SteveJ

You can always try to use the Internet Wayback Machine. It doesn't do much good if the site was a business, but it helps for tech tip sites that may have fallen by the wayside.

To test it, you don't need to take it apart; just take it out of the dash. A bad ammeter will act as an open circuit. You can test it with a 12VDC source and a test light. I suggest using two lantern batteries wired in series for the 12VDC source. Wire the positive to the positive on the ammeter. Wire the negative of the ammeter the test light, and touch the other end of the test light to the negative on the battery string. If the lamp lights, the ammeter is good, just not necessarily accurate. If you want to test accuracy, use the 12 VDC source with at least a 500W rheostat. The 500W will allow about 41A before you exceed its rating. Unfortunately, 500W rheostats are pretty pricey. The cheapest I could find in a quick search was $165.

A functioning ammeter always "works" in that it will measure the current flowing through it. When all of the circuits on the alternator side of the ammeter are off (and the car is off), there is no current flowing for it to measure. (This is a simplified view of things for clarity's sake.) If the meter is blown, the connection is open. In this case, circuits that hang off of the white/red wire would not work with the car off. This includes the headlights and parking lights to mention a couple of obvious ones. How to diagnose? the easiest way is to pull the ammeter and replace it with a shunt (piece of wire). If the headlights work with the shunt and not with the ammeter, the ammeter is bad. (They can be repaired, though.) You can also test the ammeter by itself out of the car. Let me know if you are interested in trying that, and I'll draw up the circuit for you.

What is the build date (should be on the VIN plate on the door jamb) and first 6 digits on the VIN? I cannot find a YB on the 73 wiring diagram. The yellow wire that comes off the link between the alternator and voltage regulator suggests that the car is a 260Z.

Yes, sir.

Hazard Switch ? Brake Light ? Turn Signal Circuit Analysis | Fiddling With Z Cars

The fuse also powers the reverse lights and the AT inhibit switch. (Was your car ever an automatic?) I would suspect the flasher circuit failed first and took the other circuit with it. That really isn't correct. The alternator will only output more current if the system asks for more current. If a particular circuit branching off the fusebox needs only 2 Amps, it won't get more than 2 Amps with a higher capacity alternator. Current is the flow of electrons. Think of the alternator as an electron pump. Now consider a small town that uses 40 gallons per hour (GPH) of water. The water plant pushes out 40 GPH to meet the town's needs. Even if the plant installed a pump capable of 100 GPH, it would still only pump out what the town needs. On the other hand, if you keep adding customers (circuits) to the system without upgrading the mains, the extra demand could cause the mains to fail. The branch circuits would be unlikely to fail in that scenario. Corrosion - at the connections, rivets, crimps, fuse holders, screws, grounds, etc. Corrosion is the atherosclerosis of the electrical system. Except in this case, the disease will manifest itself as heat. That can eventually destroy wires. No, you cannot run wires to the underside of the MSA fusebox. You run the risk of shorting out the circuit under the fusebox. You can remove a small ring of insulation from the wire you want to tap and solder the new circuit wire onto it. Then wrap it in electrical tape or use liberal amounts of liquid electrical tape. The problem is that you need to know the current that is flowing through the circuit and the current draw of the new circuit. Will the total current be greater than the ampacity of the wire? See page 14 of this document. Keep in mind that the fuses in the car are designed to protect the wiring, not the components. At 20A, the fuses don't allow much room for error on many of those circuits. It tempts me to re-look at my own fuseboxes and consider 10A or 15A fuses for the circuits that currently have 20A fuses. (15A would be better, but I have to see if they come in the proper class for the old glass fuses.) LED lighting doesn't create much of a current demand, but just be careful in your execution.

I'll post a diatribe on wiring later.

Let's consider some of the economics of the new Z car. What parts bin does Nissan plan on raiding? What platform might they use? Will the compromises be worth it? My memory goes back to some of Carl Beck's rants about the 350Z - Too heavy, too high on the beltline (I think he said that.), too expensive, etc. It's difficult to make a cheap, fast, safe car. If Nissan adds in overboard styling to the compromises they must make for affordability, I know I wouldn't ever be in line for the car.

I'm glad you enjoyed it. You never know what's going to show up. While a few hundred of us are regulars, there are some people who bring random selections from their collections. The funny part about seeing the Bugatti at the August show was that the two Lambos parked next to it were pretty much ignored by the crowd. That's not something you see happen very often.

We had a great showing for S30s today. There were an even dozen at the event. The weather was good, and the place was packed. Imagine a car show on Sunday morning where the show is almost full by 7 AM. Caffeine and Octane ? September 2013 Edition: Good Day, Sunshine | Steve's CARtography

All I can say is that I hope the artists are very wrong on what the new Z might look like.

Google

It is in the manual. Read it and ask for clarification on what you do not understand. It will help prevent you getting advice from the wrong person, not that the two previous responses were in error.

Take your pick on threads: Google

Here is some info for you: Is engine braking harmful? - Motor Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Stack Exchange

The condenser ratings have been posted somewhere on the board. It's not like they are critical components. Are you having noise issues on your stereo? You should probably contact Mallory to see if you can skip the ballast resistor and run a higher resistance coil.

According to the FSM, there is no ballast resistor. Does the Mallory need to have the ballast resistor in the circuit for starting, or are you supposed to bypass the ballast resistor? The reason I ask is that all S30s with a stock ballast have two circuits coming off the ignition switch going to the ignition circuit. In start you bypass the ballast, and in run, you go through the ballast.

You might want to talk to the guys at Z Therapy about what can be done to improve high altitude performance. What temperature thermostat are you running?

1. Did you remove the ballast resistor? 2. At what times are you getting the lower voltage at the coil? Just at starting? While running? 3. How old is your battery? 4. Check your battery voltage while the car is starting and while it is running. Does the battery voltage dip at start? How much?

Engine braking uses the engine's compression stroke to slow you down. Try it some time on a much more gradual slope. Are your fuel lines insulated well? You may have been experiencing some vapor lock, though it's funny that the car would start and then experience vapor lock. If it was the altitude, tuning the carburetors wouldn't help. They would need to be re-jetted. Also, you would probably have experienced sluggish performance on the way up. As far as checking your gas, some time when you get down to a gallon or two, drain the gas via the bottom plug and see what comes out. Unless you have had the tank boiled and sealed, you might be surprised at what you get out.

I'm curious, is your car an automatic? If not, why didn't you let engine compression slow you down? Also, for it to die while running and then restart later might indicate junk in the gas tank.

As stated earlier, Rockauto has a Centric Power Brake Booster.

The fuses are not perfectly sealed. They can develop corrosion inside. Also, I have seen fuses heat up enough without blowing that the connection between the fuse material and the end cap failed.

While fuses can degrade, it's also wise to check for a short. Pull the fuse and disconnect the headlight from the engine wiring harness. Use an ohmmeter to measure from the inside post of the fuse holder to ground. It should show an open line between those two points. If so, replace the fuse and go, and while you're at it, replace the other fuses, too. They are probably just as old.