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Accesories killing my voltage.


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Thank you Tony, my 280 z does have an AMMETER and not a voltage meter... Is it only the wiring that differs between the 240 - 280, or has someone litterally taking the voltage metter out and put an ammeter in my 1975 280z??

 

If you read Tony's post carefully he says the the 260-280 ammeter is wired differently than the 240 ammeter. The later ammeters have a shunt that keeps the high current out of the passenger compartment. '76 and later Zcars all had voltmeters.

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Thank you Tony, my 280 z does have an AMMETER and not a voltage meter... Is it only the wiring that differs between the 240 - 280, or has someone litterally taking the voltage metter out and put an ammeter in my 1975 280z??

 

The 1975 FSM shows an ammeter in the wiring diagram. So it looks like the 1975 280Z is the only 280Z that came with an ammeter. My 1976 has a voltmeter.

 

For what it's worth, every little connection that I cleaned up on my 35 year old car added a little more speed to the wipers at idle (my best indicator of amps available). The EFI harness connectors at the fusible link, the four fusible links under the covers, the battery posts, etc. they all count. A corroded connection is milliamps wasted in heat, and the milliamps add up.

 

I have also found that an old 1978 alternator that had been sitting unused in a non-running car and weather for ten years, produced more amps at idle than a "new" rebuilt life-time warranty alternator from OReilly Auto.

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Tony,

How many VW's have you seen destroy a transaxle, CV or rear wheel bearings due to a missing ground strap, or Chevy's that fried a shifter cable due to the same?

 

You mentioned a supply and return as positive and negative. Technically electrons flow from negative to positive. So grounds are the supply. It makes no difference in the real world but is good for thought. Click here for Conventional vs electron flow notation.

 

Git-y-up,

If you knew my car was a 280z why even put that post up if it wont have any use to me? Come on man

 

Derek gave you relevant info on how to bypass your ammeter and it's 60 amp limit, and even noted it renders the ammeter useless. It's irrelevant if the high current travels into the cab or not. We still don't know if the problem is a failed component, dirty connections or if you even need to upgrade. I think Tony was pointing out that it's up to you to determine relevance to what you are going to do to fix the problem. I've tried to point out options on upgrades if you choose so, but that might not even be necessary given the info Newzed and Tony posted.

 

Now for a bit of troubleshooting:

I start out testing by first giving the system a good visual inspection. If any corrosion or wiring crustyness is found I clean and then test suspected problem by doing a voltage drop test across the circuit while running. If I don't get a satisfactory result I start repairing and replacing needed circuits as needed.

 

Second I check that I have voltage where it's supposed to be, this means you have to know how the system works to test it.

 

Third I test grounds are "groundy". I do this via a voltage drop test with the system under a load. All grounds should be at 0v regardless of load. If they register more than .5v the ground is not groundy enough.

 

Fourth I do a voltage test of the battery under cranking load to determine if the battery is can supply the current needed while cranking. This is the most demanding test of a battery, and determines if it's serviceable or not.

 

Only after doing those basic tests would I consider replacing expensive components such as battery, starter, alternator. A good volt meter can be had for less than 20 bucks and the above tests on a charging system takes less than 20 minutes.

Edited by rejracer
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Thanks for the quick reply oddman. If i wasnt having this problem with my original Halogen's how are lower power consuming HID lights going to tax my altenator?

 

Good question. Do you know what the wattage or current rating for the new lights is? Have you measured the current draw to see if it is correct? Since you did not have this problem until installing the new lights the lights could be problem. Perhaps they are defective.

 

What was requried to install the light kit? Does it simply plug-in to the original headlamp connectors, or did you have to install additional wiring?

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Running the ground directly to the battery is fine. I did not see a wattage rating on the website you provided. The single 20 amp fuse for the new lights is essentially the same as the two 10 amp fuses in the original Z. As long as the original headlight wires are only used to control the new lights it should be fine in terms of current draw.

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As long as the original headlight wires are only used to control the new lights it should be fine in terms of current draw.

 

That is exactly what has been done. Alternator is comming off and being rebuilt, let you all know how this works out.

Edited by Git-y-up
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Already mentioned but you might want to run a supplemental ground from the engine to the body.

 

This helped me find the weak link in my electrical system back in the early 80s on a mazda RX2 and I now use it on all cars for redundancy.

 

It also helps greatly with the stereo system.

 

You can see it on the supplemental terminal on the marine battery but it can be clamped with the bolt on a normal battery terminal.

 

6113550701_41cdcd801f_b.jpg

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Already mentioned but you might want to run a supplemental ground from the engine to the body.

 

This helped me find the weak link in my electrical system back in the early 80s on a mazda RX2 and I now use it on all cars for redundancy.

 

It also helps greatly with the stereo system.

 

You can see it on the supplemental terminal on the marine battery but it can be clamped with the bolt on a normal battery terminal.

 

6113550701_41cdcd801f_b.jpg

 

Nice idea, I will be doing that. Now its time for an update. Uninstalled the alteranator and was surprised to find it to be a non nissan unit. Mitsubishi AG2050N. Its a 50amp alternator.

 

6159957983_dc72ed0c89.jpg

DSC_0002 by Crashing_Thunder, on Flickr

 

6160496498_4be298fd33.jpg

DSC_0001 by Crashing_Thunder, on Flickr

 

Anyone know what the previous owner might have done when installing this alternator? and where to start looking for changes to the charging system? I am a very visual person and appreciate pictures greatly.

Edited by Git-y-up
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where to start looking for changes to the charging system? I am a very visual person and appreciate pictures greatly.

 

Get copy of the FSM and start comparing the wiring diagram to the wiring on the car. You might be surprised what you find. I know I was when I found BOTH fusible links missing on my 240. :blink:

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Nice idea, I will be doing that. Now its time for an update. Uninstalled the alteranator and was surprised to find it to be a non nissan unit. Mitsubishi AG2050N. Its a 50amp alternator.

 

Anyone know what the previous owner might have done when installing this alternator? and where to start looking for changes to the charging system? I am a very visual person and appreciate pictures greatly.

 

The important difference is the Mistubishi alterntor is an internal regular type. The original alternator is externally regulated. The wiring has likely been modified to make it work. Look for mounting differences as well. The mounting brackets may have been modified. Belt alignment is important for reliable operation and long belt life.

 

The ZX alternator is internally regulated, as are virually all the newer alternaotr designs. Any late model alt. will work with the wiring you already have IF it was modified properly. If you need or want high output get an alternator from a big luxury car. They tend to have big alternators.

 

There is lots of info on alternator upgrades in the forum and at HybridZ. Search around and see what has been done.

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You're Mitsubishi, if it is a 50 amp, is missing 10 amps from the stock alternator. Probably just an amp or two at idle but still short of stock. If everything worked and your only problem was brownout at idle, and you're sure the rewire to internal regulation is right, you could just put a ZX alternator on and be back to stock.

 

Add an extra 100 to 200 engine RPM at idle. It helps if you don't mind losing the cool factor of a low lopy idle.

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