My temp and fuel gauges are still playing up! what does the regulator look like? (pictures Please) I don't think it is located behind the dash! I think it's in the engine bay? can anyone help.

it looks like this:


The instrument panel voltage regulator is bolted to the inside of this.

I expect you think your dash gauges are playing up because of an unsteady/unregulated 12V from alternator?

The voltage regulator on alternators is either internal or external. The CA18 (and most modern ones) are INTERNAL to the alternator.

The Datsun regulator is pretty much always external, and it's the box with wires coming out that is bolted to the exhaust side strut tower. Right near the water/washer bag.

Our Datsuns have two voltage regulators. The one that you see in the engine bay regulates the output of the alternator & ensures that your electrical system sees a steady [nominal] 13.8 volts.

The other one, called the 'instrument voltage regulator' is located, as ddgonzal has said, behind the instrument cluster. It regulates the voltage that the instruments see & it's less than 12 volts. In fact I remember being told that it's actually 6 volts, but that was heresay, so do NOT take it as a proven fact.

None the less, these things seem to fail in an on/off kind of way. They seem to deliver full system voltage to the instruments, then nothing, then full, then none.

At least, this has been my experience with the two failures that have happened to me over the last 28 years.

thanks guys, dodgeman I have looked behind the dash cluster and can't seen anything! and i don't remember seeing anything when i was putting the car and dash back together! can anyone tell me exactly where it is or what it looks like? I'm lost!

It is inside the cluster gauge. You can only see if by removing the cluster, then dissassebling it.