Yeah, this isn't going to be cheap...

So most or some of you probably remember my little dunk episode over a year ago (easter before last to be exact) well, as you can probably imagine the alternator was a bit loud, i'm sure the bearings were shot, but it still made power despite being submerged in muddy water. I love toyota! :pat: well... after a year it was still kicking!! I finally decided it was time and I was just plain tired of the R/C car sound I was getting from my truck. I ploped a mr. alternator 150amp alt in and I couldn't believe my ears!! It sounded like a lexus! Well, to get to the short of things... hehe... short... about a month or two after the new alt went in (about 2 weeks ago) I would notice that my V1 (radar detector) wouldn't have enough juice to stay on, and that after sitting at a light when I would get on the gas the A/C fan would spring back to life when it was on full power. At first I thought, great... bad alternator. But, then it would come and go, sometimes it wouldn't do it and other times it would. Now whenever i'm in in gear at a light espcially with the a/c on the v1 starts to blink on and off and if i touch the throttle it springs back to life. I took it down to the firstone b/c i know the people down there and they hooked it up to their handy dandy alternator tester and it showed good. So, now that you know my life story.... and knowing that the harness was submerged at one time, do you think I should try and replace as much as possible, is there one harness I can buy that will be "plug and play"? or should I just take it to a place and let them deal with it and have a party with the ol credit card?

Thanks guys, I know this one isn't going to be pretty...

 

Did you install an overdrive pulley? I understand with higher output alts, they have to use a thicker wire, and need it to turn faster at idle for it to stay stable. Does the idle ever fluctuate?

 

hmmmm... theres an idea...

I just dropped it in, I haven't done that... I sometimes notice a very very very slight change in idle, but nothing to warrent anything. I know cebby put a mr alternator alt in his, did you have to mess with anything or did your drop it right in?

 

I think he upgraded his wires to a larger size.

 

Another idea:


Do your headlights dim at night? It seems to me that the V1 should be able to be powered by the battery alone.... Maybe it's the V1?

 

Yeah austin, dont blame the wiring harness just yet. I can't see it going bad.
I can see a dirty or bad connection somewhere though.

 

question...

is the voltage regulator adjustable on our trucks? I don't think it is, I can't find anything about it in the Haynes manual other than how to take it out. How different would it look if it was adjustable? I think i'm going to try and get some good battery contacts first.

Thanks guys!