problem on drive home. alternator?

[buster69]

i just replace my battery 2 days ago because it looked old and the starter was churning for more power on start then it just wouldnt even crank.

 

the new battery was great until tonight i was on the freeway driving home and my exhaust started popping and backfiring. then my head lights went out. when i got home i couldnt start the car again. the starter would just barely click and churn with no power.

 

is that a new alternator needed?

[metalmonkey47]

Not necessarily. Probably voltage regulator. It's externally regulated (unless someone's upgraded it to a Z car alternator which isn't likely)

 

Have you looked to see if maybe your fan belt came off? No spinning alternator means no charging. (It's a long shot)

 

 

 

Charge the battery, start the car, and check voltage with your volt meter. (I'm assuming you have one? If not it's a good time to invest.)

[banzai510(hainz)]

buy this. and put in cig light and you can monitor this while driving and catch this before it happens

http://www.equus.com/Product/3721/Battery-Monitor

 

take the alternator to a shop and have it load tested.

 

 

Most likely your alternator stopped charging and your battery slowly drained itself cause you where driving.

 

 

charge your batter also if its new. If you charge the battery overnight the car might rubn again for a little bit then put a volt meter on there as metal monkey said and get soem readings with a volt metetr

 

maybe time to get new batt cables also.

 

 

it could be a volt reg but ck the alternator at a shop first.

 

 

 

 

sell car to me

[The Taterhead]

If you jump start the car to get it running you can then take the positive battery cable off the battery. If it dies it is most likely the alt.

[banzai510(hainz)]

If you jump start the car to get it running you can then take the positive battery cable off the battery. If it dies it is most likely the alt.

 

I have done this also But I dont reccoment doing this esp with new Datsun owners that have linited experince and questionable parts on the car already. Might induce soem breaking even more.

 

a chinese volt meter is cheap!!!!!!!

 

get about 13.5 volts with nothing on then load it up with lights or the heater. if drops to 12 then you know its bad

[The Taterhead]

If you jump start the car to get it running you can then take the positive battery cable off the battery. If it dies it is most likely the alt.

 

I have done this also But I dont reccoment doing this esp with new Datsun owners that have linited experince and questionable parts on the car already. Might induce soem breaking even more.

 

a chinese volt meter is cheap!!!!!!!

 

get about 13.5 volts with nothing on then load it up with lights or the heater. if drops to 12 then you know its bad

 

True. I always do shit the redneck way first. Plus he might have cables but no voltmeter. Imo, a voltmeter is an essential tool but you never know what someone has at their disposal

[datsunaholic]

Pulling the battery cable was a valid check back in the day of GENERATORS. With alternators, it's a really good way to fry the diode trio. With IC voltage regulators (all Internally-regulated alternators use IC chips, and many external regulators do as well) you can easily fry them by pulling the cable.

 

I'm not saying it will ALWAYS fry the alternator or regulator, but it certainly can.

[buster69]

i took off the red battery cable and the car died immediately.

 

the alternator looks relatively new and the voltage regulator too. could it possibly be my fuse box or a wire that got uncrimped?

 

my fuel gas and charge lights went out the other day and i was fiddling with my fusebox and it would come on and off intermittenly when i moved the fusebox around

[datzenmike]

Perhaps time to remove the fuse box and soak overnight in vinegar to remove corrosion. Replace all fuses. They're cheap and you can't trust them simply on looks.

[banzai510(hainz)]

This would have been go to know first.

 

What I do is remove the connectors and put them back on a couple times to clean the contacks.

 

The plastic T connector give the alternator on one of the wires to charge it up so th alternator give a out out put.

I had this happen on my 521. 12volt wasnt going to the alt to charge it. I found th proplem in the dash connection and thus was fixed.

 

Alt looking new dont mean to much to me.

Lot of good looking girls with Herpes also and I seem to keep running in to them

 

do us a favor ck the fuse box. ck the alternaotr athen put a volt meter.

These are pretty simple system. You dont need a GED to figure this out

[rayven14]

_{OMG Hainz, you got me on the floor over here!}

 

_{+1 on what Hainz said}

[buster69]

yeah make fun of the noob. I don't mind. But I took my alt to O rylies and they checked it and said its fine. And also they said it could be my VOLT reg. Which it might be. All this problems started happening after a long ass 300+ mile drive in 105 F degree heat I took to JCCS. I made it home ok, but the next day my fuel temp guages were dead and only coming on randomly. Then my battery died, then my new battery died.

 

i'm gonna solder all the wires tonight that have a loose butt plug connector. since i'm good w/ soldering

[buster69]

oh yeah my car is a true USA 73. so don't B jealous

[buster69]

also i don't mind herpes as long as she is good looking.

[banzai510(hainz)]

I like the Autozone or the Carquest (wells brand )solid state volt regs.

 

Key is when they test a alternator is they load test it. But If you think that good. I guess try a volt reg.

 

Or see if there is 12volt on one of the T connector at the alternator. One shoul have 12volts when Key to ON I beleive.To energize the windings up.

 

all 73s were made in 72 if you look at your door jam.Im not jelous. I took one to the dump already. YOu get the cool map light right?