Eagle Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 My brother has a problem. 1997 Nissan pickup, 4-cylinder engine (I think that's all they offered that year, not sure). He has a plow on it, and it's winter here in New England. He discovered the first or second storm he plowed that when he puts any load on the electrical system (like: lights + plow hoist + blinker lights required by law) the alternator stops charging. He has replaced the alternator three times now, with no difference. In fact, he said the problem (whatever it is) seems to be getting worse. Used to be, during the day with no lights on the alternator would charge and maintain the battery, but at night the headlights would make it trip out after about 10 or 15 minutes. He drove the truck to meet a friend for breakfast this morning, and he said after about ten miles (NO lights) the alternator stopped charging. Anybody got any tips or insider info on what might be going on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 How powerful is the alternator? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89mjpioneer Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 I work at a nissan dealer. I can ask on monday if anyone has some idea. I think they offed a 6 cylinder in that year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted February 22, 2009 Author Share Posted February 22, 2009 How powerful is the alternator? Dunno, Pete ... but it should work in daylight, with no accessories operating. When it stops charging, it isn't permanently dead. If he recharges the battery, the next time he drives the truck it shows charging (normal operation) for awhile, and then it'll suddenly decide it's had enough for one day and quit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLHTAZ Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 Strange that you bring this up. Our YJ has been doing pretty much the same thing and I have had the alternator tested twice to be good, I have replaced the battery with a brand new Optima Yellow Top, ran all of the tests recommended in the manual and I am now thinking that the PCM needs to be replaced as it (the PCM) is the voltage regulator and the "check engine" light stays on all the time. Don't know if the Nissan's voltage is regulated through the PCM, but that may be something to look in to :dunno: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phenryiv1 Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 Chances are, the motor is a KA24. Check all of the grounds, as they had a tendancy to degrade. Adding a new ground from the battery negative to the chasis and grounding the alternator may help. While you are at it, adding a fusable link with 4 ga or better to assist in flow from the battery to the alternator always promotes good current transfer. On a truck of that age (and that of MJs as well), the grounds don't tend to work as well as they used to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89mjpioneer Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 Talked to a guy at work and he said sometimes if the warning light for the charging system burns out it stops charging. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted February 25, 2009 Author Share Posted February 25, 2009 Talked to a guy at work and he said sometimes if the warning light for the charging system burns out it stops charging. Weird! I'll pass it along and see if that helps. Thanks. [EDIT]Passed it along. He said the idiot light works when he turns the key on, so it isn't burned out. Got any other suggestions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyComanche Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 Does the alternator have an external voltage regulator? Depending on the style, they can be a little spotty. Or they can be afflicted by what lots of newer vehicles (dodges, jeeps, etc) have, where the ECM has the regulator built into it. Then, when it goes bad (and it will) you need to either change the ECM or add an external regulator off something else. Given the vintage, I wouldn't suspect that. On aircraft, at least the few piston powered aircraft that I've worked on, it seemed the voltage regulator liked to die long before the alternator had problems. If you 4x4, typically the mud destroys the alternator, by fowling the brushes... If you don't, they'll last a bloody long time, thus moving the failure point elsewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtdesigns Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 I had a s-10 that wouldnt charge the battery if the cluster wasnt hooked up.. took me a bit to figure that one out.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89mjpioneer Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 Have him check the regulator. I'm not shure where its located. I know the older sentras are under the dash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BJA814 Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 On the positive battery terminal there is a set of 5 or so wires with a plug. Make sure they are all making connection. One of the wires "excites" the altenator which creates the field around the widinings to start charging...blah blah blah. On our Nissan farm truck, none of the electronics would work and the alt. wouldn't charge unless the truck was revved to 3 grand. Some altenators are "excited" by rpms (older diesels have a charge light for this reason) The positive wire just ensures that the alt is charging if the truck never makes it to 3k rpm. The truck would act fine once the alt. began charging. Could be something similar in your case. Hope that was helpful haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeepdoggydogB Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 My brother has a problem. 