Cruiser dies while driving (1 Viewer)

[Oaks]

I need help. LOTS OF HELP!!! I used the search function already but none of the threads seemed relevant.
Earlier today I drove through a car-wash, halfway through the wash my voltage dropped and my truck almost died. I was able to rev the motor and it stayed running but lost my radio presets and the clock...So when I left the wash and was stopped at the light it did it again..luckily I was able to keep running by dropping it into neutral and revving the motor. We drove about 5 miles to the store and the voltage was low but would go up when my RPMs were higher. Once we stopped and turned the Cruiser off I tried to start it but nothing!!! Dead! so I had my brother come and give me a jump. The voltage was still low and I couldn't turn my headlights on unless I was revving the motor...Any way I drove home and kept my voltage up by keeping my RPMs high. When I got home and turned the truck off it started right up again. I hate intermittent problems.

I hope that someone has a suggestion...I would think that it would be my alternator but the truck stays running when the battery is dead and the alternator seemed to charge the battery on my way home...I am confused.


Thanks in advance..

 

[Dodobo]

sounds like water in the distributor cap

 

[Oaks]

Dizzy is what I thought. Looked pretty dry In the engine bay though. Where does water get into it from? Is it not sealed up tight?

 

[2mbb]

"Once we stopped and turned the Cruiser off I tried to start it but nothing!!! Dead! so I had my brother come and give me a jump." Do you mean that the starter would not engage and turn the engine over? If so, this is not a distributor problem but one with either the battery or the alternator or both. Clean up all the connections where battery cables connect to the battery, starter and car body & frame. You have to take them off and use a wire brush, etc.

If you still have issues with low voltage then have your alternator and/or voltage regulator checked out.

 

[Oaks]

What I ment is it would not crank at all, the battery was dead!

A few months ago I went through and replaced all battery cables and my battery.

 

[Slow Left]

Do you have a Voltmeter (or a multimeter with a function that allows you to measure DC voltage)?

It is possible that the battery is not dead, but there is a bad/loose contact somewhere, so maybe go back and recheck those cable contacts as well as the battery contacts.

If you have a voltmeter, check to see if the battery is holding it's charge. What is that reading?

Is this for a 60 or 62?

 

[Slow Left]

Dizzy is what I thought. Looked pretty dry In the engine bay though. Where does water get into it from? Is it not sealed up tight?

There should be an O-ring that makes a seal between the bottom of the cap and the dizzy housing. If the two breather lines on the top of the cap (for a 60, not sure about the 62) are missing then that would also let water in.

 

[mummy3]

If the jump doesn't help, maybe it is not a dead battery, because the jumper will give charge to the battery. I think there is a damaged wire connected to the battery.

 

[tag3]

Don't wash it.

 

[Oaks]

Ok fellas, I checked voltage at the battery terminals got a reading of 12.5v. Same reading off the back of alternator.

The guys at work say I should be getting closer to 14v. And it's probably my alternator. I am going to order a new alternator. Anything I can test before pulling it to verify it?

 

[John McVicker]

You may have a bad alt, but that is not why it's not 'cranking'. 12.5 is enough to crank and turn the engine.

Don't start throwing parts at it until you figure it out.

John

Ok fellas, I checked voltage at the battery terminals got a reading of 12.5v. Same reading off the back of alternator.

The guys at work say I should be getting closer to 14v. And it's probably my alternator. I am going to order a new alternator. Anything I can test before pulling it to verify it?

 

[Slow Left]

Ok fellas, I checked voltage at the battery terminals got a reading of 12.5v. Same reading off the back of alternator.

The guys at work say I should be getting closer to 14v. And it's probably my alternator. I am going to order a new alternator. Anything I can test before pulling it to verify it?

Oaks, is this for a 60 or 62? What year?

So the 12.5V measurement I assume came from touching the voltmeter black(-) lead to the neg(-) terminal on the battery and the red(+) lead to the pos(+) terminal on the battery, right? And the engine was off, right?

