bryand2 Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 hey guys i live in northern california, just got my 76 280 out of the shop after having $6400 worth of suspension work done, i wont mention the shop, but i was told i had a new alternator installed because when i took it in i had a voltage drop, got it back and i still have a voltage drop and i question wether the atlernator was even changed. he told me the car had the wrong alternator installed that it was out of a 78. where is the voltage regulator located on the 75-77's, and any help on the blinker issue would help, already checked fuses Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhm Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 If I recall correctly, the 280Z voltage regulator is mounted on the engine bay relay bracket, just forward of the battery. It should have a 6-prong plug connecting it to the wiring harness. You can take your alternator into many auto parts stores (e.g. Autozone, Pep Boys, etc) for FREE bench testing. I'd try this first if you think you're having alternator problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iceman Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 (edited) A quick way to do a basic test on an alternator is to get out your volt meter and check the voltage with the car running, and the car off. Running, it should be about 13.5V, even if you have lights, radio, etc on. If not 13.5V, your alternator is very likely to be the problem, but if it is 13.5V there is still a possibility that it's not putting out the AMPS, and should be bench tested. Engine off, you should be right around 12V. This will give you a starting point. If the alternator is no good, go yell at the shop. If the regulator is no good then go get yourself a new alternator from your favorite parts store from a late 80's Chevy that is internally regulated, wire it up, and call it a day. (There's probably other Makes that work, but I use the Chevy alternators because the mounting holes seem to line up more often than not with any cars that I have retrofitted). Edited August 20, 2009 by Iceman bad grammar :-P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daeron Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 A 1976 car should not have an alternator from a 1978 car installed, unless it has had other modifications done. The '78 was internally regulated, and the '76 was externally regulated. Were you saying that the shop discovered you had previously been running with a '78 alternator, and they replaced it with the proper one, or are you saying they installed an alternator from a '78 into your car? This can be done, but it does require a minimal wiring bypass to remove the old, external voltage regulator. If this is NOT done, all KINDS of wackiness can happen..... Your turn signal issues are secondary to this. You need to determine what was done by this shop; it is entirely possible that when they said "we put the one from the 78 in" they meant that the whole conversion was done. Sometimes "new" rebuilt alternators are simply bad; the shop could have gotten a defective rebuild and installed it and it died in short order. It isn't your fault, or their fault, but rather the fault of the MBAs who decided to move the remanufacturing plant to some country where labor standards are so low they can squeeze an extra .002 cents out of every rebuilt unit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bryand2 Posted September 3, 2009 Author Share Posted September 3, 2009 no no, he said he put the correct one in, there was a 78 alternator in it when i bought it, or so he told me, he said he replaced the alternator with the correct one, but there is still a voltage drop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trippintl0 Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 When you say, "i had a voltage drop," what do you mean? Do you mean voltage reading at battery was too low? Do you mean there is a measurable voltage drop from Alternator output to Battery positive? Are you saying that you measure 13.9v at Battery, but only 13.2v from your cigarette lighter? Please get specific. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WizardBlack Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 Read this: http://atlanticz.ca/zclub/techtips/alternatorswap/index.html Go through it and see what you have, now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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