okidoc

I am looking for help with a very intermittent stumble issue. What happens is when driving the whole electrical system sort of shorts out, for one second and then goes back to normal. Idling, mid range and highway driving it doesn't matter. The engine stumbles, gauges twitch and all goes back to normal.

Is this a symptom of a dying alternator?

All battery terminals are tight and clean, I have an extra ground strap to the engine, everything works great and the truck is running really well, with the exception of the stumble. The alt belt is in good shape and tight.

It is very intermittent could happen today, or a week from now. Absolutely no rhyme or reason or any decrease in performance prior to the less than a second "short". No cel's either.

Thanks

okidoc

Nobody has had this happen to them?

When toy alternators/voltage regulators go bad what are the symptoms? I have good voltage across the terminals.

Anyway thanks for looking.

wardriver

If your alternator is going bad - it will stop producing the voltage/amperage or will discharge your battery when not in use. If you feel it is potentially the culprit Auto Zone or the like type of stores will check it for free. Have them test your battery too while you are there.

Check the 12+ wiring into the main fuse block. You could fire the truck up and wiggle that wire to see if it initiates your condition.

okidoc

Model info in sig.

This only happens radomly, so far I have not had a battery issues. I know sometimes certain issues will warn you about them before they become bigger issues. I was wondering if that was the case witht the toyota alternator. I really feel like it is electric.

I cannot reproduce the stumble from the engine compartment, it just happens randomly. I replaced the pos wire to the fuse block w/ heavier guage wire 2 yrs ago. The stumble is new.

I was hoping someone could say "that happended to me and I fixed it this way." I'm getting ready to go on a road trip with it, I would like to try to fix it before heading out.

I might just bite the bullet and replace the alt anyway. It's been on there for at least five years.

Thanks for the reply.

forerunnin

Did you ever find your problem? Mine is doing the same thing so I was wondering if you found the problem .this seems to be a difficult problem to diagnosis . I can't seem to find any post of a fix. Thanks

Mike

BajaRunner

I'd double check the grounds to make sure there is less than 1 ohm resistance between it and the negative battery terminal.

blake.nemitz

your coil is loose in the bracket, at least on my old 22re when i hit a bump sometimes it would cut out for a sec then back to normal, and it would barely ever happen and drove me nuts until i figured it out.

BajaRunner

Thats crazy! The coil's ground is through the bracket, right?

forerunnin

Well today my yota stalled at a red light nice and quietly. I didn't even know that it did. So I don't believe it has something to do with being loose . Atleast I don't believe so. I could be wrong . Where is be coil you speak of located? Thanks for the fast response .

Mike

blake.nemitz

its on the other end of the plug wire that goes to the middle of your distributor cap. other than that maybe check timing might be a little too retarded i am at a loss other than the coil