laniadude Posted November 3, 2011 Report Share Posted November 3, 2011 About 5 days ago, i went out to my truck to warm it up before heading to work. I had the heater on and the parking lights as well. then about 5 mins later i got in and put it in reverse. As soon as I pulled the light switch all the way out to turn the headlights on, everything shut off. the engine, the lights, everything. I ended up taking the wifes car to work. anyway i got home and traced it down to the fusible link failing. I replace it with a slighlty smaller gage wire. But now the charge light is slightly lit (dim) and when i checked the voltage at the battery to see if its still charging the battery and the meter read 16.57 volts. I know that is way too high for charging in this system. But i dont know what is causing it. I have a small amp and a player with just 6X9's but it was working totally fine before the incident. now the amp seems like it has a mind of its own.. turning on and off when it feels like... so I just leave the player off... voltage regulator bad? how do i test it? Quote Link to comment
metalmonkey47 Posted November 3, 2011 Report Share Posted November 3, 2011 Voltage regulator. Testing it is a no brainer. You've already done it. 16V at idle is WAY too much. Replace before driving or you'll ruin your battery. Quote Link to comment
laniadude Posted November 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 3, 2011 Wow... that was actually my first thought.... I just wanted to be sure.... thanks Quote Link to comment
metalmonkey47 Posted November 3, 2011 Report Share Posted November 3, 2011 Wow... that was actually my first thought.... I just wanted to be sure.... thanks If you want to triple check, run by your local autozone and have them do a 'system test' on it. While your there, pick up a new voltage regulator. I think they were $20-30? DON'T BUY TRUGRADE brand if you do buy from Autozone. They are garbage. Quote Link to comment
laniadude Posted November 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 3, 2011 well, i was looking at autozone and they were about 90 bucks... napa was 98 bucks... i would love to pay $20-$30 for one.. rock auto has them for $15-$60.. Quote Link to comment
brodster Posted November 3, 2011 Report Share Posted November 3, 2011 Yup sounds like the voltage regulator. Good call. My guess on the amp is that it has some type of overvoltage protection and that you are probably right at the threshold of tripping it. Also that fusible probably burned out in response to the increased voltage and current. Quote Link to comment
Laecaon Posted November 3, 2011 Report Share Posted November 3, 2011 Good time to upgrade to a KA alt? Quote Link to comment
elmerfudpucker Posted November 3, 2011 Report Share Posted November 3, 2011 I got a 720 alt you can have if you want to get the upper bold out of it, snapped the head off... :huh: Still charges tho! Quote Link to comment
laniadude Posted November 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 3, 2011 I'll take it.... I had my share of extracting broken bolts from parts while learning to fix them... Quote Link to comment
banzai510(hainz) Posted November 3, 2011 Report Share Posted November 3, 2011 If you get the newer alternator make sure to make the jumpers at the old external volt reg. Or get a volt reg. as you say you have a 74 620 (external volt reg) Unless its been already converted I have had external volt regs pop after engine swaps by not haveing the batt cables tight Quote Link to comment
laniadude Posted November 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 3, 2011 Cool I didn't even think about jumpers for the old reg. I'll do some searching in the forum for a how-to on the jumpers.... unless you can save me time and tell me if there isn't a how-to on here.... :) Quote Link to comment
banzai510(hainz) Posted November 3, 2011 Report Share Posted November 3, 2011 Well get the correct alternator first. Or know what you have a IR type then do the conversion. or just buy a VR from carquest for 20-30 dollars as the newer alternator might be bigger and then you have other proplems. Quote Link to comment
metalmonkey47 Posted November 4, 2011 Report Share Posted November 4, 2011 well, i was looking at autozone and they were about 90 bucks... napa was 98 bucks... i would love to pay $20-$30 for one.. rock auto has them for $15-$60.. Whattttt? No way! I just checked the other day. Your region must have some insane managers. If need be, I can phone order one @ my store and ship it to you at my cost. Honestly, It would probably just make sense to go to an IR alternator. You can get a later Z car alternator @ 60 amps for around $60. Bolts straight onto the mounts. Quote Link to comment
laniadude Posted November 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2011 So a later z car as in like a 88-89? Quote Link to comment
metalmonkey47 Posted November 4, 2011 Report Share Posted November 4, 2011 So a later z car as in like a 88-89? Later "Datsun" Z car. S130's AZ P/N is 14303 Quote Link to comment
laniadude Posted November 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2011 Awesome.... I'll check that out Quote Link to comment
banzai510(hainz) Posted November 4, 2011 Report Share Posted November 4, 2011 LIke I said before its alot bigger and could hit the idler arm depending on the type of alternator mount you have. remember the later 620 even with the L20 uswd a 35amp alternator. SIZE there is a way to do it but to lazy to look it all up.try the electrical section I cheated and ground down the end of my idler arm nut. I have a l16 with a 50 amper so I hade to drill out the alternator mount to 3/8 as they use a smaller bolt. used a big thru 3/8 bolt. remember the jumpers Quote Link to comment
INDY510 Posted November 4, 2011 Report Share Posted November 4, 2011 . I swapped in a Internally Regulated Alt. a few weeks ago ..... . and now everything works fine..... road trip.... headlights everything ... except the battery goes dead over-night if I leave it hooked up ..... :huh: The slow drain on the battery goes away if I un-plug the "T-plug" from the alternator ... . wht/red stripe to "chg light" ... and solid white to the fuse box Quote Link to comment
banzai510(hainz) Posted November 5, 2011 Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 Indy Battery is draining for a reason. Put a test light on inbetween the battery and batt cable and disconnect stuff so you can find where its comming from till the light goes out. you unplug the choke relay? Is this a 72 or 73 that had a auto choke? then its the relay unplug it unpluggin is half ass, instead of swapping wheels find this proplem first. Quote Link to comment
laniadude Posted November 7, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2011 OK... so I completed the napz alt swap... a 35.5 inch belt was the perfect length allowing a lot of clearance for future adjustments... my amp stays on now (I really thought it had a mind of it's own)... and I spliced the wires behind the stock regulator so it looks factory... thanks to everyone that helped Especially Elmer for the NAPZ alt..... Quote Link to comment
elmerfudpucker Posted November 7, 2011 Report Share Posted November 7, 2011 Especially Elmer for the NAPZ alt..... NP bro! Quote Link to comment
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