93 D21 not charging

[D21forever]

Got left on the side of the road with no warning....called father in law to jump me off, went to battery shop. Tech says the battery has 5 volts and he can't test it, recommended alternator shop down the street. Alternator guy says it's not putting out and says he can rebuild for 117 dollars if I pull it and bring it to him.
Truck was still running, decided I'd better scoot home. Didn't make it, father in law came out again and charged me for about 15 minutes, which got me home.
I charged the battery all day to 100%. Cranked fine, voltage is 12.8 volts. I'm satisfied the battery is ok.
Now, my question....how do I know if it's the alternator not putting out or the voltage regulator (if there is an external regulator)? On Rock Auto, the regulator is MORE than the alternator. I don't even see anything that looks like the regulator on Rock Auto. I don't have a Haynes manual or similar for this truck.

[dvdswan]

Regulator is internal to the alt.

download the 94 HB FSM here https://www.nicoclub.com/nissan-service-manuals

for 93 engine specific you could use the pathfinder FSM

[Deerhurst]

The Haynes for the D21 is barely useful as firestarter. The Chilton's is much better.





For $120 the one guy wanted I'd just drop in a new alternator and be done with it.

[XoXSciFiGuy]

Your rig is 34 years old. Drop a new alternator in it (not a China rebuilt and get one that comes with the new pigtail already attached) then stuff a real good battery in there with new cables.

Problem solved. Head to the high country in confidence. I did a lot of that when I still owned the truck shown below. Then I bought a travel trailer and had to do the Xterra to haul it.

But there isn't a day that goes by I don't miss that truck. It never let me down, not once, not ever. But sometimes you have to do 'the stuff' on it to make sure you get to where you are going...and BACK.



Later, I had to settle for the Xterra. The wife wanted comforts and was tired of the tent thing. (*laughs*)



Drop the bucks on your rig. Gas prices being what they are today, (the Xterra is a gas hog sometimes) it's a good investment in your gas-sipping D21. Mine was getting 28MPG when I sold it. Which is why I still miss it every day.

[D21forever]

Great responses from all, thanks!
RockAuto has ACDELCO 60 amp reman for $93.79 after core charge. They also have ACDELCO new 60 amp for $112.89. Any thoughts?
https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/...generator,2412

[alabama_lowlife]

New. Always new on starters and alternators

[XoXSciFiGuy]

New for that price is a steal. Many of the rebuilt units on the alternators and starters for Nissan hardbodies are coming from China, and that whole deal is a laugh a minute.

A friend of mine once managed an Advance Auto Parts store in Auburn, WA. He is now the district manager. On the Nissan truck alt and starter situation and the rebuilt units done in China, he told me this:

"These Chinese companies are buying up every core they can get their hands on. Then they ship them to China, do a quick fix on them, tag them rebuilt, and ship them back to the US for resale. We were doing constant returns on them because they put a worthless 'lifetime warranty' on them, but they don't care if you exchange one out because they already have your money."

"I finally got sick of people coming in for exchanges on these things, and started recommending they go new, or get one that wasn't rebuilt in China. Those things were making more trips back and forth across the Pacific Ocean than the damn 7th Fleet..."

Yeah. Get a new one. Better if it has the new pigtail wiring already attached.