For some reason the alternator in my 78 280z is going bad. I just replaced it two weeks ago, and the car is doing the same thing it was when it tested bad then. I think it may be the voltage regulator, (which by the way does not look like a new one) or something else draining it but I'm not sure. I had it tested at auto zone today and it is putting out 59 amps of power.

This is what’s happening; when I first start the car in the morning (sometimes it seems like there will not be enough juice), the engine light (break light) comes on and my volt meter reads just after 12. When I give her some gas it goes up to almost 16 and the break light goes off. The last time it did this, eventually the light would stay on and I could not drive at night because she was not producing enough power for the lights. So the next morning I went to auto zone and the alternator test bad in the car, I took it out and it also test bad on the machine. Now here it is almost three weeks since I changed it and it is doing the same thing when I start her up. it only does it in the morning and when I get off work. If I’m out and about stopping and going everything is fine after the first time.

Also, I put a post up months ago about squealing breaks and the feed back was to change rotors, calipers, and get ceramic breaks. I changed the rotors and calipers (they really needed it anyway) but cannot fine ceramic break pads. The point is I still have some squealing, it's not nearly as load now but still there. I have tried semi-metallic’s and organics and the squealing is still there with both.

Ummm I'm assuming you tested the battery right? Check all the grounds and the wires.

For the brakes, have you put the shims back in between the brake piston and the pad? And did you use brake-quiet?

A bit of squeel during the first 5 min's in the morning is common. Is it all the time? Probably a simple bit of silicon brake quiet and re-lube your sliders

As for the alternator, have the new one tested. If you need to replace it, contact a member here named zmanofwashington. His work and work well, so rumor has it. A lot of people who were buying the throw aways from autozone, NAPA, checkered flag, etc went to him, spent a bit extra but everyone seems happy with the results. There are a number of threads about having to return faulty new alternators. But none include Zman's name.

---

I'm concerned with all the rampant sex and nudity on TV but all I can do is sit at home shaking my fist.

You should have no noise at all but,you may get some if the brakes are damp. You DO NOT NEED ceramic brake pads. They are a waste of money on z cars. Before you put new pads in,make sure you have the rotors machined. Use a good set of semi-metalic pads like Wagner,Reybestos or any other brand name but,you do not need ceramics. As for your charging problem,If the alt is good,make sure you clean all battery terminals,replace any bad cables,have battery tested and if you srill have a battery problem,have your starter check for draw when starting. If the starter is drawing to many amps when starting,it will need to be replaced. Also,check clean and adjust rear brakes as well.

Your car has BRAKES. When something goes wrong--it BREAKS. Two entirely different words.

Also if the BRAKES squeal---with volumn---they are LOUD, not load. A load is something you or your car carries.

If you want quiet BRAKES. Check here: www.datsunstore.com. Ask Oliver for the PBR pads. Also ask him for a set of FACTORY shims. Ask for some advice on installation and the proper BRAKE grease.

Installation of most any of the other pads mentioned above will eventually produce squealing in the future with the factory Z calipers.

There are some key issues on brake squeal on these cars. If your rotors are in good shape, then you don't have to worry about them, however it's not a bad idea to de-glaze them and sterilize them with brake clean. I've tried just about every pad known to man on these cars, and there is only one pad that I"ve found to be without squeal. Keep in mind that while some people haven't had a problem with this brand or that brand, I deal with many different customers with many different driving habits, and they usually only deal with their own car. Any squeal out of brakes is unacceptable and is not normal.
You MUST use factory Nissan brake shims, and use a very thin coat of synthetic brake grease on both sides of the shims. Aftermarket shims don't seem to work as good. They are very distinctive in their design.
For pads there is only one brand as I said before. PBR's are what we have used for the last 6 years in the shop, and I have yet to have any kind of a squeal complaint from any customer, or from my wife either. She drives an automatic and they tend to be more prone to brake squeal.
If you can't find the shims or PBR pads locally, we carry the stuff in stock and you can order them on our online store. Just be sure to mention that you use this forum to get a better price. We do have pics of the brake shims on our store as well in case you need to compare what they look like.
One last thing to check on your car is the BCDD. If your BCDD is bad or improperly adjusted you could be fighting the engine while you're breaking and that can cause you to cook the front pads. On the bottom of your throttle body is a single wire coming off. With the engine running, unplug that wire and rev the engine up to about 3K and let go of the throttle. The rpm's should come all the way down to an idle. If it hangs up then your BCDD is either out of adjustment or defective. Repair or replace as needed.
Z man of Washington

---

1978 black pearl show car-retired, I bought it new
1983 zx turbo daily driver, modified, 3rd owner
1970 240 #23 being restored
1970 240 #638 driver
1973 240 roadster being built
about 70+ other z's & zx's
Recent inventory count was 92 all total
www.zspecialties.com
www.datsunstore.com
www.zman@zspecialties.com
1-800-518-5480

See the above.

Yes Beer Magazine the batter was tested, that was the first thing I did. I have checked over the grounds and it appears that one has come loose. I have fixed it and will let you all know if it still happens tomorrow.

Hello again Easyguy, if there is something (shims) that is supposed to be between the pads and pistons there is not, and never has been since I got the car. Is that something I can pick up at Auto Zone? And yes, I did use break quite. I just replaced the rotors and calipers less then a week ago and the squealing started the next day. The squealing is periodic, it does not happen every time I stop and usually starts about 20 min on the road and continuing.

Coolhand, the rotors are new, and when I say new they are gorgeous, lol. I was so very excited when I opened the box. All I could say was WOW. (you should see the old ones. Also when it is rain out (damp) there is no squeal. This is why I say I want the ceramic breaks, because the metallic’s and organics I think are just producing too much dust. Nevertheless, this baffles me because of the new rotor. As far as the starter is concerned, how do I check for draw when starting?

Mishy, see zmanofwashington's post. He is very knowledgeable about z cars, as it's his business. He is a resto-mechanic-parts guy who makes his living on the z's, thus knows his stuff.

He says there should be shims back there. Nissan ones only. Aftermarket don't cut it. I would follow that advice.

---

I'm concerned with all the rampant sex and nudity on TV but all I can do is sit at home shaking my fist.

Thanks Powerglide, I will check it out. In addition, I did notice those errors once I posted. Nevertheless, it’s ok because my point seemed to be made. Lol

Zmanofwashington, I will check the bcdd tomorrow and as far as the pads are concerned I WILL be placing an order this weekend, thanks.

"If your 60 A alternator has 59 amps then your Z must have a short which is doing the draining overnight!" Norm K.

AutoZone...*shudders*

AUTOZONE= Doing the job 5X, but then it koncks out 2 weeks after the warrantee anyway. Norm

Well the problem is still there and now its worse (as far as power goes) when I’m starting her. I had the starter tested and it's fine. The starter is good, the battery is good, and the alternator is good, so this means there is a short right. When I was having battery problems before (some of you may remember) I was told to look for a short and I went all over the car moving carpet and even taking out the seats to track the wiring to check for loose and or touching wires (anything wrong) and when I found something that was questionable, I fixed it. I have no idea where it could be. I am lost. What am I missing?