HELP!!! Frustrating electrical problem with toyota!!

[ps165]

had new car for bout a week. was driving at night a few day ago, lights on full beam, nearly outa gas, car starts "shruging" light go dim then eventually stalls. i assume its out of gas, i try start...dead. i get ride to gas station (from a pig) i get gas and taxi back (1-2kms) fill-er-up and get a jump from the cabbie........this all happens again (starting from the shrugging) after about 500M down the road, so i switch the lights to park and make it the the gassy. fill right up with petrol and buy a brand new battery. i make it home and that episode is forgotten....
then, after giving my car a servise just now (5am on easter day) i have the car idleing for 10 mins with the lights fully beamed, then lights go dim and it stalls, jump it off a jump pack and leaving it idleing for 5 mins with no lights on- get in car to go and as soon as i put my foot on the accelarator, no responce and starts to shrug, sound rather sick (i hear a small pop or bang) until it soon stalls, finally get to a stage i can drive the car (no lights, jump pack attached, as im driving) i get home (very close) but as soon as i remove 1 jump lead (still no lights) shes dead....
so wonder what part of the electrical system i should start at? battery, alternator, ecu, etc....
any info, suggestions, help, test ideas.... muchly appreciated
(btw this is celica st182)

[deaf_rattle]

do any lights come on on the dash?

usually if the alternator is dead or dying you will get a few warning lights

[CAMB01]

Sounds like your alternator has packed a sad, the engine is draining all the power out of your battery to keep running. The popping and banging is the spark plugs not getting enough spark to fire, so the fuel is being burnt in the exhaust. Start the car if you can, get a multimeter and put it on the battery to see if the alternator is charging, it should be 14.3 volts.

[ps165]

arr ha, when i put the m/meter accross the batt i get a reading of 7V, and declining.... got new terminals yesterday (cheap and nasty) not sure if there doing the job 100% as they r painted in crap, can i start the car, take the terminals off, and put the m/meter accross the alterator? ifso what reading should i expect.

[crispy'86]

From the large white wire with the nut on it usual reading from the alternator should be 13.8-14.2 volts max. Any higher and the voltage regulator is faulty. Lower and the alternator is definitely faulty. If you find you have this at the alternator there may be a voltage drop across the circuit. Does your charge light come on when you turn the ignition on?? or charge light stay on? If so alternator or related circuit, fuse maybe blown along with other things

[ps165]

hmmmm, voltage out of alternatoir is 9.4-9.6. so im guessin its screwed...before i go ripping it out, is there anything else to check? fuses? no charge light as far as im aware

[NA Drifter]

99.99% I say ur alternator is dead... It sounds exactly what happend to my car before except it was snowing and I'm out at national park since the desert road is closed and with a broken windscreen guess you are alot lucky than me.
2nd alternator also die less than a year later... so I stop at a gas station since it was about 11pm and on my way to Auckland... noticed the problem about an hour ago... driving with no lights on when there is no incoming car to same some battery juice!!

[ps165]

na drifter: yes i was a little lucky, but i didnt mention i dont have a current licence so the whole time i was in the cop car i was shitting myself hopeing he would want to check my licence...

[ps165]

can i use an alternator off a 1st gen 3SGE on a second gen?? please help!

[DB4G63]

I agree with everyone!
I experienced the very same thing with my old Mitsi Eterna....drove it, it died.... on the one way system on a rainy nite
replaced the battery, car went fine....
Next day, got in, was dead again.
Got Alternator fixed, battery light stayed on....

Took it back to the battery place
The regulator had shat itself too...

All fun and games!

[fuel]

:-) I agree with everyone!
I experienced the very same thing with my old Mitsi Eterna....drove it, it died.... on the one way system on a rainy nite
replaced the battery, car went fine....
Next day, got in, was dead again.
Got Alternator fixed, battery light stayed on....

Took it back to the battery place
The regulator had shat itself too...

All fun and games!

My Mitsi Galant ate an alternator too.. except mine was still charging fine. It had me stumped for a while - something kept draining the battery (which was brand new). It was draining something like 4A when car turned off and keys out of ignition.. I pulled every interior fuse one by one and still 4A being drained. Pulled most the engine bay fuses too.. except the big alternator fuse off the battery terminal. Ended up finding a reco'd one at the wreckers for $40, so was happy.

[crispy'86]

As long as the plugs etc are in the same place and the numbers are the same, a little bit more amperage wouldn't hurt like going from a 40-50amp type.


I think i have a spare alternator you can grab , i'll just have to go looking for it, off an first gen 3sge and i'll get back to you

[fuel]

Yeah I second that. I ended up using a 75A alternator when my original was a 65A, no problems yet.

[ps165]

ive just ripped off my 1st gen, looks old and shit compared with the 2nd gen, 2nd gen looks like it might have been replaced/recond. coz i has sevrsal handwritten numbers on it??? dont know, they look very similar. how can i tell how many amp they are? can i use a multimeter to find this out? or numbers on alt.

[matt dunn]

, can i start the car and take the terminals off,

That is a good way to stuff an alternator, especially a modern toyoa electronic one.

Matt

[ps165]

realised im not getting ANY voltage from the 2nd gen aly. so i put on the 1st and still no voltage!!! so im guessing these a alt fuse, any advise?

[t0ms]

check the large box style fuses AM 1 and AM 2

check that battery terminals are tight and also that the +ve supply to the alternator is cranked up tight (loose connections shed current)

DO NOT take the lead off while engine is running, will a) dust the alternator pretty quick and b) you multi-meter will dust its fuse pretty quick as well as they usually only have a 10A fuse in them

unless your running a massive sound system where your going to be using 4 or 6 amps cranking all the time its unlikely your gonna need a massive alternator anyway so i would just shoot down to a wrecker and get a new one if the ones you have are both knifed

but yeah check terminals, check fuses (in box under bonnet) then stick multi meter over battery while car is running and you should observe somewhere from 13-14ish volts which indicates charge. battery should sit around 12ish volts when engine and key are off.

hope that helps a little
tom

[Rob]

While your doing al this check your fuel filter isn't full of water. Never helps thngs

[NZ_AE86]

While your doing al this check your fuel filter isn't full of water. Never helps thngs

Yeah those Toyota fuel filters, always causing charging faults! You should also check your tyre pressure just in case!

[ps165]

took it to a sparkie, ,turned out to be a cut wire somewhere in the loom...he wasnt to specific when i asked. cost $115
2 hrs labor, $2.50 parts

dam, i coulda fixed that!