vwfastg60

So i replaced my motor. All the wiring was checked/cleaned up or even replaced. I have checked my grounds and checked to make sure theres no bad connections or wires grounding out.I killed one up 4wheeling.I was luck i had a new red top and it didnt poop out all the way and i could get home.I replaced it and a few weeks later the other one poops out.I replaced it tonight and drove about 30 miles and went to wash the truck.As i pull up to the car wash my F'n charge light comes on again!!!! What could be the issue? I have replaced it once with a factory one.Once with a Checker one and one is an auto zone. I think i have a used one from my 4runner floating around so i may just throw it in for a few days.....any help would be great.

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doc76239

Well are you running a stock motor? Or do you have a 350 in there??? Did you have the bad? alternator checked out at your local parts store? Any other electical problems???? If your killing new alternators i would think you have a short? Maybe the wrong alternator belt?

TNRabbit

You've got a short somewhere. Get the old multimeter out and start checking. My first guess would be any aftermarket electrical items like trailer lights...

snap-on

there are very few places you can short the system and 1) not burn out the wires ending the short... 2) not burn out a fuse ending the problem...

i always forget... does toyota use an externaly regulated alternator? if so id say voltage regulator is toast.

Bumpin' Yota

internal voltage reg.

Are you using the alternator to charge drained or depleted batteries on a regular basis? If so, then yes you use of the alt is killing it.

BEFORE putting on a new alt, charge up your batteries using a battery charger. Once that's done look for continuity to ground on the alternator's chargine wire....

vwfastg60

So im going to pick up another alternator.To answer a few questions,

1.its a 22r motor
2.No aftermarket lighting has been added and the only thing i have changed on the truck that has to do with wiring is a mp3 player and some dash speakers. All wired correctly.
3. the belt hasnt changed from the first one that has been in there for 80k+
4.The battery has been recharged before hooking the leads and starting the truck.
Its a red top so even after the alternator dies and i get home theres still juice in it.Unhooked still reads 12v
the alternator on this one i think is the voltage reg. The alternator is only putting out 2.1v at idle and reving it a bit puts it to 7.1-7.6 thats what the first one did too....same voltage even.


I also have added and just remembered i did it was a regrounding kit. It has 8 more grounds and helped out a lot as far as lighting inside and outside.

I will have a few tested to see what they do but before i put the new one in i will be checking more wires......ugh i hate problem like this.

CJM

Where are you getting the alternator? I wouldnt put anything less than a heavy duty of factory in my truck. The reman ones are junk..

Bumpin' Yota

where are all the grounds on the grounding kit routed to? That shouldn't be it but...

surf4runner

not in a toy, but the only time i smoked 4 alt (and 1 battery) was due to a bad fusible link it still didnt blow any fuses. when it finally melted all the way, replaced it and the alt and prob solved. HTH.

vwfastg60

ok i got an alternator and started to pull it apart.I found that my plug was really dirty and didnt feel like it fit tight.(my friend plugged it in the last time)so i cleaned it up and for giggles plugged it back in....stupid light went off! I returned the alternator and havent had a problem.I think it was the gunk in the plug fryin them. i guess we will see.


The grounds-i put one to the block one to the body by the battery,one to the firewall.one to the frame rail and one to the block. I have heard people talking about how they do nothing but after working on VW's for so long i think that grounds are a good thing lol plus it made my headlights brigher and dash light brighter and the ruck seems to run a tiny bit better. it used to run rich and now its ok i think there might have been weak power to everything.

foxtrotuniform

Bumping an old thread to say thanks to this guy right here! Rock on TNRabbit. I was on my third alternator in a month and about to drive my Land Cruiser into the ocean when I saw this post.

Broken trailer light wires were rubbing against my receiver hitch. Snipped them off. Alternator bliss.

You're the man!

wyoming9

iTrader: (1)

This was a case of just changing alternators and never finding the real problem

The plug gets corroded the wire going from the alternator B terminal just gets old and brittle from thermal cycling.

gtct10b

bad grounds could also be a problem also, make sure all of your grounds have a clean surface before installing