charging system issues...

[SAMI]

so last night i noticed that about 2500rpm+ my volts were all teh way to the top at 18+... and when it did that my dash lights for 'battery', and 'parking brake' came on... then when i dropped below 2500rpm, they'd go off and the volts would go down to around 14 i guess... then i drove around for 10 minutes or so later in the evening and had no problems, everything was normal...

then this morning my battery was toast, no juice at all.. i assume from the cold... so i put it on a charger and it's running now, but started pumping lots of volts and turning on thsoe dash lights again....

what does it all mean batman?

fyi, i did put in an alternator that has had new brushes installed. i tested it at autozone and they said it was good to go. not sure if this is part of the problem, just thought i'd tell what's been done with the charging system in the last few days.

-Jason

 

[SAMI]

i don't want my battery to explode... something wrong witht the alternator? voltage regulator? fuse somewhere? eh? eh?

 

[waynehartwig]

Put a volt meter on the battery first, make sure it really is over charging. If so, replace the regulator (I think you have an external reg on the fender?).

If it's not overcharging, it could be the regulator in your cluster going funky.

 

[toomeymd]

hmm, thats funny, my brake light has been on for a few weeks now, and my battery is dead occasionally, including this morning...and my brakes and fluid level are fine...is the brake light in a sami used as a warning light for other things too?

 

[53 willys]

I bet the battery's got a dead cell, and your alternator is putting out ton's of volt to try and bring it back. Have you load tested the battery?

 

[waynehartwig]

I bet the battery's got a dead cell, and your alternator is putting out ton's of volt to try and bring it back. Have you load tested the battery?

Good point....

 

[SAMI]

I bet the battery's got a dead cell, and your alternator is putting out ton's of volt to try and bring it back. Have you load tested the battery?

i was going to drive it to autozone to have them test it... but i can't get it start at the moment.. so i'm gonna steal a car and go find a battery to replace it with..

i hope it's the battery and not the alternator.. i've been out in this weather for two nights wrenching on just that, and i'm done... i can handle a new battery, not another alternator...

 

[waynehartwig]

i was going to drive it to autozone to have them test it... but i can't get it start at the moment.. so i'm gonna steal a car and go find a battery to replace it with..

i hope it's the battery and not the alternator.. i've been out in this weather for two nights wrenching on just that, and i'm done... i can handle a new battery, not another alternator...

So you've been missing with the alternator already? Didn't tell us that before! Go back and make sure all your connections are correct and tight. Make sure if it had a ground to the 'nator before, it still has one now.

 

[wrnchplr]

is this a sami or a yoda? In the yoda the lights are a warning that the altornator is pooping. how ever it sounds like a issue with the batt. as well. in mine they both went out and I was having the same issue. the yoda is internal regulated.

 

[SAMI]

So you've been missing with the alternator already? Didn't tell us that before! Go back and make sure all your connections are correct and tight. Make sure if it had a ground to the 'nator before, it still has one now.

check the FYI at the bottom of the first post..

 

[toyotajunk2]

My Yoda did the same thing awhile back. Even after I bought and installed a new alternator. I ended up having to take the alternator back and get a new one, because they gave me a bad one. Also because of the alternator being bad it fried my battery, So I had to get a new one of those.
I would bet it is your alternator and now it has fried your battery as well.

 

[SAMI]

see i took it to autozone and they said it was good... so that's really gonna piss me off if the alt is bad, and fried my battery..

 

[78mitsu]

that's not something there test set will check, there should be a rectifier bridge and a zeener diode that prevents the voltage from going over 14.24 volts. if the diode goes bad, it will let the alternator charge at whatever and since the output of the alternator is based on RPM you probabbly need a new alternator. -> or voltage regulator if its external. I know for 16V systems you have to tear apart the alternator and replace the diode.

 

[toys4rocks]

Jason, if you need to replace the alternator. Bring it down to Lehi on saturday and you can use my garage with a wood burning stove. 15 minutes and the inside of the garage is shorts and t-shirt weather.

 

[waynehartwig]

check the FYI at the bottom of the first post..

NOW I see it...

 

[toyotajunk2]

Voltage regulators on Toyotas are internal. You either rebuild the alternator or buy a new one. Sucks!

 

[SAMI]

that's not something there test set will check, there should be a rectifier bridge and a zeener diode that prevents the voltage from going over 14.24 volts. if the diode goes bad, it will let the alternator charge at whatever and since the output of the alternator is based on RPM you probabbly need a new alternator. -> or voltage regulator if its external. I know for 16V systems you have to tear apart the alternator and replace the diode.

Voltage regulators on Toyotas are internal. You either rebuild the alternator or buy a new one. Sucks!

Yeah it's internal... i think i'm gonna have to retap my old alternator adn run it.. as far as i know there's nothing wrong with it other than that... i'll keep you posted..

Jason, if you need to replace the alternator. Bring it down to Lehi on saturday and you can use my garage with a wood burning stove. 15 minutes and the inside of the garage is shorts and t-shirt weather.

i love RME....:redneck:

-Jason

 

[toys4rocks]

Yeah it's internal... i think i'm gonna have to retap my old alternator adn run it.. as far as i know there's nothing wrong with it other than that... i'll keep you posted..




i love RME....:redneck:

-Jason

I will be home all day, just let me know. Weather.com is predicting 29 degrees for a high!! You can bring your tools or use mine.

 

[monobeam94]

You gonna make it to work tomorrow? It was kinda nice having the shop to myself today.

 

[gijohn40]

hmm, thats funny, my brake light has been on for a few weeks now, and my battery is dead occasionally, including this morning...and my brakes and fluid level are fine...is the brake light in a sami used as a warning light for other things too?

one of the reasons that your brake idiot lite will stay on is if the brake differential switch is not centered... this is a valve that monitors the front and back brakes so that if one side looses fluid the valve will go to one side and stay there turning on your lite... sometimes if you loose just alittle bit of fluid and pour some back in it will come on and stay on until you let some out of the other side... so you might look at bleading your brakes and see if it turns your lite off...

Hope this all makes sense to someone other then me...