1. This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Learn More.

Alternator Trouble! need help!

Discussion in 'Diagnosis/Help' started by cannon, Feb 20, 2009.

  1. cannon

    cannon Guest

    i just realised that my alternator isn't charging the battery properly, i get the battery light after about 1 hour of driving and about 30 minutes if i use my headlights, that is after my battery with a charger on overnight. I have done new grounds and used a thicker guage wire than stock, i was wondering if there is any way to check the brushes on the regulator on these things because i cant find them, they may be inside the unit, where on my old car it was able to be unscrewed straight off the side. i got quoted for a brand new alternator and it was 550!! there was no way i was paying this much so i jsut went to the wreckers and picked up one for $65 out of some smashed st162. now, i want to make sure that the brushes are pretty new inside it, also besides using a thicker ground wire, is there anything else i should do or can do to make sure this is going to keep my battery fully charged? It was fine about 1 year ago, but due to my car sitting in my garage since then because i just got my licence back, it seemed to have stopped working for some reason. I am just about to start putting the new alternator in and i would like it if someone could give me some pointers that will ensure it will be 100% My car wouldnt start last night after about a 2 hour drive, and i had to use my jumper pack to start it up again, i had to keep the revs up all the way home to stop it from dying, every time i let it idle it sounded like it would just want to die, but when i charge the battery, it idles perfectly!!! Thanks in advance.. Nathan!
     
  2. XR Pilot

    XR Pilot Well-Known Member

    If it was me, I'd throw the second hand alternator on, grab a multimeter and measure the voltage on the battery with it the engine running. If you get 13.8-14v or so at idle then your cheering, don't worry about replacing the brushes.
     
  3. sr5punk

    sr5punk Well-Known Member

    my god why so much for the alternator? you go straight to toyota or what? :shock:
     
  4. sr5punk

    sr5punk Well-Known Member

    shit son i could buy you a brand new toyota oem alternator and ship it to you for probably around $300aus. you might get it in a month or 3, but goddamn thats outrageous. is it coming from japan and made of gold?
     
  5. XR Pilot

    XR Pilot Well-Known Member

    I'm guessing that was a price from Toyota, we pay a lot more for new Toyota parts than you guys, judging from sites like 1sttoyota. And usually most sellers overseas either won't ship internationally or charge ridiculous shipping prices, like 100-150USD which makes it too expensive now that our dollar value is weaker again :(
     
  6. cannon

    cannon Guest

    kk well i pulled the old one out just then and put the new one in, i found that in the old one it had some crap inside it! it looked like a bug or something and looked like there was a broken peice of plastic in there too around where the windings are, well it just started raining as i was doing it so i came back inside. all i need to do is hook the wires up and tighten the belt and then i can test it. got some pics here too coming in about 10 mins
     
  7. cannon

    cannon Guest

    LOL

    [​IMG]


    if you look at where the red arrow is, the peice of broken plastic sort of looked like it was a plastic washer or something, as the outside of it was a perfect curve.. but it is a bit hard to see from the pic


    Nah, that price was from repco, im not sure what toyota sell them for because i didn't bother, i knew they would have charged around $350-$400 maybe more. here is comparison a pic of the new one and old one :

    [​IMG]

    well its not technically new, but it is new to my car. lol. i just hope it works...will find out later
     
  8. cannon

    cannon Guest

    ok just took it for a test, IT STILL DOESNT WORK!!!
    i jump started it on a battery that was pretty much flat, and it was idling perfectly and i didnt have the battery light on anymore so i thought that was a good sign so i let it adle for about 3 or 4 minutes then took it for a drive, it was going good for about 5 minutes of driving with the lights and air con, but then, my battery light came on! i went straight home again, parked it out the front, it idled for about 1 more minute and then died, wouldnt start again, battery is dead again. please help! the second alternator i dont think solved my issue at all!
     
  9. cannon

    cannon Guest

    it seems like its getting to a certain temerature and then stop charging? has anyone heard of this before?
     
