Possible Electrical Problem?

[chaseincats]

Just now, Zed Head said:

That's just a reman.  Premier Gear and Hitachi are not the same company.

Your Oreilly alt should have a lifetime warranty.  Should be in the system under your name if you bought it.

That's a reman?  It says new in the product title, no?

[Zed Head]

You are the perfect customer .

They put a few new parts in, but keep any old ones that pass a test.  You can have old parts that pass but are hours away from dying.

[chaseincats]

Just now, Zed Head said:

You are the perfect customer .

They put a few new parts in, but keep any old ones that pass a test.  You can have old parts that pass but are hours away from dying.

Gah

So there are not any 100% brand new alternators for these then?  Thanks for the tip about oreilly's I just called and it should be at their store by Tuesday.

I've had bad luck with their alternators but lets see how this one goes.  The first didnt fit because they didn't line up the hemispheres so it couldnt bolt in, the second had a bearing whine and i guess this one is overcharging...

[Dave WM]

if the temp and oil both act odd (peak out) check to make sure you have not lost the ground to the case of the gage. It has an internal voltage regulator to deal with voltage swings and it needs the ground to work properly.

[chaseincats]

Just now, Dave WM said:

if the temp and oil both act odd (peak out) check to make sure you have not lost the ground to the case of the gage. It has an internal voltage regulator to deal with voltage swings and it needs the ground to work properly.

The temp gauge didn't peak out, it only scooted up a bit.  If I think about the temp gauge as a clock face where 9pm is cold and 3pm is max hot, the gauge went from 7pm (where it usually sits at op temp) to about 5pm within the span of 15-20 seconds after turning on the cabin fan and headlights.  Does that visualization make sense?

The oil pressure gauge wasn't affected btw.

[Dave WM]

both would peak out if lost the ground.

[chaseincats]

Just now, Dave WM said:

both would peak out if lost the ground.

So all these odd gremlins suddenly appearing can be due to the alt overcharging?

Edited July 28, 2019 by chaseincats

[Patcon]

41 minutes ago, chaseincats said:

So all these odd gremlins suddenly appearing can be due to the alt overcharging?

Possibly and if you have high current, it can fry things like ZedHead pointed out. Like ignition modules

[chaseincats]

5 minutes ago, Patcon said:

Possibly and if you have high current, it can fry things like ZedHead pointed out. Like ignition modules

Why aren't my fusible links blowing if the current is high enough to fry the ignition module?

[Patcon]

12 hours ago, chaseincats said:

Why aren't my fusible links blowing if the current is high enough to fry the ignition module?

I'm no "sparky" but voltage and current are different. You could run 110volts through a module at very low amperage and good things wouldn't happen

[SteveJ]

11 hours ago, Patcon said:

I'm no "sparky" but voltage and current are different. You could run 110volts through a module at very low amperage and good things wouldn't happen

Upper and lower voltage limits are important for some components. For instance, don't run a standard sealed beam headlight at 17 volts. It won't last long, and the fuse won't blow.

[chaseincats]

On 7/27/2019 at 7:29 PM, Zed Head said:

1978 280Z's don't use the ballast.

The 15 volts is concerning since the 1978 cars have an internally regulated alternator.  Should only go up to about 14.3 or so at most.  High voltage can mess up your other electronic parts.

The tach jumping is a sign of a failing ignition module or a failing tach.  Sending out extra sparks, that the tach can see but don't affect the engine.

Probably want to check the alternator first, getting the voltage right might make the other stuff right.  Like Patcon says use a voltmeter at the battery, don't trust the dash gauge.

Unrelated to the alternator - since the '78 doesnt use a ballast, would upgrading to the 280zx distributor not do anything?  The appeal of that upgrade is connecting the distributor directly to the coil right?  Since the '78 does that already, would changing to the ZX distributor be moot, or are there other benefits im overlooking besides bypassing the ignition module for fun?