Not sure I understand where/how you measured the voltage at the alternator. Can you refer me to a section in a FSM that outlines that procedure? Was the engine running?

 

[Oaks]

Sorry guys, it is a 1988 FJ62.

Last night as I was leaving work the truck would not crank. It wanted to but just not enough "juice" I ended up getting a jump and was ok as long as RPMs were kept up. And I made it home.

As far as checking voltage on the alternator I checked the battery volts with it off 12.5v. Then turned the truck on and put the positive lead on the back of the alternator terminal and the negative lead on the battery ground post...12.5v

Is there a better way to test the alt without removing it?

 

[Slow Left]

Then turned the truck on and put the positive lead on the back of the alternator terminal and the negative lead on the battery ground post...12.5v

Is there a better way to test the alt without removing it?

When you say 'turned the truck on' do you mean turned the key to 'on' position, 'start' position or does it mean the engine was running?

And in the FSM for your year/model (88 FJ62), can you identify the terminal at the alternator where you took the voltage measurement? Maybe throw a picture up?

I'll take a look at the FSM too, to read through the procedure for field testing the alternator.

As far as the battery goes, it sounds like the battery is holding a charge, since you measure 12.5V with the engine off (so you know that 12.5V is not a result of the alternator charging).

Repeat the same voltage test you did on the battery, but check to see if you can measure 12V on the other (far side...so side furthest from the positive terminal on the battery) of each of the fusible links.
With the engine off (not running), just unplug the the plastic fusible link connector on the side away from the positive terminal on the battery (see image below).
Ground the black(-) lead of your voltmeter to the chassis/body.
With the red(+) lead of your voltmeter, probe on each of the 3 contacts inside the plastic connector of the fusible links that is still connected to the wiring that leads to the positive terminal of the battery.
Each of those contacts (one for each fusible link) should give you a reading of 12V. If not (if it reads 0V), that fusible link is broken (open circuit) and you need to repair that link(s).

 

[Oaks]

I meant the Cruiser was running!

 

[Oaks]

Just checked the fusible links like you explained. They all looked good except for one. (The orange wire shown) not sure what this goes to. Followed it down to the Tcase area, thinking it's part of old trailer wiring that I removed a few months ago...

In the photo below I am pointing to the terminal on the alternator that I was checking.

 

[Slow Left]

Just checked the fusible links like you explained. They all looked good except for one. (The orange wire shown) not sure what this goes to. Followed it down to the Tcase area, thinking it's part of old trailer wiring that I removed a few months ago...

OK, so all three fusible links that come off the positive terminal of the battery showed 12V on the far side of each of the fuses?

Except for this orange wire, which doesn't appear to be associated with the OEM fusible link connector...but I'll take a look at the wiring diagram to see if it shows up, otherwise might assume for the time being that it is an add on and not associated with neither the charging nor the cranking system.

What is important is that the fusible links associated with both the charging and cranking system (see wiring diagram) are working correctly. Those fusible links should be on the OEM connector.

 

[Slow Left]

In the photo below I am pointing to the terminal on the alternator that I was checking. View attachment 957405

According to the 3FE FSM, you should be using Terminal B (hey, that would be a great name for a band!) for field testing the charging system (alternator/regulator):

NOTE: be very careful when using the Ammeter function (measuring Amps and setting the multimeter in line). You don't want any accidental grounding of the leads during testing and you don't want to get shocked, because this alternator is putting out serious amps...well over enough to kill. You also should make sure that your multimeter can handle that magnitude of current.

 

[Slow Left]

Just to post up the rest of the Charging System diagnosis procedure and circuit diagram...for diassembly and testing of the alternator, testing the Ignition Relay and testing the Charge Light Relay, see the CH chapter in the 3FE FSM:

 

[Slow Left]

Oaks, do you have the FSM that covers the Starter System/Circuit for you engine? The 3FE FSM that I have does not include the chapter on the Starter System/Circuit...