# How To - Replace Voltage Regulator for $1.59



## Spitrod (Sep 22, 2008)

This is my first pictorial how-to. Since Dashboard Voltage Regulator
problems and the ridiculous price the dealership wants for replacements
are a common themes on this forum, I decided to tackle it. B12 style.

I purchased an 8 Volt regulator from Radio Shack for $1.59. Yes, 
one dollar and fifty nine cents. I've paid a chunk of change for them
before and have heard of dealerships asking anywhere from $40.00 to
almost $100.00 for replacements. This is just insane, in my opinion.

Although I'm somewhat mechanically inclined, ANYONE can do this.
My fiancee' who doesn't like anything that resembles this kind of work
totally got it. I tested her and she even set up the wires correctly before
soldering. Easy.

The Regulator HAS TO BE THE CORRECT VOLTAGE for the unit. Thanks
to SonicGundam for answering my question about that before I went
ahead with the how-to.

Again, if you can take your cluster out and remove the regulator,
you can do this. Easy, easy, easy...


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## sonicgundam (Aug 15, 2007)

good job dude!

note to anyone, if you're replacing a regulator, find out it's voltage, then take a picture of it. go to an electronics store, and buy the correct regulator. the dealer, and the parts stores will screw you royally for this.


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## Spitrod (Sep 22, 2008)

Thanks, dude.

It seems someone posts about that every week.

I actually came here for the first time looking for information
on why my gas and temp gauge weren't working. No one
should have to buy that part from Nissan for that kind of 
money.

If there were more of us, I'd say we should protest in front
of a dealer with pitchforks and torches. Old school style.


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## sonicgundam (Aug 15, 2007)

haha all dealers are like that man. it's just how it is.


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## Spitrod (Sep 22, 2008)

Totally, man. That NOS Nissan site based in Oklahoma is awesome.
Just wish they had more body parts and stuff for the Sport
Coupes. Even the really old dealer prices next to the parts are
comical. Expensive even these days..and they were probably 
priced in '89.

On second thought, maybe the entire industry needs to be 
chased up into the mountains with pitchforks and torches.
I'd watch that on YouTube.


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## goofes7 (Feb 10, 2010)

:woowoo: Spitrod.... awesome man... I did this for my father-in-laws car and it works great..... the dealer wanted 40$ for the whole meter and said he did not have the part alone, I got it done for like 0.5$ and used the Old part's Aluminium casing as the heat sink . If any one wants to know it is an 8V 1A regulator. I used the ST L7808CV TO-220

Here is a data sheet if you can't find this to select another http://www.datasheetcatalog.org/datasheet/stmicroelectronics/2143.pdf


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## fairlanephantom (Feb 3, 2010)

I'll consider this next time mine needs to be done, did it last about four years ago. Have you considered using heatshrink? Electrical tape is just hard to work with when wrapping it around anything that small.


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## Spitrod (Sep 22, 2008)

goofes7 said:


> :woowoo: Spitrod.... awesome man... I did this for my father-in-laws car and it works great..... the dealer wanted 40$ for the whole meter and said he did not have the part alone, I got it done for like 0.5$ and used the Old part's Aluminium casing as the heat sink . If any one wants to know it is an 8V 1A regulator. I used the ST L7808CV TO-220
> 
> Here is a data sheet if you can't find this to select another http://www.datasheetcatalog.org/datasheet/stmicroelectronics/2143.pdf


Thanks, man. The 8 volt 1a regulator is getting harder to find around here. I just ordered a bunch of them online. 25, to be exact. I think 25 will last the life of the car. Hah.



> fairlanephantom I'll consider this next time mine needs to be done, did it last about four years ago. Have you considered using heatshrink? Electrical tape is just hard to work with when wrapping it around anything that small.


Yes. Absolutely. When I did this, It was the first time I had done anything that had to do with electronics in a long time. I used to fix guitar pedals here and there. Now that I've graduated to chipping ECUs, my soldering skills are back up to standard. The next time I have to do this, it'll look pro.

The electrical tape was kind of a hack job. Probably because I was lazy and it was 7 degrees out when I did this last winter.


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## fairlanephantom (Feb 3, 2010)

There's a component store near me, they probably have it for cheaper. I go there for all my caps and resistors for projects. Jameco.com is also a good online site for parts that offers discounts on large orders. 


Winter is a terrible time to work on any part of a car with out a heated garage. I did my head gasket last Winter in single and negative numbers. The garage door didn't shut all the way, so the tiny space heater I was using did nothing unless I got right in front of it. Was also when I added an iPod input to my stock radio, but at least I was able to take the radio out and bring it in the house. 

Thanks for figuring this project out, they're cheap enough to keep a few on hand.


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## mal high (Feb 27, 2010)

*Hardbody dash v/regulator - dashpot.....*

Guys,

Great thread........same MO on my HB....temp/fuel DOA....got it all out safely, BUT no markings on the mysterious silver power 'giver'....so, I can't figure out how many volts/amps this thing pulls to make one according to Spit's excellent tutorial.........maybe SonicGundam will send me the right way too on power specifics.

ok, here ya go.....91 SE-V6 Hardbody 4wd...total analog gauge pkg. The volt/reg. has no stampings, only says 1226 in blk. marker on top of the part. Mine too has one each, blue, yellow and ground wires. Anybody check continuity before replacement? Should I look for any certain readings? Haynes manual from my dearly departed 300ZX offered not much insight. thanks much, great forum guys....glad to be a piece/part.........

mal.


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## DougFir6 (Oct 2, 2011)

*Dashboard Voltage Regulator*

The 8v regulator is not avalable through Radio Shack. They have a variable one but you would need to build it in to a board with other part to adjust the voltage from 12v to 8v. I did check at jameco.com and they have them for 19 cents. A close out price but you have to order a minum of 10 and then another $5 because the order was under $10. UPS shipping was $7.90. For a total of $14.80. I did get a heat shrink tube from my local NAPA store for about $3 with tax. The dealer said the part is still avaliable but would need to come from back east. The price about $53 so I saved about $35.
My soldering was a total hack job but I followed the directions and have been running the car for a week and so far so good.


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## ahardb0dy (Nov 9, 2003)

There are actually 3 different regulators that were used in the B12 sentra, you have pics of two of them, here is what the third one looks like:










this is the type my 90 sentra had stock, the one above and the smooth silver type are the 2 I have seen on tach clusters:










close up:










I replaced my stock regulator with a replacement think I got from Mouser, someone on the forum gave me the part number, do not remember it but it only cost me like 59 cents. It also did not fix the problem but I swapped in a tach cluster anyway so it doesn't matter, fuel gauge still reads 1/4 low so must be a sending unit problem.


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