This is a follow-up on a previous post. Occasionally the car will not start, nothing. Like the battery has been disconnected. One sympton is loss of preset radio stations. Tracked it to the vr by tapping on it the last time it happened. Started right up. Now, is this a fatal sign with the vr and should I replace it? Can they be adjusted, etc.? Are the points sticking?

They aren't really too expensive. Just replace it. All it is going to do in the future is give you more problems. What happens is moisture gets inside it and makes the points stick. SOMETIMES hitting it or tapping, for you less violent people, will make it work. I just don't like to get stranded later after it decides to do it again.

-My 2 cents.

Bryan

Food for thought. On EVERY Z I have ever owned, when I replace the original VR with a new "after market" one, BTW there are NO OEM ones and have been gone for quite some time, I always end up re-building the original one. IE clean and adjust as per the Nissan Maint Manual. The after market ones are junk and always have been. The amperage will fluctuate constantly and dive you bananas. The adjustment of the points is pretty straight forward and spelled out nicely in the Nissan Service Manuals.

Now it is time to change my VR. Will get a new one rather than try to fix the old. In shopping I have come across several brands with prices ranging from $16 to $64. Is this just pricing or is there really that much difference in the quality/performance between them. Wells, Echlin are among brands I have found. Also another with a Japanese name which I forget. Any reccomendations as far as brand? I am not sure if the old one is original.

I have found that the Wells VR's are junk! In my 73' 240 I have gone through 3 in 5 months and the third one didnt work when I bought it. I have a Standard (Standard Motor Products) VR121 in the car now, had it in for 6 months now with no problem. I believe the new units are sealed, non adjustable and the old OEM ones you are able to open up and adjust the points as Dtsnlvrs states. Good Luck

Any opinions on this brand of VR: Furuhashi Auto Electric Parts Co. Ltd. (F. D. Japan)?

ZwolleY:

Just thought I'd mention, that (if you want to) you can replace your alternator with one for a late 280Z or 280ZX which has an internal voltage regulator. There is a write up on how to do this in our Technical atricles section. There isn't much to it, and you gain amperage capacity as well as the internal voltage regulation.

Carl

PS Sending you a Private message shortly, please read.

I bought one of those Furuhashi regulators off of eBay. It is almost identical to the one on my car. Here is a picture of the one I took off. Could it be original? Also on the side are 5 or 6 Japanese characters with "Heat Compensated" under them.

Hi Paul:

I received my Voltage Regulator from them also. I am very pleased with the appearance of quality, but have not yet done a side by side comparison with my OEM one. I did open it up and it has a great rubber gasket that will seal well and the internals are adjustable like the OEM one. Connections are soldered and not just crimped. Looks first rate to me!

I have compared it to another voltage reg. that I bought on eBay and it is of FAR higher quality.

bought one of those Furuhashi regulators off ...

Don't know about Furuhashi or whatever, but that is the Hitachi Logo on the cover.

That picture is his old one.