Tice Posted January 16, 2012 Report Share Posted January 16, 2012 My 280Z is making too much power, electronically speaking. My Voltage Gauge can't even tell me how much it's making, it shoots right by 16 when the car is on. I have an Alternator from a 280ZX in it, and I know the Fuzable link (Attatched to Front Left Wheel well in the engine bay) is just a piece of wire (can't recall what gauge)... When I plug my DC-AC converter in the cigarette lighter, it reads an error code, my marker lights dont work because the fuze is destroyed as soon as i flip the switch to turn them on, and I can imagine other things aren't working like they're supposed to due to this... What's going on? Is it just the Fuzable link? Will I have to go back to a 280Z Alternator, instead of the 280ZX? Can I get a Voltage Regulator to put inline to regulate everything before it reaches anything vital? Thanks in advance, guys. Quote Link to comment
Jimmyray73 Posted January 16, 2012 Report Share Posted January 16, 2012 My 280Z is making too much power, electronically speaking. My Voltage Gauge can't even tell me how much it's making, it shoots right by 16 when the car is on. I have an Alternator from a 280ZX in it, and I know the Fuzable link (Attatched to Front Left Wheel well in the engine bay) is just a piece of wire (can't recall what gauge)... When I plug my DC-AC converter in the cigarette lighter, it reads an error code, my marker lights dont work because the fuze is destroyed as soon as i flip the switch to turn them on, and I can imagine other things aren't working like they're supposed to due to this... What's going on? Is it just the Fuzable link? Will I have to go back to a 280Z Alternator, instead of the 280ZX? Can I get a Voltage Regulator to put inline to regulate everything before it reaches anything vital? Thanks in advance, guys. If I remember correctly (from like 1993) the 280ZX alternators had a built in voltage regulator. Mine failed and I was lucky enough to spot the volt-meter on the gauge cluster spike well past the red zone when I gave it the beans coming out of a corner. I ended up having to replace the alternator because I couldn't get that voltage regulator separately. Quote Link to comment
Tice Posted January 16, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2012 Alright, That sounds like it could be my problem. My gauge doesn't spike at all, it is ALWAYS over 16 when the car is on. haha. However, there's very little for my alternator to power in my car. If no one comes up with a better solution, I'll get that swapped pronto Quote Link to comment
Z-train Posted January 16, 2012 Report Share Posted January 16, 2012 Basic electrical theory here:Only draw can pop a fuse.Fix the reg problem and then find your other issue. Quote Link to comment
Tice Posted January 16, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2012 Right, that would explain why the Marker light fuze gets massacred only when I attempt to turn the lights on. so, it is almost deffinatley the Internal Voltage regulator within the alternator? Quote Link to comment
Laecaon Posted January 16, 2012 Report Share Posted January 16, 2012 Take it Autozone and have them test it? Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted January 16, 2012 Report Share Posted January 16, 2012 Internal regulated (IR) alternators were used after '78. Prior to this there will be a regulator on the fender. Using an IR on a system with another regulator is.... bad. Pull the plug off the alternator now or don't use the car. The system can be converted to use the IR alternator by splicing two wires and removing the external regulator from the system.. Quote Link to comment
Tice Posted January 16, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2012 Take it Autozone and have them test it? Touche. I'll get right on that Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted January 16, 2012 Report Share Posted January 16, 2012 Read my post above yours!!! Quote Link to comment
Skib Posted January 16, 2012 Report Share Posted January 16, 2012 Take it Autozone and have them test it? nope. they only test that the alt puts out over 12v. so it will come back as good. your internal regulator is fried. if you converted yours from external to internal (im tired, cant remember what 280z had) make sure do didnt fuck up the wiring on the external regulator delete. I did that on a 510 and it caused my internal regulator to fail then in turn causing it to charge at 18+ (gauge didnt go higher lol) Quote Link to comment
Tice Posted January 16, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2012 The switch was done by Doug @ U.P Garage, Im not sure what he did or how he did it. I didnt even ask him to swap my Alternator, he was working on something electrical and said that the new alternator would be better for the car,a nd didnt charge me for it. So I said cool and have been driving it for a year and half now. Ill check the Fender for the other regulator. Can you post a pic, or PM me a pic, mike, so I know what it is im looking for? Quote Link to comment
Tice Posted January 16, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2012 Read my post above yours!!! Already did, we posted at the same time, didnt see yours till I already posted haha Quote Link to comment
Skib Posted January 16, 2012 Report Share Posted January 16, 2012 So I said cool and have been driving it for a year and half now. if the wiring were fucked up on the swap it would have done it almost right away. just go get a new alt. 1 Quote Link to comment
Tice Posted January 16, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2012 @Skib, Thats what I figured to. I mean, a year and a half of driving, you'd think I would've noticed this a little earlier. Alternators are finniky things. @Mike, Ill check to see if I have an External Reg anyways, mostly out of curiousity. I will post a status report when I get this all fingered out. Thanks for helpin me clear this up, guys Quote Link to comment
ggzilla Posted January 16, 2012 Report Share Posted January 16, 2012 at 17v, the factory service manual warns it could burn out components and damage electrial units. proceed with caution Quote Link to comment
Tice Posted January 16, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2012 at 17v, the factory service manual warns it could burn out components and damage electrial units. proceed with caution Basic knowledge tells me this is probably true, and I've probably already F'd something up... but I havent noticed any noticable changes... yet haha. Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted January 16, 2012 Report Share Posted January 16, 2012 and have been driving it for a year and half now. This wasn't in the first post so forget what I said. If running for a year and a half on 17 volts you would have gone through half a dozen batteries by now. Replace the alt. 1 Quote Link to comment
Tice Posted January 16, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2012 This wasn't in the first post sorry Mike, noob Mistake. I appreciate all of the info though. Someone will probably find it useful in the future Quote Link to comment
metalmonkey47 Posted January 16, 2012 Report Share Posted January 16, 2012 nope. they only test that the alt puts out over 12v. so it will come back as good. your internal regulator is fried. Not necessarily true. IF it's tested on the car, they will look for that (and if they're dumb enough, will tell you 16V is okay...) If it's done off the car on our new Wells tester, we can bolt it in and simulate a running engine @ 1000rpm and will test the regulator, diode, etc. Quote Link to comment
Tice Posted January 16, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2012 If it's done off the car on our new Wells tester, we can bolt it in and simulate a running engine @ 1000rpm and will test the regulator, diode, etc. Thanks for the tip, Might have them test it when I go pick up my replacement to see if getting a new one is nessecary. Quote Link to comment
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