Author Topic: alternators keep going out... need help (Read 3980 times)

86 4runner · « **on:** Feb 28, 2005, 05:15:16 PM »

ive gone through two alternators in about three weeks. i was wondering if anyone has a sollution. thanks

Rockdiver · « **Reply #1 on:** Feb 28, 2005, 05:24:28 PM »

Check all your wires to make sure not chaffed and shorting out Battery cables tight & clean Lynn

86 4runner · « **Reply #2 on:** Feb 28, 2005, 05:28:23 PM »

Quote from: Rockdiver on Feb 28, 2005, 05:24:28 PM

Check all your wires to make sure not chaffed and shorting out Battery cables tight & clean Lynn

yeah i did that, it all looks good. i have a 1500 watt stereo, so i was wondering if there is a higher amp alternator. i think that might solve it but i dont know. id apprectiate eveyones input. thanks

reklund5 · « **Reply #3 on:** Feb 28, 2005, 05:30:31 PM »

stop putting in autozone/pepboys/napa reman alternators. They are all junk. I take them out of customers vehicles at work every day. Go to your local dealership and buy a genuine Toyota Reman alternator. Should run you around $125 and wont give you any more problems.

Ryan

Wahoos 85 · « **Reply #4 on:** Feb 28, 2005, 09:33:41 PM »

Gone thru several cheapie's myself. Overcharging all of them. Stealership's here in Oklahoma City want 179.00 plus a core!! $:-\$ \

freds40 · « **Reply #5 on:** Mar 01, 2005, 06:12:48 AM »

Have you changed out the external voltage regulator?

79coyotefrg · « **Reply #6 on:** Mar 01, 2005, 06:56:23 AM »

dude, 1500watts, i would run a toy alt in the stock location, and run a chevy 1 wire 100 amp on the pass side using a airpump bracket from a celica, use a relay switch to turn it on and off haveing a seperate battery so its a completely seperate system from the truck, run you stereo and offroad lights and winch off this system so you nevber have toi worry if your trucks system is good to start the engine

86 4runner · « **Reply #7 on:** Mar 01, 2005, 08:55:05 PM »

Quote from: freds40 on Mar 01, 2005, 06:12:48 AM

Have you changed out the external voltage regulator?

where is it, and what is it. thanks

86 4runner · « **Reply #8 on:** Mar 01, 2005, 08:57:46 PM »

Quote from: Glen on Mar 01, 2005, 06:56:23 AM

dude, 1500watts, i would run a toy alt in the stock location, and run a chevy 1 wire 100 amp on the pass side using a airpump bracket from a celica, use a relay switch to turn it on and off haveing a seperate battery so its a completely seperate system from the truck, run you stereo and offroad lights and winch off this system so you nevber have toi worry if your trucks system is good to start the engine

how would i wire in the chevy alternator. id appreciate all the info on how to do this. thanks

mudaddict · « **Reply #9 on:** Mar 01, 2005, 11:03:00 PM »

The voltage regualter is what regulates the amount of voltage it is perdusing back to your battery aka voltage regualter (regualtes votage!), i cant help ya on where it is located in your vehicle mine is built into my alt! i am not sure if that is your problem or not but wold look into getting a new one! hey i got a 130 watt alt from my work (schucks) i ordered it wasnt a stocking one and ahve had NO problems with it so far!

guywithuglyyota · « **Reply #10 on:** Mar 01, 2005, 11:21:15 PM »

Since his truck is an 86 it would have an internal voltage regulator. The only trucks to my limited knowledge that had external were 79-81 for the 4x4's. I had this same problem and it was the alternator quality, like the others said, get a genuine unit, in fact. Better off getting genuine toyota everything for your truck, you really get what you pay for when it comes to parts. That stereo must be dimming your headlights! If so i would run a capacitor, or larger battery if possible, or else you will keep killing the low quality alts with that much current pull. Even the stock would have a hard time with its small output (guessing around 45 amps for the runner) I installed I cs-144 gm alternator from a buick roadmaster. I had to swap the pulley which is quite simple. This may not be an option for you but I yanked my dead a/c compressor and used the bracket to mount the new gm unit.Rumor has it you can fit a big case gm alt in the stock location with some ninja-tuity, but I would recommend you upgrade your stock wiring to handle the x2 increase in current to the battery. If all of this sounds too intimidating to you, you can do like I did and have an electrical shop do the conversion, I had an external regulator and I am colorblind so I had issues

eiether way it can be done and I highly recommend it. My output is now 145 amps at idle, much more than necessary for my needs, but I also have a 11000 lb winch going in soon. Hope this helps!

