ferrariowner123 Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 Hey guys, I'll just start out with a little back story. I've got a 77 280Z,relatively stock apart from previous owners stuff, 240Z euro bumpers, some weird intake and MAF, and some deleted stuff (IACV, EVAP,etc) and I'm having some, what I think is a charging issues. I tried to take the Z on a little road trip awhile ago, and made it about half way before the car seemed to run out of juice and started back firing and no power, so I thought it was the voltage regulator, so I put the car on a charger for about 6 hours, got my new regulator, and had the alternator tested (checks out fine, but it is a crap orielly's alt), but I got to where I needed to go after fixing it, but was still skeptical and rightly so. Coming home, the car did the same thing again. I got the car jumped and "charged" the battery with the jumping car, to try and keep going. Drove it to an autozone to have the battery tested, they said it didn't have enough voltage to test, so we bought a fresh battery and made it home. That was a few weeks ago, fast forward to this week and with the starter dead on my pathfinder (my main driver) dead, I tried driving the Z, it appears that the battery slowly died the more I drove it, and repeated the same symptoms as my initial road trip, the back firing and lack of power. I jumped it again, and made it home, but I'm sick of this issue. I want to get this car more reliable again, so I think I'm going to do the ZX upgrade and lose that external regulator but what of this other issue. Is it just a matter of me tracking down a bad wire and cleaning up some of the crap that's on their or is this a different problem? Thanks for any help and suggestions. -Kyle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewZed Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 Measure voltage, engine stopped and engine running. Or look at the voltmeter in the dash, same scenario. Look at the charge light in the voltmeter. Does it light when the key is On, then turn off when the engine starts? Those are some basic diagnostic tools for a charging problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bowl of seeds Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 I'm having the same problem with my 75 280z. The harness was messed with by the previous owner and it has a 240sx alternator 90amp alt. in it but doesn't charge. I have a feeling the main positive wires are shorting somewhere I have my harness pulled to check the wiring, have you had any luck with yours? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZGhost623 Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Dealing with the exact same issue as of last night. Noticed my charge on my gauge in the car reads zero. Measured at the alternator and it was dead. I also have the internal regulator with the fusible links gone. Looks like the 40amp fuse blew as well. So whatever happened on that alternator was bad... Im replacing everything tonight, but I am 90% tempted to rip the wiring out and make sure its all good still in that bundle as well... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewZed Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 When you do the typical conversion wiring, there are two hot wires left over. One is hot all the time, connected to battery positive, the other is hot when the key is On (maybe Accessory too). If you're just focused on connecting the wires that make the charging system work, you might leave those dangling. Two possible short circuits waiting to happen. I never figured out if they're fused or not, I just insulated the ends. Something to look at. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZGhost623 Posted August 3, 2014 Share Posted August 3, 2014 When you do the typical conversion wiring, there are two hot wires left over. One is hot all the time, connected to battery positive, the other is hot when the key is On (maybe Accessory too). If you're just focused on connecting the wires that make the charging system work, you might leave those dangling. Two possible short circuits waiting to happen. I never figured out if they're fused or not, I just insulated the ends. Something to look at. It is fused coming from the alternator. Hooked up new alternator as voltage reg tested bad in old one. Soon as I made the connection with the fuse back in, fuse blew instantly (ignition off). Pulled the wiring harness apart, and it was fused from the 6gauge hot wire on the alternator into 3 seperate wires going into the car. I assume one is for the volt gauge, cant figure out what the other goto yet. Im assuming one of these wires is the problem ... Ill need to back track to figure out where it goes. But for now, Im just going to bypass everything, with the hot wire right from the alternator into the maxfuse setup. Also, so your saying that the other 3 white wires with the red stripe arent needed if the EFI harness is gone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewZed Posted August 4, 2014 Share Posted August 4, 2014 The extra wires are from the external regulator plug. The big green IG wire for sure, and one of the others, I can't remember what all of the letters mean, if I ever knew them. Maybe the white wire. The only wire you really need from the harness is the L wire. The others can all be run directly from the alternator. Your car probably has the brake warning lamp check relay to cause you problems. It's connected to the yellow wire and will drain your battery if you use the atlanticz write-up, because the relay will be powered all the time. I had to rewire mine to the fuel pump power circuit. I still have my EFI and fusible links, all intact and working. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
konradlip Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 Im also having similar issue. My alternator is not charging in my l28et swapped 280z. Im wondering if its because of the fact that all my gauges are disconnected? Does the alternator need some kind of signal wire to start working?. The car start id I jump it but the voltage starts dropping and I shut it off around 7 volts. I dont have the external VR its been jumped by the previous owner and im wondering if he connected the wrong blue wire. can someone tell me what color wires are suppose to be jumped? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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