Yosemite Stars

Hello - 86 22RE - Electrical help PLEASE??? The charge & brake lights are ON, then OFF, then blinking, fluttering off & on OR on for awhile then off for hours/awhile. When my charge & brakes lights are on the ALT isn't working. The lights go off & all seems well.
This is after burning up another ALT & installing current one.
While charge light was on, the battery was going from 11.9 to 12.0 rapidly switching back & forth. I put in new harness. My mechanic seems stuck & frazzled. THANKS for any help & much appreciated.

notanymore

im not really good at this stuff but your sure that all of your wires are good and connected good? all of my electrical problems have just been simple wiring like grounds and main wires

DudeBud

what kind of alternators are you using?

tombothetominator

mine did this when the alternator brushes needed replaced. It played this game for about 2 weeks before one day when driving home, tapping the brakes caused the engine to die. Replaced the brushes and all was good again. Less than 20 bucks for the brushes from the dealer, and all of 30 min to install them.

Edit: guess i should read the whole post before responding. I'm a moron.

CJM

Battery is bad, alternator is not powerfull enough or the reman'd ones they usually install is junk.

Yosemite Stars

Thanks - the mechanic will recheck wiring today - insisting that since he went through 2 alternators (1st Napa 2nd Carquest) it must be in wires.
This is amazing to me that yours did a flashing/intermittent thing also, which also happened one hour before original 5 yr. old one did.
Could you give me more in the flashing details to convince my mechanic to switch the ALT again. Guess I'm looking for a pattern :-) THANKS!!

tombothetominator

Well there wasn't much a pattern to the flashing. Generally when i would start up the truck both lights would be on, then a minute or two later they would go off. Then throughout the drive to work (45 min) they would randomly come on and go off. I figured that it was the alternator going out, so i went out to buy brushes. On my way home i turned on my turn signal, and the radio died. Then a few blocks from home i hit my brakes, and the engine stalled (kinda freaky). Got a jump, finished driving home and replaced the brushes. Haven't had a problem since.

Big question would be: did the original alternator really need to be replaced, or did it just need new brushes?? Personally, i try to stick with OEM stuff as much as is financially possible.

Yosemite Stars

Thanks - It wasn't the OEM ALT. yet it was in there 5 years. The mechanic just picked it up to recheck wiring & I told him I wanted him to swap the ALT which he insists should be good... I'll share your experience
HAVE A GREAT WEEK

wjhart3

try puttin new brushes in alt-costs 17 bucks at dealers and usually fixes the problem

tombothetominator

Keep us updated.

ToyotaGuru

Had 3 trucks that did the same thing and the Hoppy Trailer Connector
fryed and the dash lights would flash when I hit the brakes.

If you have a trailer wiring harness try unplugging it.

rdlsz24

Sounds like your alternator still to me.

Rob

BeaterToyota

Last year my 18 year old factory alternator crapped out during the East Coast 4Runner Jamboree. Charge/Brake lights came on. We pulled the alt in the campground and replaced the brushes, but I noticed that the shaft that the brushes ride on was severely worn. It worked okay for the rest of the weekend. A couple weeks later it died again. The shaft was just too worn for the brushes to make good contact. So, to answer your question, brushes can usually fix it, but not always.

Yosemite Stars

Hmmm - The mechanic wiggled oodles of wires & the lights have not come on now for 100 miles. I guess now it's a waiting game until that little wire slips back into a SHORT & the lights come back on to be tested again. This means stick close to mechanics during a great summer - Bummer!
Thanks guys for your insights & help!!