J30 Electrical Problem

[robmcole]

Ok, here is one for the guru's

I started up my car tonight and these are the symptoms:

1) Emergency brake light stays on (when E-brake not applied)2) Burned out headlight instrument light turns on3) Battery light comes on.

These 3 occur when all the time except when I am at idle.

Once I start to excellerate, the 3 lights come on and the instrument lights get slightly brighter.

At one point my aftermarket JVC Cd player that runs off the existing Bose Amp/speakers would intermitently come on and off at different speakers. It stopped doing this, but the instrument lights (the 3 points above) are still happening.

I am thinking the voltage regulator on the alternator has gone out.. tell me what you think. I got out the service manual to find out how to do that disgnostic thing I have heard about, but I cannot find it anywhere in the service manual. Any help would be appreciated.

This is a 1993 J30

-Rob Birmingham, AL.

[Q451990]

Sounds like a bad alternator to me...

Check the voltage at the battery terminals with a good multimeter... should be about 14VDC.

Heath

[robmcole]

Could you give me a guess as to what a new one will cost.. dealer and autozone prices? I cannot afford a Infiniti one, so whatever aftermarket one you can point me to would be appreciated.

-Rob

[maxnix]

Aftermarket bad and shortlived.

Nissan good and durable.

If you are doing it yourself, take it out first before ordering the unit you want. After you get it out, you probably will not want to be doing it again in a couple of years, so you will decide to order the factory one from Joe at http://www.infinitipartsusa.com .

[robmcole]

Yup, definately a alternator problem (voltage regulator has gone bad). Broke out the multimeter and it turns out 18 volts when reved. The more accessories that are on, the more revs it can take before the lights turn on. It will be parked until monday when I can take it in to get fixed.

Thanks for the help! -Robert Cole 93 J30

[mateo]

I had the same symptoms with my J30 too. It was the alternator as well. Fixed and worry free.