2000 LC Dashboard Lights Up like a Xmas tree...help diagnose? (1 Viewer)

[plarsen111]

My Land Cruiser dashboard recently started lighting up after driving for just a couple minutes or so.

https://www.dropbox.com/sc/xc1tmmzffolc51c/mEuDFNb1Jo

Here are the lights that come on:

ABS
VSC Trac
VSC Off
Brake

Also, sometimes I see the battery light, and today I saw the orange "airbag" light.

Cruiser control also no longer works when this happens.

If you could help a school teacher out, it would be greatly appreciated.

Phil

 

[FlammableFishie]

sometimes I see the battery light

When's the last time the battery was changed?

 

[TXLX100]

^any chance the it was jumped backwards or battery installed backwards? You say the vehicle is inop when which lights come on?

 

[Bohus]

Hi,

See my thread
https://forum.ih8mud.com/100-series...arning-lights-alternator.html?highlight=bohus

After having changed alternator everything was back to normal.

 

[plarsen111]

Hi guys. Newer battery. 3 months ago. Fine until 3 days ago.

Car still runs fine when it lights up, with exception of cruise control.

 

[plarsen111]

Bohus,

I read your previous thread and it sounds a lot like mine! So did it turn out to be the alternator for sure?

Thanks!,

Phil

 

[AfricanToy]

disconnect the battery for 30seconds then reattach

 

[liveoak]

my buddys fj cruiser did that and we read the code (free at autozone) had something to do with mass air flow I think on his truck so I checked the air filter and it was extremely filthy. replaced with a new one and the lights went off after driving a while. checked your air filter lately? probably not it, but easy to check.

 

[plarsen111]

Went and had battery and alternator tested at two different places. Both said the battery was fine.

The second place, Oreilly's, said the alternator is putting out TOO much charge, and therefore the alternator needs to be replaced.

https://www.dropbox.com/sc/k4h6h2189ejpghh/SPKZvTEZpy

So, in your opinions, is it pretty much the alternator that needs replacing?

AfricanToy, I will try your idea of disconnecting the battery.

Thanks again,

Phil

 

[plarsen111]

Removed battery terminals. Problem persists.

 

[plarsen111]

liveoak, air filter a little dirty. Will replace tomorrow and see if problem persists.

 

[mobi-arc]

Either a poor or resistive ground, flakey voltage regulator, or rotor coming apart. Start with the easiest first: ground the alternator casing directly to the battery negative with a thick cable. Also check the resistance on the positive side from the alternator output post and trace it all the way to the battery terminal and verify you have a good, solid transfer of current. If the that doesn't solve the issue, have the alternator bench-tested and if it is faulty, you can either replace whatever component is faulty, or change out the alternator.

Went and had battery and alternator tested at two different places. Both said the battery was fine.

The second place, Oreilly's, said the alternator is putting out TOO much charge, and therefore the alternator needs to be replaced.

https://www.dropbox.com/sc/k4h6h2189ejpghh/SPKZvTEZpy

So, in your opinions, is it pretty much the alternator that needs replacing?

AfricanToy, I will try your idea of disconnecting the battery.

Thanks again,

Phil

 

[plarsen111]

mobi-arc, all of that is above my capability. Can I assume the resistive ground, voltage regulator, and rotor are all a part of the alternator? If so, it would just be better for me to replace the alternator.

 

[re_guderian]

Phil - you should really invest $40 or so in a code reader. Having a 14 year old car makes that kind of a necessity to help diagnose things. If you don't have a mechanic you trust, and don't want to DIY a bunch of repairs, you might end up throwing a bunch of money at things in vain...

 

[hankinid]

My Land Cruiser dashboard recently started lighting up after driving for just a couple minutes or so.

https://www.dropbox.com/sc/xc1tmmzffolc51c/mEuDFNb1Jo

Here are the lights that come on:

ABS
VSC Trac
VSC Off
Brake

Also, sometimes I see the battery light, and today I saw the orange "airbag" light.

Cruiser control also no longer works when this happens.

If you could help a school teacher out, it would be greatly appreciated.

Phil

Phil, I had a similar lit-up set of warning lights on my '01. It continued intermittently for a couple of weeks and turned out to be serious chafing of the wire bundle going from the body to the lower section of the tailgate...very short harness section that flexes every time the tailgate goes up and down.

Let us know, please, what caused your issue when you get it figured out.

Good luck.

Steve

 

[Bohus]

Bohus,

I read your previous thread and it sounds a lot like mine! So did it turn out to be the alternator for sure?

Thanks!,

Phil

Yes, after having replaced the old alternator with a "new one" (a re-conditioned one) everything became normal again. My LC now has in excess of 450.000km on the clock.

 

[plarsen111]

Apparently it was the alternator, as diagnosed first my Oreilly's and then later my mechanic. It cost $343 to get it repaired. Definitely a little high, but I had no choice to get it done. Beginning of the year as a teacher along with being a soccer coach made it so it just needed to be done.

Thanks everyone for your help,

Phil

 

[El Cid]

I suggest you buy a BMW, sometime. It will make that $343 seem like chump change.

 

[plarsen111]

I bought the Land Cruiser so I wouldn't have to spend ANY money

 

[hoser]

I would expect the LC alternator to last ~150k miles. If it made it to that point, I'd consider it a maintenance item to replace. If it made it past 200k, that would be a bonus.