This weekend my family and I when up to Denver to visit my grandparents and I took my Runner. The trip there and while I was there the Runner ran great. I even got to go wheeling in the mountains.
On the trip home, in the middle of Kansas, my battery light and brake light came on. I stopped and checked everything out, it seemed there was no reason for them to be on. Later down the road, just after getting into Oklahoma things got weird, my radio just shut off, and my anti-lock brake light came on. Then further down the road my tach quit, the battery meter was WAY low by then. The truck still ran for a while then it would kinda stall when I tried to accelerate so I pulled over and stopped. My guess is the alternator is bad, but I'm no mechanic. Any Ideas??

Sorry it's kinda long but I'm kinda pissed.

 

The alternator would be my guess too.

Good Luck

 

Me three...

 

Yup, me four!

 

My 2nd generation had the same symptoms and it was the alternator. Fortunately, I limped home and not a minute too soon.
If you have another vehicle to use in the meantime, check Mralternator.com. They sell direct bolt on high output alternators for the 3.0V6. It's cheaper than the dealer and a little more than the local stores.

 

That's alternator....



.... and yeah, me five!

 

Hey, I just noticed we have the same color truck!!
Nice looking rig

 

just replace the brushes! I have found out that the brushes on almost all of the toyotas are the same and the regulators with the same connections (plug round or oval) are the same. the alternator on my 87 4runner (minus pully) is the same as the one on my 93 celica. and i replaced the alternator on the truck with one from a 95 4runner (different plug) by using a regulator from an alternator from the celica. to swap the brushes takes about 3 minutes (with the alternator out of the truck)
good luck!
David

 

Yup, sounds like the brushes need replacing. It should cost less than $20 from the dealer and it's cake to change out.

 

This is a side-note FTY for future alt troubles.

IF (big IF) you carry a Jumper Pack (little battey with jumper cables) and this happens to you, just plug the cig. lighter chager cable in and you can drive like normal for a long ways. Not good for night drives, but this got a friend home (about 50-75 miles) one day.

 

If you price out the cost of a new ALT with core exchange, it will be just about the same price as having the brushes replaced. I would just get a new one.

 

If you replace the brushes you should turn the comutator shaft or they will not make good contact until they wear in.

I am with you 96 runner, get a new one unless you are hard on cash.

 

I replaced the alternator and got my baby home today. Installing the new alternator was a breeze. Now everything works and at over 200K she's still running strong.

 

That's good to know. At least it was an easy fix.