Anyone built a instrument voltage regulator before?

[Spades]

Well, my instrument voltage regulator on the back of my fuel and temp gauges is toast. At first it wouldnt supply more than 6 volts, so the gauges read low, after a thorough cleaning, it now will not drop the voltage from 12 volts.

 

Several ratsun members have offered to sell me one, but they all flaked out. I was thinking about it anyway, and not sure that I want to spend money to gamble on a 40 year old electrical part anyway.

 

I have been reading and supposedly the regulator should be putting out something between 7.5 and 8.5 volts. I know that Radioshack offers a adjustable regulator called a lm317t, and you use resistors to set the outgoing voltage, but unfortunately I have forgotten what I knew years ago about reading circuit diagrams, and I cannot figure out how to put one together.

 

I figured I would ask if anyone knew how to build a regulator before I re-learn how to read a circuit diagram. I would like to learn, but right now may not be the best time, I am working lots, and between work and family, I don't have much time, and I need to get my car going in a week.

 

Any help would be great!

 

p.s. this is the part i was talking about: LM317T

[ggzilla]

I doubt if anyone has done this. You can buy a new VR from Nissan, so most don't bother.

[Spades]

I doubt if anyone has done this. You can buy a new VR from Nissan, so most don't bother.

 

 

uh, no...no you cant. The metal box regulators for other years/models is available...however, as I mentioned, mine is the one that has a temp gauge and fuel gauge attached to the circuit board with the regulator on it.

 

So, that would be why I am asking if anyone at least knows what components I need, even if they haven't built one themselves.

[ggzilla]

Yes, you can fit the newer kind, just wire it up.

Or make your own.

Or buy a new old stock 510 regulator. They show up from time to time.

[Spades]

Yes, you can fit the newer kind, just wire it up.

Or make your own.

Or buy a new old stock 510 regulator. They show up from time to time.

 

i would have to rip the box apart to get the guts out of it, and they seem to be allot more expensive than parts from radioshack, so if I screw it up trying to open it I lose money.

 

and like i said in the original post, everyone that offered to sell me one wont answer PM's or Emails, so that's why I was hoping someone would know what resistors were needed to build one.

[mklotz70]

I thought I had heard of someone doing this before. http://www.reuk.co.uk/Zener-Diode-Voltage-Regulator.htm Maybe they just talked about doing it. If they did, it might be easy enough to do a search for zener on here and see if anything pops up.

[Dguy210]

What is the power draw on those gauges? The LM317T is good for about 1 amp.

 

 

Here is the simplest version:

 

http://www.reuk.co.uk/Using-The-LM317T-To-Regulate-Voltage.htm

 

The more complex version of the circuit you need can be found here:

 

http://apowersupply.com/desktop-power-supply-circuit-34.html

 

Or you could buy a car adapter like this:

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140429717472&rvr_id=131877544434&crlp=1_263602_263622&UA=%3F*F%3F&GUID=c1da531a12a0a0a9e8e38683ff90cf1d&itemid=140429717472&ff4=263602_263622

[ic237]

You can just buy a new one. Its a solid piece.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270595310031&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK%3AMESELX%3AIT