  10. cannon

    cannon Guest

    just checked continuity between the casing of alternator and battery negative, also between the positive on alternator and positive on battery, no resistance at all.

    while the engine is running, i am going to check the voltage with my multimeter at the alternator and also at the battery. but i have to wait until this jump start pack is fully charged again.

    does anyone have any ideas why this is happening?

    i am pretty sure the battery is good, because when i put it on charge, the car drives fine for around 2 hours then if i dont keep the revs up the motor just shuts off
     
  11. cannon

    cannon Guest

    i am only getting 12v from the new alternator while it is running now, is it possible that i damaged the new one by putting too much load on it maybe because the battery was fully dead? :mad: i wish that i had of charged the battery first! off to get another alternator i suppose.....

    is the voltage regulator for this alternator inside the thing or external? this sux, the only time i can get to the wreckers is afterbusiness hours which in that case it will be shut or on a saturday, so catching the bus to work for another week until next saturday
     
  12. XR Pilot

    XR Pilot Well-Known Member

    Sounds more like a wiring issue to me. You may have blown a charge fuse or one of the fusible links near the battery. Either that or you got unlucky and got another dead alt.
     
  13. cannon

    cannon Guest

    well before a got the new alt. i got a reading from alt. of 12v cause it been sitting there for a year just got registration...then i swapped a new alt. from wreckers and at idle i got 14v didn't see the battery light anymore!... then i took for drive... 5-10 mins later, got battery light showing on dash!... then went straight home... wouldnt start after that. think i damaged the new alt...........
     
  14. Rick89GTS

    Rick89GTS Well-Known Member Moderator Donated!

    Could be that your battery is weak and not holding the charge. A lot of shops do free battery and alternator checks, I'd get 'em both checked out again.
     
  15. cannon

    cannon Guest

    yeah, well im gettting a new alt today hopefully while im at work my girlfriend will source me one from the wreckers again... but this 2nd alt that is in there now is definately broken somehow, as when its spinning at 4,000 revs its still putting out only 12v. maybe i will get a brand new battery at the same time, or at least, make sure my old battery is fully charged before i start it up. ill see how it goes. hopefully the new alt doesnt fuck up on me again
     
  16. Stig

    Stig ST162 Guru Donated!

    Let me guess...
    You never drained & charged the battery while it was standing?
    Lead acid batteries start dying the minute we stop using them, your battery is now f/d and it will continue to kill alternator regulators until you change it. It's overheating the alternator and killing it.

    DO NOT connect your new alt/regulator if the battery is reading less than 12.1V, with the alternator working the voltage should be 14V. If not, check fuses first and don't run it till you find the fault. Disconnect the alternator wires and fire it up, if you get 14V from the pole connector on the alternator to ground, the fault is in the cars wiring or battery. At the same time check for AC voltage, anything over 20VAC will damage your battery and electronics.

    Take the cover off the alternator, you will see a ring containing the brushes and electrics which you can take out. The brushes, regulator and diodes are all easily replaced. Measure between the two copper rings on the alt shaft, you should get a reading or else the windings are stuffed.

    These alternators seem to be very weak, I had a problem where even though everything looked normal, every few weeks the car wouldn't start, only solution was to change the battery or charge it every weekend.
     
  17. cannon

    cannon Guest

    I did keep it charged for the year i had it off the road beleive it or not, i put it on an overnight charge about once per week...i doubt that the battery is bad because it holds charge for about 2 hours of driving after being charged with a stuffed alternator. there was one stage where i had left it for 2 or 3 weeks without charging it and it still started fine. I think i have burnt out the windings on the thing from putting too much load on it because i hadnt of charged it. Well i have another alternator now from the wreckers, and just to be sure, i am buying a new battery anyway just in case to go with it, even though the one in it is only about 15 months old. I will be super pissed off if i get the same crap happening. lol.

    NOTE: the rectifier/diodes are the same thing... a rectifier is made up of 4 diodes joined in a diamond sequence so there is no diodes separate from the rectifier...
     
  18. Stig

    Stig ST162 Guru Donated!

    Part of the problem is your failure to read what is written and follow advice, I (and others) are trying to help but if you can't understand please say so.
     
  19. cannon

    cannon Guest

    I know your trying to help and thanks. i'm just saying and already said the battery if fine also have kept it maintained, plus there is no signs of it being faulty and it is new, and you obviously don't know what a rectifier is if you think it is separate from the diodes so i was just explaining it to you lol, i do understand..just wanted help specific to this model car


    edit..
    got the new alt in and working great!
     
  20. toyotatuner

    toyotatuner Guest

    From stig:

    'DO NOT connect your new alt/regulator if the battery is reading less than 12.1V, with the alternator working the voltage should be 14V. If not, check fuses first and don't run it till you find the fault. Disconnect the alternator wires and fire it up, if you get 14V from the pole connector on the alternator to ground, the fault is in the cars wiring or battery. At the same time check for AC voltage, anything over 20VAC will damage your battery and electronics.'



    What a great test...look forward to trying it out tonight.
     

Share This Page