B4Runner

When I'm in my truck, the radio is always on.

Whenever I turn on my headlights, it always causes the stereo's sound to blank for an instant. That is normal and has never been a major concern to me.

Friday at 2pm when I start my truck and take off the e-brake, the batter light stays on and so does the e-brake light. There is no way to get either to go away.

I've been outside working for a while trying to figure out the problem. I decided to take out the 7.5 amp fuse under the hood for the charging system. When the fuse is removed, the battery light goes away and the e-brake light works as it should, only coming on when the e-brake is on and going off when the brake is released.

So I put the fuse, (yes it's good,) back where it belongs. The problems are back. But my radio now blanks whenever anything is used. Mind you, it used to only do it with the headlights. If I touch the brake, the radio blanks for an instant. If I turn on the blinker, it blanks for an instant.

It seems like everything is trying to share less power. So if that's the case, do you think my alternator all of a sudden decided to kick the bucket? If that is so, then the battery light being on makes sense. But why does that trigger the e-brake light to act up too?

I don't have the tools here at home to test my charging system myself. How long do you think the battery can last without getting a charge? It's a typical Die Hard battery. (I'd tell you the the CCA, but the writing has rubbed off the label.) The battery is relatively new. I'd say it's not more than 18 months old. Could the battery be bad?

Thanks guys for all your help. This problem is really bugging me.

B4Runner

3" piece of wire is between main wire to fuse box and terminal. It's also 2 gauges smaller than it should be. The wire is corroded at the batter. This would make very bad voltage drop before the power even gets to the fuse box.





Help, comments, advice?

Thanks!

B4Runner

None of this helped.

I soldered on a new, clean, thicker gauge wire to the fuse box wire above. It made no difference.

I noticed that there is a really bad ground on my engine that connects to the top of the driver's side wheel well. On the engine, there's about 1.5" of unnecessarily exposed wire. All that exposed wire and the connection itself is COMPLETELY greased over and all through the wire. I'm not sure what this would render.

rustypigeon

A battery light and a brake light means a bad alternator. Your brushes are probably worn out. You can get new brushes from the dealer cheap. They are easy to replace by taking the rear cover off the alternator.

B4Runner

The brake light also means that? I mean, I know that's what the batter light means. That's why the batter light is there, obviously. Doesn't make sense that the e-brake also lights up to assist the battery light with it's job that only means one thing.

If that's the case, what do you guys think about me taking the brushes out and trying to clean them. What Rusty said above makes sense and I've been wondering it on my own. I can see that they are absolutely FILTHY dirty. Just from looking at them through the holes, it looks like there is a thin layer of cob web all throughout. So what do you think? Can cleaning them possibly do the job?

myyota

You can`t clean the brushes, if your alternator is original then there shot, just replace them with new ones and your problem should be solved.

Magnusian

Another vote for bad alternator brushes. I had this problem, it went away when I had the alt rebuilt and my brushes were super worn. I also replaced some house wire going from the battery to the fuse box with the proper stuff.

iselloil

Check the harness in the frame.Mine had a wire worn thru and grounding on the frame above the axel on the passenger side..

yayfortrees

x2 on the alternator (brushes). Give your battery a full, slow charge. When you go to pickup the brushes, go ahead and take the battery and have it load tested, even though it's relatively new. It should be fine, but just make sure before installing the new brushes.

And if you don't do that, at least make sure the battery is fully charged before firing it up with the new brushes.

If that doesn't fix the radio cutting out problem, I would consider re-installing the wiring on it. That is NOT normal, so it's either tied into the wrong circuit, or has a bad ground, or both.

B4Runner

Well, the truck is deciding to give me a break again. It has now started fine THREE times in a row with absolutely no problem whatsoever.

suncomb1

If you have a charge light relay circuit check it. There is a diode circuit involved. Check your voltage regulator and particularly the wiring to the charge light relay. The small wire you removed and replaced with a larger one was most likely a FUSE LINK; it is there for electrical safety.

B4Runner

I'll check everything if the problem comes back, I don't want to jinks myself. "Don't fix it if it ain't broke." Well, it's not broken atm, so no need to fix it. (Knock on wood.) The fuse link you speak of was simply a crimped on wire of smaller gauge to allow the wire to reach the battery.

B4Runner

I took the rear cover off the alternator. 3 bolts and had to remove the black plastic thing that holds the main wire on. Still stuck. Any advice? I'll get some pix if needed.

rustypigeon

That should be it, 3 nuts and the terminal insulator need to come off. I am not sure what your cover is stuck on.

B4Runner

Haha, my bad. I meant that I am still stuck on what to do.

Here is a pic of where I am at so far. What do I do next? I have to experience with these. I just rebuilt a Delcotron, but I had to take that whole thing apart.

Magnusian

Pull off the orange bit, and then undo the screws holding the brush holder underneath in place, it should come right off.

B4Runner

Thank you! I've gotten that far now. But I'm stuck again!

How do I get the brushes out? I can't even grip them well enough to pull them out with pliers. And then when it's time, how to i connect the new ones. Looks as if they are soldered on all the way in the bottom of the brush holder.

c0ugar69

the new brushes probably come in a new holder so you just screw the new one on. If that was the fusable link I would get that put back on.

B4Runner

nope, all thats in the box are 2 new springs and 2 new brushes

Hadmatt54

The brushes are soldered and they are generally silver soldered. Which means without access to acetylene you're not going to get the old ones free. However what will work is to cut the copper leads off of the original brushes just back of the brush and install the new brushes in the holder against the armature complete with springs, route the leads where they would normally go, over lap the new leads and old leads by about 3/8 inch (in preparation of a lap solder joint) and cut off the excess of each lead. Disassemble everything thoroughly clean the leads where they overlap and solder them with an electrical (Rosen core) solder and a propane torch or an old style (type that you heat with a torch) soldering iron. Unless you have one that has a high wattage, most electric soldering guns will not give you enough heat to do a good solder joint.