Truck:
1997 4runner 2WD SR5 5VZFE 188,xxx miles
Incident:
Cruise control set at 70mph, been cruising that way for about an hour. All the sudden Battery light comes, ABS light comes on, RPM guage starts jumping all over the place before landing permanently at 0.

Truck still cruising at 70mph.. little throttle response when tapping the gas. Minutes later Cruise control turns off and I have to hold teh peddle to maintain speed.

Few minutes later speedo goes ape ˟˟˟˟ and ultimately lands at 0 (even though i'm still going about 40mph at this point.

I exit the freeway, coast to my place of work where i get out and try to rev it at the throttle body only to get a couple glugs and pops.

Cut the ignition and here i sit, and hour and a half from home with a broken 4runner.

helpful information;

timing belt done at 111,xxx

Had to have the alarm disabled because it stopped responding to the fob; first at far distance, then close distance, then you could put the fob next to the box under the dash and it still couldn't get signal. and wasn't letting me start the truck

new battery 2 weeks ago

due for an oil change

new starter 6 months ago

when attempting to start you I get a serious of fast clicking electrical sounds.

Anyone have any ideas, i've been a car guy since i was a kid ( 31 now) and when it comes ot electrical i'm lost

 

Checked the condition of the battery? New ones can be bad. Good clean tight connections on the terminals?

 

Inspect, clean and tighten connections, check alternator system?

 

a battery can cause all that mayhem?

 

Sure can

 

Sounds like the electrical system voltage dropped down, down down.

Why did you replace the battery? Did you check the voltage with the car running before and/or after you replaced it?

Could very well be that the alternator isn't charging, and the new battery just took that long to run completely down/flat.

 

During this whole adventure did your MIL trip at all and did you read the code??

System voltage dropped so low things started to shut down.

I am betting you don`t own a multimeter

 

nope don't own a multimeter, i just replaced my alternator here at work and BAM... problem solved

thanx for all the input

 

Just had the same exact thing happen. It was the alternator.

 

Excellent!



Andreas