greyheadedguy

Okay, here we go again!!! This 87 "Gem of a truck!" is at it again. My 'Charge' and 'brake' lights are flashing on and off (together) and when they come on I lose my radio. When the lights go out my radio comes back on. I am guessing a poor power tie in for the radio trying to come a part. I am worried that I'll burn up my alternator if I don't get this fixed quickly!

I have a 85 Toyota Factory Service Manual, but not one for the 87. Anyone know how close the electrical schematics are from the 85 to the 87 truck? Otherwise I need access to an 87 electrical schematic to see if I can fix it.

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greyheadedguy

I need to add some information here:
This truck at one point had an alarm system in it. The alarm system has been removed, but I have no clue how well this job was done! Anyone know where I should start looking for where the old kill switch was connected to the truck?

Whoever worked on this truck before me drove it without tightening the crankshaft pulley down. I went to remove the Crankshaft pulley to reuse it and the woodruff key was split in two long ways, the seal surfaces on the pulley are trashed too... I nearly cracked the concrete when my pipe cheater hit it when I tried to brake the bolt loose!

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donomite49

I used a seal saver stainless sleeve that fits over the crank pulley on my 20r to fix grooves where the seal fits on the pulley.
Can't help ya on the electrical issue, my 22r alt and brake dash light flickered before the alternator needed new brushes, simple fix for that.

greyheadedguy

Thanks for the sleeve info.

I know it is not the brushes because bad brushes would not affect the radio. When the lights come on the radio is dead, like power is cut off to the radio...

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wyoming9

iTrader: (1)

Is the radio using the stock harness ??

Maybe just a mess of wires no telling just where it draws power from ??

The radio is the only thing effected ??

Radio on the way out drawing to much current but no circuit protection opens. Radio spliced into the charge light circuit ??

If there is parts of the Alarm who knows where things could be

greyheadedguy

Best I can tell radio is the only thing affected, and no I do not know if the radio is using the factory harness. I need to crawl under the dash again and see. I have not checked to see if the alternator is charging or not. All the connections to the speakers were horrid and I soldered them and sealed them with shrink wrap insulation.

There is a push button switch on the interior panel by the fuse block. Nothing is attached to it. Also there looks to be a LED light below the instrument panel that does nothing at this time. There are a couple switches under the hood, one is activated it looks like when the hood is raised. The other one seems like is near the battery... I have a bunch of cut wires hanging below the radio location and some by the fuse block.

Does anyone know where I can find an electrical schematic for this 1987 Toyota 4X4 Pick up Truck?

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RAD4Runner

PM sent

RAD4Runner

How charging system works and test points are on my build-up thread.

greyheadedguy

Thanks for the diagram.

I am looking at my truck and my 85 manual (working on 87 truck) and I am beginning to wonder if my problem is not a bad ground. Where does my circuit for my radio, turn signals, wipers... ground at? Manual say grounding point "center back panel." Where would I find that? What does that mean?

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greyheadedguy

The power for the radio does come from the factory harness, but cut just before plug. Some of the speaker wires cut to soup, but new wires have been run to all the speakers. I can't find any cut wires.

Have had a bit of rain and wondering if problem is from windshield leaking... Problem started after several days of heavy rain

RAD4Runner

Why look at 85 manual when you have the 1988 one?

Ignore radio circuit and verify that your power (battery to fuse block to ignition switch) and charging circuit are restored to stock, then take voltage measurements to make sure you have power going to various parts.
Then we'll talk.

greyheadedguy

Okay, I have my answers... I had multiple problems.

First one was buying that truck in the first place!!! That "Gem of a Truck!" Anything that was on the truck when I got it was garbage or screwed up by the mechanic who worked on it before I got it. No wonder he sold it!.

2nd The idiot that worked on the truck before me used one of those piece of crap clamp style terminals for the positive post on the battery. I saw it when I installed the engine, but decided I was going to deal with it later since I didn't have the money to do what I was doing in the first place. Because of health problems and finacial problem I never got to replacing it, to bad it cost me $70 today, plus the $8.00 for the parts to fix it right. Only when I gave a guy a jump the other day did I see the piece of crap terminal and remembered it. It was badly corroded by now. I cleaned the wires up best I could, then I soldiered the wires in to a copper/brass end that I bolted down to a marine style brass terminal on the positive post.

Next I tested the alternator, apparently I burned up the regulator. So I pulled the alternator to see if I could put one regulator together out of two. As I am taking the regulator apart I remove the brush holder and one of the brushes is stuck. unable to move. In other words It is barely making contact, this why the charge light came on when it wanted to. Long story short, my frankin-alternator doesn't work I spend $70 on a new alternator.

My problem is solved. Truck runs fine now, or so it seems,

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