AlansZ

My battery keeps on going flat, and the auto electricians couldn't find out what was wrong. They say the alarm is draining it, while the alarms guys say it is not. The larms guys thought it was my alternator was slipping, so they tightened it, which helped a bit (not going flat as quickly). It still go's flat. Now its a new battery that the autoelectricians put in, and the RAA said the alternator was charging properly, so I guess I have to check the system for a drain, which leads to few questions: I have a voltmeter, so how do I check that the battery is holding charge? Where do I use the voltmeter to check individual circutis to find out where the drain is coming from? Thanks in advance.

Alan, Australia

Zpeed

get a new regulator... my regulator blew up, on a road trip, made the road trip not that fun
how long does it take to go down... if the regulator is blown will take 1-2days...

<font color=blue>76 260z</font color=blue>
The NiteRider

AlansZ

maybe 2-3-4 days, where is the regulator, and how much are they?

Alan, Australia

Zpeed

well on my 260z the regulator is to the right of the brake fluids (under the black covering) if looking at the engine bay from the drivers side (australian car)

i think on 240z's, they are underneath the engine bay light area, check ur haynes manual for that...

well cost, i'm not sure i got one from a friend, i think they are like $10 -$20 or so.. not completely sure

<font color=blue>76 260z</font color=blue>
The NiteRider

AlansZ

I read in a four by four magazine if you start your engine, leave it running, then remove the battery cable. If the engine still runs, then the problem is not in the regulator or altenator- should I try this?

Alan, Australia

Zpeed

not sure about that, worth a try maybe...

u can check to see if the regulator is working with the multimeter, the voltmeter in the car should read 14, if the regulator is gone, the voltmeter would be reading aroound 9-10,

just saying from my experiance.. sounds like the regulator, as i got my alternator redone, even bought a new battery and did a few other things, before i relisd it was the regulator...

if you can grab a regulator see if its that, if its not then just keep it for a spare..

best is to test with the multimeter,

<font color=blue>76 260z</font color=blue>
The NiteRider

Ben

Hey Alan,

I would expect your 240 to run fine without the battery connected, & should stall if the lights are turned on. However if the battery & alternator test fine, then the problem lies elsewhere.

You can test all the original circuits by running an ammeter in place of the fuse. Make sure everything is turned off first & then remove each fuse in turn & test.

If the drain is large enough, you should see arcing across the fuse when you remove it.

I found on my '73 that the alternator was chaging fine (14V with the engine running) but the battery was only getting ~12.5V. This was a problem with the factory ammeter causing a voltage drop. You can also try disconnecting the alarm (in a secure location of course!) & seeing what happens.

Ben
Adelaide
Sth Australia
IZCC#1902
240Z L31ETT
L28ET MR30 Skyline
FJ20DET DR30 Skyline RS-X

AlansZ

Okay, so if there is a drain in the accesories fuse, then thats where I should look? How should I test the factory ammeter. Thanks for the replies guys

Alan, Australia