aalternator? mystery wires?

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glshubert

10 Year 15 Year
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Mar 30, 2009
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got in my 89 today togo to town and the alternator light was on [battery looking dummy light] . OK I have noticed the motor loading when idling and turning on high beams.

I think I will take off and take and have it tested tomorrow...So I drive to local store to get smokes. It is about 4 mi. When I come back out after leaving it running the light is off. Well I think maybe good maybe bad. I take off and it comes back on. I get home and clean battery posts which one was a little loose and put it back together and the light is off. I think that was the problem. NOPE it comes back on.

So I start taking it off to have tested tomorrow. While doing so I pull on a wire going down next to the alternator kinda behind the distrib. [this is a V6 3.0. The wire just pulls out. I took some pics. I think one of them goes to maybe the oil switch by the oil filter [if that is what that is] looks like it has heat shrink on it.

The other wire has a connector on it but there is not a place for it on the alternator so I haven't a clue where it goes.

Maybe someone can tell me where they go and if they are important and if they could have anything to do with the light coming on.

Oh yeah, the brake light stayed on when the brake was off. Thought that might have just been from the "battery" light illuminating the "brake light as they are side by side. The brake light doesn't make the "battery light shine tho.

As usual I have a mess..

I will see if these pics will post and maybe someone can give me their 2 cents worth.

the first one is the wire and the second is the oil pressure switch. the heat shrink looks to be the same on the switch even though the pic doesn't look like it. does just the one wire go to it. Does it just activate the dummy lite?

never had a mins trouble with the truck till this past week or so and it is giving me all types of trouble.

Any help would be appreciated.

greg
b.webp
a.webp
 
well take the alt. to get tested first...I had the same problem after I swapped my 3.0 half way of a 1000mile trip!! luckily it was just the 10mm nut on the alt. came loose but not off and I had tools, but I havent had an issue since

the wire in your pic on the left(in the pic) looks like the same wire on my trck that broke that goes down to the diff and shows on the dash "4WD" when engaged the other Im assuming yah goes to your oil switch..

Ill check tonight if I remember I have 2 of these things in my driveway
 
my 4wd light omes on.

no real need for the wire on the oil switch is there?

having owned chevy's all my life and old ones at that these things are quite different.
 
i got the alternator tested. It was bad so I am going to put the new one on.

Is it OK to leave the wire off the oil switch? it just makes the dummy light come on upon low oil pressure. Right?

Now as for the wire with the connector...I wonder what that is for. I don't think they have been connected since I bought the truck a cpl years and 25K miles ago.

??
 
I think the motor is a replacement...The more I do the more I think so. That could be good or that could be bad. I just don't think all the wires have been connected right. Maybe there are 'extras' Like they ended u with 2 of some of them when it was installed.

What I am trying to say is they used parts of the orig harness on the truck and also ended up using part of the harness that was with the 'new' motor therefore ending up with 2 of some things.



How's that for ASSumptions?


LOL!!
 
that could be true.

if it were me Id definetly fix the oil switch light

its easy to keep track of your oil BUT you never know when you or the road will make the motor drain...loose drain plug..double gasket the filter hit a anything in the road and crack pan or filter...

those may never happen or they might tomorrow..

if you fix it youll be able to turn the engine off asap if that light comes on...and 3.0 suck to change :whoops:

Ill look tonight at the truck that other wiring is still hooked up and see what thats for
 
Found out the one was for electric hubs.

If I hook up the wire to the oil pressure sw. I am probably going to blow some not to be found fuse link. {my luck]

If I knew I could just hook it back and nothing happen I would...But if it can IT WILL!
 
'Cause they don't know how to test them themselves, or they lack the equipment to do the tests.
 
cruiser88 said:
why do people take them off to have them tested?
Click to expand...

You can have the right voltage and the 'nater still be bad. It is best to have them tested so they can be loaded and such. There is more to then than having them put out 12-13 volts.

Not like they are hard to take off and put back on. Even on my 3.0

I am an electrician and have a multimeter or three but just feel better if I have mine tested on a bench tester. Therefore doing more of a test than you can on the truck. ie voltage at different amperage loads.

Just my opinion.

:cool:
 
no no you can pull a load, test the diodes, rectifiers,regulater without pulling the alt.
glshubert said:
You can have the right voltage and the 'nater still be bad. It is best to have them tested so they can be loaded and such. There is more to then than having them put out 12-13 volts.

Not like they are hard to take off and put back on. Even on my 3.0

I am an electrician and have a multimeter or three but just feel better if I have mine tested on a bench tester. Therefore doing more of a test than you can on the truck. ie voltage at different amperage loads.

Just my opinion.

:cool:
Click to expand...
 
I've heard of electric switched hubs, but not in the context of a Toyota.
 
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