CS 144 Alternator
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,938
Likes: 2
From: Arkansas
Thanks!
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,305
Likes: 2
From: Lewisburg WV
thegazman
I bought my adjustment rod from Jegs because they were cheaper than Summit. My rod adjusts from 7.5" to 9.0". I paid $42 for the rod. It's made by "March" and is good quality. I suggest you mount your alternator, place it where you want it to be with the belt tight, measure from the hole for the rod on the alternator to the bolt on your bracket where you will attach the rod. Then buy an adjustment rod that the lenght you want your rod is in the middle of the adjustment. Example: If you want your adjustment rod mounted at 7 1/4", buy a rod that adjusts from 6 1/2' to 8". Summit has a bigger selection of rods listed on line than Jegs, but you may be able to call Jegs and get the same rods that Summit has. Go into either web site and look under"adjustment rods".
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 1,179
Likes: 3
From: STANTON CA
I bought my adjustment rod from Jegs because they were cheaper than Summit. My rod adjusts from 7.5" to 9.0". I paid $42 for the rod. It's made by "March" and is good quality. I suggest you mount your alternator, place it where you want it to be with the belt tight, measure from the hole for the rod on the alternator to the bolt on your bracket where you will attach the rod. Then buy an adjustment rod that the lenght you want your rod is in the middle of the adjustment. Example: If you want your adjustment rod mounted at 7 1/4", buy a rod that adjusts from 6 1/2' to 8". Summit has a bigger selection of rods listed on line than Jegs, but you may be able to call Jegs and get the same rods that Summit has. Go into either web site and look under"adjustment rods".
you hane the 12 6 clocking
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,938
Likes: 2
From: Arkansas
I bought my adjustment rod from Jegs because they were cheaper than Summit. My rod adjusts from 7.5" to 9.0". I paid $42 for the rod. It's made by "March" and is good quality. I suggest you mount your alternator, place it where you want it to be with the belt tight, measure from the hole for the rod on the alternator to the bolt on your bracket where you will attach the rod. Then buy an adjustment rod that the lenght you want your rod is in the middle of the adjustment. Example: If you want your adjustment rod mounted at 7 1/4", buy a rod that adjusts from 6 1/2' to 8". Summit has a bigger selection of rods listed on line than Jegs, but you may be able to call Jegs and get the same rods that Summit has. Go into either web site and look under"adjustment rods".
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 1,179
Likes: 3
From: STANTON CA
QUOTE
If you have a C3 with NO GEN light in the dash, then your harness will not provide enough resistance for the CS alternators to function properly. They will work for fine for a few months, but then the alternator will fail. So, if you do NOT have a GEN light in your dash, you’ll need to add at least 35 OHMs of resistance to the Sense wire, which is brown, or in some cases, white.
Ok I have my cs144 alternator on my car now I have no gen light I have a volt meter, so I
have a resistor in the brown wire. I have the red wire going to the battery lug on
the alternator. Do I conect the brown wire with the resistor to the brown wire
that was in the original plug
If you have a C3 with NO GEN light in the dash, then your harness will not provide enough resistance for the CS alternators to function properly. They will work for fine for a few months, but then the alternator will fail. So, if you do NOT have a GEN light in your dash, you’ll need to add at least 35 OHMs of resistance to the Sense wire, which is brown, or in some cases, white.
Ok I have my cs144 alternator on my car now I have no gen light I have a volt meter, so I
have a resistor in the brown wire. I have the red wire going to the battery lug on
the alternator. Do I conect the brown wire with the resistor to the brown wire
that was in the original plug
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24,125
Likes: 15
From: Columbia Missouri
QUOTE
If you have a C3 with NO GEN light in the dash, then your harness will not provide enough resistance for the CS alternators to function properly. They will work for fine for a few months, but then the alternator will fail. So, if you do NOT have a GEN light in your dash, you’ll need to add at least 35 OHMs of resistance to the Sense wire, which is brown, or in some cases, white.
Ok I have my cs144 alternator on my car now I have no gen light I have a volt meter, so I
have a resistor in the brown wire. I have the red wire going to the battery lug on
the alternator. Do I conect the brown wire with the resistor to the brown wire
that was in the original plug
If you have a C3 with NO GEN light in the dash, then your harness will not provide enough resistance for the CS alternators to function properly. They will work for fine for a few months, but then the alternator will fail. So, if you do NOT have a GEN light in your dash, you’ll need to add at least 35 OHMs of resistance to the Sense wire, which is brown, or in some cases, white.
Ok I have my cs144 alternator on my car now I have no gen light I have a volt meter, so I
have a resistor in the brown wire. I have the red wire going to the battery lug on
the alternator. Do I conect the brown wire with the resistor to the brown wire
that was in the original plug
The resistor goes inline with the brown wire to the plug that goes into the alternator. Think of the resistor as the light bulb in the GEN light socket. That light bulb is just between the brown wire and the alternator. The brown wire just has switched 12V power, and the light bulb provides the resistance the alternator needs to charge properly. The resistor is only needed to be the resistance when there is no GEN light. If you didn't want to use a resistor you could always install a light bulb in it's place as a warning indicator in the cabin that there is an imbalance int eh charging system...just as the GEN light does.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 1,179
Likes: 3
From: STANTON CA
The resistor goes inline with the brown wire to the plug that goes into the alternator. Think of the resistor as the light bulb in the GEN light socket. That light bulb is just between the brown wire and the alternator. The brown wire just has switched 12V power, and the light bulb provides the resistance the alternator needs to charge properly. The resistor is only needed to be the resistance when there is no GEN light. If you didn't want to use a resistor you could always install a light bulb in it's place as a warning indicator in the cabin that there is an imbalance int eh charging system...just as the GEN light does.
the other end of the resistor not connect to anything
and just hang there
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24,125
Likes: 15
From: Columbia Missouri
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Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24,125
Likes: 15
From: Columbia Missouri
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24,125
Likes: 15
From: Columbia Missouri
It's just a switched 12V source of any kind. It originates under the dash I think. In cars with a GEN light it goes to the gauge cluster and then back out to the alternator. Without the GEN light it just goes straight to the alternator. It's a switched 12V source from the main harness.
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,630
Likes: 293
2020 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
I am runnning v-belts and switch out pullies with my factory alt. I didn't compare sizes when I switched out alternators but could the serpentine pulley the cs 144 came with be smaller than the one from my factory v-belt alternator?
So is seeing low 13volts typical for the cs144 alternators?
Thankd for any help!
