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2003 xtreme 5.3 charging issue

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Old Sep 30, 2019 | 10:35 AM
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Default 2003 xtreme 5.3 charging issue

I swapped a 2003 5.3 from a Suburban into my 2003 S10 xtreme. I have the alternator connected the same way as the original 4.3 was wired. I'm using the same plug from the 4.3 into the alt. on the 5.3

The battery light does not turn off
The alternator charges but it got very hot (WAY to hot, it was cooking and lucky I noticed before it totally fried the alt.).


What could the issue be?

The 4.3 wiring has two wires, one red and one grey - I have it wired so that the red wire would be the brown one from the 5.3 and the grey is also grey on the 5.3
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Old Sep 30, 2019 | 11:54 AM
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Convert it to a one-wire. A quick search should give you the details.
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Old Sep 30, 2019 | 01:14 PM
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Originally Posted by JoeNova
Convert it to a one-wire. A quick search should give you the details.

If I learn how to convert it to one wire and then convert it, will the battery light in my instrument cluster go out when its charging (and come on when its not)?

Seems strange to learn how to wire it a different way rather then figuring out how to wire it properly the way its already setup (2 wires)
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Old Sep 30, 2019 | 01:36 PM
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If you have an r44 alt , it will run as a one wire , without change , just hook up the charging stud to the battery , with the engine running it will put out around 14 volts , I have a couple vehicles running that way
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Old Sep 30, 2019 | 02:08 PM
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Originally Posted by ijimmy
If you have an r44 alt , it will run as a one wire , without change , just hook up the charging stud to the battery , with the engine running it will put out around 14 volts , I have a couple vehicles running that way
I don't know how to tell if its a r44 alt , its from a 2003 Suburban if that helps

I have run it with just the stud connected to the battery positive (after it got hot I just unplugged the pigtail and kept testing other things). When I have the harness plug disconnected I'm pretty sure it wasn't charging, the battery light was on while it was running and volts read around 12 (not charging) I can double check that but I'm almost positive that it didn't charge without any wires connected via the plug

I read conflicting things researching...

FROM the 4.3 harness - I read pin b is generator turn on signal (the red wire) and PIN C is generator filed duty cycle signal (the grey wire)

I am connecting it to an alternator that had 3 wires previously, one was blue and its a positive out for the brake assist (I think we can ignore the blue one).

FROM the 5.3 harness - I read that the PIN B brown wire is the charge indicator control and the grey wire is supposedly the same as what I have in the S10 harness PIN C is generator filed duty cycle signal (the grey wire)

SO what's the difference between a "generator turn on signal (the red wire)" and a "charge indicator control" wire

What makes it more confusing is that in different forums I'm reading that the brown wire is actually the "field" wire and I assume that would be referring to generator filed duty cycle signal so that's completely different then the schematics i'm seeing that say the brown wire is the "charge indicator control"
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Old Oct 1, 2019 | 06:59 AM
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I just use the brown wire and only the brown wire. There are a lot of factory harnesses that only included the brown wire.
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Old Oct 1, 2019 | 08:54 AM
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In the 4 pin pigtail, what PIN do you plug it into?
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Old Oct 1, 2019 | 08:10 PM
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get a holley 197-400
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Old Oct 2, 2019 | 11:28 AM
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I have the plugs from the V8 and the V6 so I don't need that part. But I do see that its a one wire and the wire is in PIN B so that's useful info - thank you
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