, 4 wire AD right? and it works fine on your 2002 S-10 right? no batt. light stuff? Sounds OK, let's do it! You pay your shipping, and I'll pay mine.
I think USPS prioirty would be the best deal now, or is there a cheaper way? I'd rather save the postage, but we are about 3500 miles apart. Putting that aside, how much you want for those turn/driving lenses you got?
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Re: Alternator wireing advice

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S10Wheels wrote:OK, your "ace in the hole" AD244 is a 130A junk yard, 4 wire AD right?
Yes it is. It has a regulator like no other I have seen. Rock solid charging. No jumpy voltages. It was working great. I only took it off to test the NAPA HO 200 amp alternator. I had to choose which to let go with the truck. I kept this one with the hope it would work in the Avalanche. It does not without modification. I would rather not do that. I would like a direct replacement as a spare. I really don't need one, but thought that this might be a good deal for both of us.
Sounds OK, let's do it! You pay your shipping, and I'll pay mine.
Sounds good. shipping will be pretty painful, but worth it for a good spare.
I think USPS prioirty would be the best deal now, or is there a cheaper way?
Probably. Ship the cheapest and take our chances. I'll pack it well to survive the USPS gorillas.
how much you want for those turn/driving lenses you got?
The stockers without fogs?
I picked them up in Eugene. I broke a retainer bracket up there and needed signals to get home. I don't remember what I had to pay for them. I don't want to ship them with the alternator as it is heavy and might crush them. I'd ship them boxed separate. I may also have one new one. It may have a fog bracket but no reflector. I'll have to look and see.

PM an offer and we can exchange shipping addresses.

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