1997 Nissan pickup, 4-cylinder engine (I think that's all they offered that year, not sure). He has a plow on it, and it's winter here in New England. He discovered the first or second storm he plowed that when he puts any load on the electrical system (like: lights + plow hoist + blinker lights required by law) the alternator stops charging. He has replaced the alternator three times now, with no difference. In fact, he said the problem (whatever it is) seems to be getting worse. Used to be, during the day with no lights on the alternator would charge and maintain the battery, but at night the headlights would make it trip out after about 10 or 15 minutes. He drove the truck to meet a friend for breakfast this morning, and he said after about ten miles (NO lights) the alternator stopped charging. Anybody got any tips or insider info on what might be going on? I am no Nissan Guru by any stretch of the imagination but my family has owned Nissan dealerhsips since the seventies, and I have never heard of electrical gremlins specifically for the hardbody D21 line. In 1997 if I recall the truck only came with the 2.4L 4. Has your brother actually had the alternator(s) tested to verify they are defective? If they are becoming defective could it be the plow? Maybe he could disconnect the plow from the electrical system and see if the charge holds? It could be that a higher AMP alternator might be needed to run the plow accessory. :dunno: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted February 26, 2009 Author Share Posted February 26, 2009 I am no Nissan Guru by any stretch of the imagination but my family has owned Nissan dealerhsips since the seventies, and I have never heard of electrical gremlins specifically for the hardbody D21 line. In 1997 if I recall the truck only came with the 2.4L 4. Has your brother actually had the alternator(s) tested to verify they are defective? If they are becoming defective could it be the plow? Maybe he could disconnect the plow from the electrical system and see if the charge holds? It could be that a higher AMP alternator might be needed to run the plow accessory. :dunno: He's on the third alternator, and they ALL bench test as good. And it isn't specific to the plow. Running the plow causes the problem to kick in sooner, but it also happens if he just drives around in daylight with no lights and no accessories running. He said it operates normally for about 15 ot 20 minutes, then just ... stops charging. Got any idea where the regulator is for that year and model? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
90eliminator Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 Just a guess, but being a New Yorker, check the battery and engine grounds, And also check them back into the cable some, I had an XJ that a bad ground, except it was bad about three inches back into under the sheath..... Just an idea....never hurts good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeepdoggydogB Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 I am no Nissan Guru by any stretch of the imagination but my family has owned Nissan dealerhsips since the seventies, and I have never heard of electrical gremlins specifically for the hardbody D21 line. In 1997 if I recall the truck only came with the 2.4L 4. Has your brother actually had the alternator(s) tested to verify they are defective? If they are becoming defective could it be the plow? Maybe he could disconnect the plow from the electrical system and see if the charge holds? It could be that a higher AMP alternator might be needed to run the plow accessory. :dunno: He's on the third alternator, and they ALL bench test as good. And it isn't specific to the plow. Running the plow causes the problem to kick in sooner, but it also happens if he just drives around in daylight with no lights and no accessories running. He said it operates normally for about 15 ot 20 minutes, then just ... stops charging. Got any idea where the regulator is for that year and model? My brother is a Nissan parts guy I will email him tonight and ask. :typing: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeepdoggydogB Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 I am no Nissan Guru by any stretch of the imagination but my family has owned Nissan dealerhsips since the seventies, and I have never heard of electrical gremlins specifically for the hardbody D21 line. In 1997 if I recall the truck only came with the 2.4L 4. Has your brother actually had the alternator(s) tested to verify they are defective? If they are becoming defective could it be the plow? Maybe he could disconnect the plow from the electrical system and see if the charge holds? It could be that a higher AMP alternator might be needed to run the plow accessory. :dunno: He's on the third alternator, and they ALL bench test as good. And it isn't specific to the plow. Running the plow causes the problem to kick in sooner, but it also happens if he just drives around in daylight with no lights and no accessories running. He said it operates normally for about 15 ot 20 minutes, then just ... stops charging. Got any idea where the regulator is for that year and model? My brother is a Nissan parts guy I will email him tonight and ask. :typing:Eagle,According to my brother the voltage regulator is integrated with the alternator, I wonder if a higher amp alternator might be needed to support the accessories? I forwarded this to my brother to ask some techs for opinions, so far I get the usual check the fan belt, check the pulleys ETC. I will wait for some more insight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted February 26, 2009 Author Share Posted February 26, 2009 Yeah, we confirmed that the regulator is built-in. L'il bro said he drove it for 40 minutes today (about 50 degrees and sunny) and it kept on charging. As a test, when he got near home he turned on the headlights. He stopped for a traffic light and it stopped charging. He tried running in a lower gear to keep the RPMs over 3500 and he said that didn't bring it back. Any other suggestions will be appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now