HELP!!!! Charging problems

[justaZcarguy]

I am ready to beat my head against the wall.

Can someone give me some advice on the wiring problem that I may have....

Voltage regulator has always been questionable, the needle has been bouncy from day one. Was always going to replace the regulator and never did... Funny thing is, the tach has allways read high also. Driving along last week I noticed that the amp guage was acting weird and suddenly the gauge dropped to the middle and lights dimmed slightly, no increase when revved. AND the tach read normal. NOW we can get no charging out of the system. Have replaced the alternator and the voltage regulator and still no charge. It's acting as if a relay is not activating the alternator.

I've traced wires and nothing seems out of wack. Am I missing something???????

'73 is the year here. Also, have checked all the fuses. I swear there is one hiding somewhere.

Please help, I am ready to go to the padded room over this.

Thanks,

Brian

[livenbad]

I had same problem many years ago....had adjustable voltage regulator installed and had np further problems.

[justaZcarguy]

had you put in a new non-adjustable before you put in the adjustable?

the only one that I have found has been the smaller "updated" version and I have always had a bad feeling about it.

Thanks,

Bri

[beandip]

Put this in to the mix . It is entirely possable that the car was a automatic and was converted to a manual . The auto having a duel point dist. , kick down and thermo switch . I dont know just a thought , maby this is a cause . Somthing do do with this. Could some one have cobbed in wireing not knowing what they were doing , causing the tach problem , and now this mod has gone bad and shorted or just resulting in a open . There are persons that are knowledgeable in this area , and I am not one of them . Gary

[Daniel]

If your wiring and fuses and fusible link are good consider this. The Alternator is a remanufacture not new. I have had three DOA units that I can recall in my years of auto fixing.Parts from a box although not usually,can be bad.That goes for volt regs also. Daniel

[justaZcarguy]

Well the car is ofically a mess, wires and brain matter from me is all over the place...:sick:

I am starting to lean to the voltage regulator, i have found no hidden fuses, no bad wires. I'm testing the alternator today again to see if it's bad, I hope not this will be the third one in it. I wonder, if the regulator is bad will it take out the alternator?

Thanks for the info,

Brian

[Daniel]

If the alt. works then does not it is not a fuse.Fuses are all or none. I'm not aware of a volt reg eatting alternators but you could be #1.The volt reg is just a switch that decides if the battery needs to be charged or not.Once up to proper rpm the alternator makes electricity no matter if the battery wants it or not.Kinda like the power company where you live makes it and just because you have your switch off the potental is still there.

[justaZcarguy]

Makes sense, when I test the alternator, on the car runing, I shows a charge of 14 volts plus. I guess I'll switch out the regulator (again).

Daniel, did yousay that you went thru this with the regulator? was the replacement shorter than stock? And if so did you replace it with the taller adjustable one?

Thanks - Bri

[livenbad]

Originally posted by justaZcarguy

had you put in a new non-adjustable before you put in the adjustable?

the only one that I have found has been the smaller "updated" version and I have always had a bad feeling about it.

Thanks,

Bri

Hello...I found a transistorized (adjustable) regulator at an auto electric shop...not Datsun part...It has worked great for years.

good luck

[Daniel]

Brian,Mine is stock volt reg. Question. You said if this one is bad it will be the third.How long did the other two last?I assume they did work for aleast a short time.This last unit you said you were going to test.Was this an off the car at a auto shop test?If not how.Are you getting the 240 remanu. unit or a 280 unit?LT-150=240 LT160=280.Are you using a meter to test wiring or jsut looking it over?If you don't mind all the questions we can maybe get closer toa fix. Daniel

[Daniel]

Brian,Are you reading 14volts at the battery with the car running NOW??? daniel

[justaZcarguy]

I have checked continuity with a tester, both inside the engine bay and the cabin (for lack of a better word...) This required acts of contorsionism that NO human should try, espically one with busted ribs....

When I disconnect the plug-in (yellow & white) from the back of the alternator and jump the f terminal to the A and start the engine, I am getting 14+ volts. Pull the negative side of the battery and the voltage jumps to 16+. Ouch, don't do that for long... This tells me that during that test I am eliminating the Voltage regulator. AND that the alternator is in operational order. ALSO the AMP gauge is reading high during this time. Makes sense, the voltage regulator is eliminated for now. Plug in the wires to the back of the alternator (yellow and white) and no charge.

Wires between the regulator and the alternator are good by the way.

What do you think? Try ANOTHER regulator??

I think I'm certifiable.

B