JCM4x89pu

i'm having some electrical problems with my 89 pickup...
..when i turn the truck on, all of the lights on the instrument panel are lit up (the parking brake light, low batt light, & a/t oil temp light)... my battery is fine, my parking brake is off, and my a/t is not hot.. also, the backlight on all the guages is dimmer than usual... any ideas??

__________________
1989 4x4 v6 pickup
****HUMMER RESCUE VEHICLE****
auto
251,872 miles.
driven hard like a toyota truck should be.
31 x 10.5 bfg at's, well taken care of 3vze, rebuilt Hi-Track IFS, delrin/teflon composite control arm bushings, redesigned 25mm BJ spacers, manual hubs, cat replacement & 2.5" exhaust with flowmaster muffler. Marlin bumpers, e-locker mod, various engine mods. LCE headers, too many custom made mods to list.. she goes anywhere i point her.

89dlx

All your lights coming on when you turn the key on is a "bulb check". If the lights are on when it's running you have a problem.
Dim lights means some of the bulbs are probably burnt out.

JCM4x89pu

yeah... the lights are on when its running.

__________________
1989 4x4 v6 pickup
****HUMMER RESCUE VEHICLE****
auto
251,872 miles.
driven hard like a toyota truck should be.
31 x 10.5 bfg at's, well taken care of 3vze, rebuilt Hi-Track IFS, delrin/teflon composite control arm bushings, redesigned 25mm BJ spacers, manual hubs, cat replacement & 2.5" exhaust with flowmaster muffler. Marlin bumpers, e-locker mod, various engine mods. LCE headers, too many custom made mods to list.. she goes anywhere i point her.

89dlx

bad alternator, happened to me.

Team420

^ x2 bad alt.

__________________
:
93 Runner, 3vze, auto, 4.88 gears, 31" tires, mostly stock, 255k and counting
DD:
94 runner, 3vze, geared 4.56, m/t, 31/10.5/15, only 200k on the clock
Project:
91 p/u, 3vze, m/t, 2" body lift, 4.10 gears, 33's, 219k on the clock.
It's becoming an addiction.

JCM4x89pu

i tested the alternator, and it is well within specs... i can see why the dim backlight would be a symptom of a bad alternator.. but do the parking, at oil temp, and batt lights come on with a bad alternator? i dont understand why it would do that. i think it is a problem with the wiring... not to undermine you guys.. thanks for the help.. i just want all the info i can get before i go replacing things.. any other ideas?

__________________
1989 4x4 v6 pickup
****HUMMER RESCUE VEHICLE****
auto
251,872 miles.
driven hard like a toyota truck should be.
31 x 10.5 bfg at's, well taken care of 3vze, rebuilt Hi-Track IFS, delrin/teflon composite control arm bushings, redesigned 25mm BJ spacers, manual hubs, cat replacement & 2.5" exhaust with flowmaster muffler. Marlin bumpers, e-locker mod, various engine mods. LCE headers, too many custom made mods to list.. she goes anywhere i point her.

JCM4x89pu

the alternator is putting out almost 15 volts at idle... and the lights on the dash only come on intermittently.. then go away.. then come back. and the backlight on the instrument panel is only dimmed when the dash indicator lights come on.

__________________
1989 4x4 v6 pickup
****HUMMER RESCUE VEHICLE****
auto
251,872 miles.
driven hard like a toyota truck should be.
31 x 10.5 bfg at's, well taken care of 3vze, rebuilt Hi-Track IFS, delrin/teflon composite control arm bushings, redesigned 25mm BJ spacers, manual hubs, cat replacement & 2.5" exhaust with flowmaster muffler. Marlin bumpers, e-locker mod, various engine mods. LCE headers, too many custom made mods to list.. she goes anywhere i point her.

89dlx

My alternator was charging also. But something in the alternator is going bad and I did not want to drive around knowing I might get stranded. The lights came on as I was driving down the highway. I parked the truck and changed the alt. the next day. (good thing NAPA is 2 minutes away if you walk).

JCM4x89pu

ok.. so the lights coming on are like a warning for a bad alternator?.. kinda like a check engine light for your charging system? thanks

...ps.. i know my starter has gone bad (not due to a lack of charge.. it cranks fine when i hit it with my lug wrench.. so, solenoid right?).. is there any way that a bad starter can cause the same symptoms?.. if the brushes & contacts are worn also?

__________________
1989 4x4 v6 pickup
****HUMMER RESCUE VEHICLE****
auto
251,872 miles.
driven hard like a toyota truck should be.
31 x 10.5 bfg at's, well taken care of 3vze, rebuilt Hi-Track IFS, delrin/teflon composite control arm bushings, redesigned 25mm BJ spacers, manual hubs, cat replacement & 2.5" exhaust with flowmaster muffler. Marlin bumpers, e-locker mod, various engine mods. LCE headers, too many custom made mods to list.. she goes anywhere i point her.

JCM4x89pu

nevermind... you guys were completely right.. bad alternator.. battery is dead this morning.. now i get to replace my alternator, and starter contacts yaaaay haha thanks for all the help!! anyone want to come fish a starter out of the 3.0??! haha yeah right

__________________
1989 4x4 v6 pickup
****HUMMER RESCUE VEHICLE****
auto
251,872 miles.
driven hard like a toyota truck should be.
31 x 10.5 bfg at's, well taken care of 3vze, rebuilt Hi-Track IFS, delrin/teflon composite control arm bushings, redesigned 25mm BJ spacers, manual hubs, cat replacement & 2.5" exhaust with flowmaster muffler. Marlin bumpers, e-locker mod, various engine mods. LCE headers, too many custom made mods to list.. she goes anywhere i point her.

JCM4x89pu

cool, it took me about 20 minutes to replace the alternator. runs just fine, no more lights, no more dim backlight. THANKS GUYS!!!

i"ll wrestle the starter tomorrow

__________________
1989 4x4 v6 pickup
****HUMMER RESCUE VEHICLE****
auto
251,872 miles.
driven hard like a toyota truck should be.
31 x 10.5 bfg at's, well taken care of 3vze, rebuilt Hi-Track IFS, delrin/teflon composite control arm bushings, redesigned 25mm BJ spacers, manual hubs, cat replacement & 2.5" exhaust with flowmaster muffler. Marlin bumpers, e-locker mod, various engine mods. LCE headers, too many custom made mods to list.. she goes anywhere i point her.