I guess this being post numero uno I should make a quick introduction. I live in wonderful West Virginia and own a 1991 4x4 with the venerable 22re. Love taking my truck wheeling with my 9 year old even though the truck is not in the best shape. Toyota pickups have been in my family since 1986 when my uncle bought one new in Florida and returned to WV with it in the early 90s in which my dad laughed at him for it. That truck had 383xxx very hard miles on it before it met an untimely end due to my uncle checking out some stray while driving through a Kroger parking lot when he ran it into a light pole.

So on too my electrical issue. I did the timing chain the other day since it has been profusely leaking oil. Got everything back together and the truck runs fine, idle is a bit off but I need a timing light to set it. I did get it close enough for it to run fairly ok, just the idle being a bit low. I start it the other morning (cold) go back in and finish getting ready for work. When I go back out the truck died. I go to restart but the battery is acting like it doesn't have enough juice to start and will barely turn over when all the dash lights go black. Now nothing is on. I get out and check the 80a ALT and sure enough, its blown. I buy another and replace it, and I still have the exact same issue.

I have charged the battery so its not that. What else could it be, another fuse or relay?? Literally everything is black like there is absolutely no power but the battery is fine..

Open to suggestions.....

 

Battery might have a dead cell, I'd have it checked at a parts store. In the meantime maybe grab a battery from another vehicle and see if it does anything different. Of course check all major connections and grounds, that 80A doesn't just blow for no reason.

 

Its definitely not the battery. I had to pull the battery from the truck and throw it in my audi to get to work and its definitely fine. I also took the dead battery and exchanged it for a new one.

Its really too cold outside too trouble shoot so just looking for some ideas for when it warms up enough to go out and work on it.

It has a set off aftermarket lights and they work, I don't think they are hooked up straight to the battery.

 

Could it be the fusible links?
Battery to 80A fuse which enters under the fuse box and screws to the bottom of the 80A fuse. The factory original is a white wire with what looks like extra thick insulation. Easy to check with a multimeter with an ohms scale. Make sure to pull BOTH battery terminals before you check it. The slightest amount of current in the ohms scale can trash the multimeter. If the 80A fuse was blown, there's a chance the FL that runs from the battery to it can well be burnt too. It's what it's designed to do.

There's also one that runs from the alternator to the battery. The big white wire from the large bolt on the alternator. Again, pull off both ends, and both battery terminals, and ohm it out. Heck, it takes longer to prepare to test it than it does to ohm it out.

Just a thought. You might to check all the fuses, both in the engine compartment fuse box, AND the fuse box under the driver's side kick panel. Double check all the grounds, too. The 4 in the engine compartment, and the 2 in the cab. One under the the kick panel on either side. Especially the battery to body and battery to engine grounds. Might have burned one.

Keep us up to date!
Pat☺