86 4runner · « **Reply #11 on:** Mar 01, 2005, 11:32:27 PM »

how much does it cost to have an electrical shop do it

guywithuglyyota · « **Reply #12 on:** Mar 01, 2005, 11:43:09 PM »

I was afraid you would ask that! I mounted the alternator myself, it took some calling around because some shops around here (palmdale CA) had no idea how to go about it, which is sad considering its not that difficult in hind sight. I paid $180 bucks to have ot all wired up, but the guy did a great job, I told him what I do with the truck and I need it to be reliable etc... so he ran a lincloln town car harness to handle the extra output. This does sound rather high but I didnt mind since i knew it was done right. But that cost is only wiring it up, not installing a different alternator. Man im long winded tonight sorry

86 4runner · « **Reply #13 on:** Mar 02, 2005, 12:11:07 AM »

Quote from: guywithuglyyota on Mar 01, 2005, 11:43:09 PM

I was afraid you would ask that! I mounted the alternator myself, it took some calling around because some shops around here (palmdale CA) had no idea how to go about it, which is sad considering its not that difficult in hind sight. I paid $180 bucks to have ot all wired up, but the guy did a great job, I told him what I do with the truck and I need it to be reliable etc... so he ran a lincloln town car harness to handle the extra output. This does sound rather high but I didnt mind since i knew it was done right. But that cost is only wiring it up, not installing a different alternator. Man im long winded tonight sorry

thanks, ill see if theres anyone around here that will be able to do something like that

guywithuglyyota · « **Reply #14 on:** Mar 02, 2005, 12:25:43 AM »

oh yeah, definaltey call around! I had quotes ranging from 60 an hour to "oh that will be around 300 bucks" Half of the guys I spoke couldnt understand why I wanted to convert etc.... I was going to mess with the idea of dual alts using a ford powerstroke harness (some of those run dual alts I guess) but the cost outweighed the benefits, as far as the mounting, just mess around with the stock bracket, i had to shave some material off of my alt (making the core junk if this one ever fails) to make it fit properly. Probably more info than you want but when i was doing this I was completley lost! Lots of trial and error

86 4runner · « **Reply #15 on:** Mar 02, 2005, 01:31:17 AM »

thanks

FATB0Y · « **Reply #16 on:** Mar 02, 2005, 01:39:03 AM »

Quote from: reklund5 on Feb 28, 2005, 05:30:31 PM

stop putting in autozone/pepboys/napa reman alternators. They are all junk. I take them out of customers vehicles at work every day. Go to your local dealership and buy a genuine Toyota Reman alternator. Should run you around $125 and wont give you any more problems. Ryan

Thats exactly what I was thinking

86 4runner · « **Reply #17 on:** Mar 02, 2005, 01:53:43 AM »

i went and got one from toyota, but i would really like to do the double alternator thing if someone could give me pointers on how to do it.

79coyotefrg · « **Reply #18 on:** Mar 05, 2005, 04:35:02 PM »

first you need to find the alt your going to use, the one wire alts are easy, but you should use a relay, so you can turn it off if nesseccary, , you will need to mount another battery and simply run the heavy wire to that battery, when you start your truck it charges, and thay have internal regulators so no worries with that, then run your hot wire from your stereo to the 2nd battery, with a fuse of course

kneedownnate · « **Reply #19 on:** Mar 05, 2005, 11:16:14 PM »

Ok, nobody else is gonna say it so I will, though I may be wrong. The older trucks had multiple alternator options and using the wrong one can fry your wires, I did mine 3 times. Make absolutely sure you are using the proper alternator before you fry another one, then check all alternator related wiring. When I had problems I took my truck to a local auto electric shop to have him check out my wiring fix and charging system and he said I fixed it, it was money well spent on piece of mind, and it's been almost 2 years now. I'm no help on the dual alt setup though, I just planned on running a battery isolator and a second battery for accessories so the start batt never got drained.

86 4runner · « **Reply #20 on:** Mar 06, 2005, 01:37:03 AM »

Quote from: Glen on Mar 05, 2005, 04:35:02 PM

first you need to find the alt your going to use, the one wire alts are easy, but you should use a relay, so you can turn it off if nesseccary, , you will need to mount another battery and simply run the heavy wire to that battery, when you start your truck it charges, and thay have internal regulators so no worries with that, then run your hot wire from your stereo to the 2nd battery, with a fuse of course

what is the best one to use, and how do i mount it. thanks

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