Dead Alternator in Pendleton, OR! Need Advice (1 Viewer)

[porkandcorn]

We’ll… we were driving through Pendleton, Oregon yesterday in my 06 LC w/ 140k miles, after my alternator was struggling to charge all day. The first day of a two week trip out camping and heading towards Wyoming and Montana. Left home that morning with a strange new whirring sound from under the hood - now I know what it was! Also as part of this perfect storm, I used my on board ARB dual compressor to add 10 lbs per tire that morning while the engine was running. In retrospect it probably pulled quite a bit of charge out of the starting battery because the alternator was already struggling at that point (unbeknownst to me). I didn’t notice voltage level drops of concern until we’re about 100 miles out of town.

Battery finally ran out of juice and killed engine in a downtown hotel parking lot. Was a hot rod convention in town, and that hotel lot was the after party, so lots of advice both sober and not. Fun place to break down!

O’ Reilly is the only thing open this Sunday morning, and they have their brand alternator in stock that supposedly fits an 06 Land Cruiser. I’ve never done an alternator change (nor really any other engine work) but willing to try - have tools and general technical ability

Other option is to drive 35 miles on Monday to a Toyota service center nearby and have a proper Toyota alternator put in by a certified mechanic. I must admit I like the sound of that. I have the battery on shore-power at the hotel and it will likely have 100% charge by tomorrow.

Question: How long would a full battery run the electrical system and engine without any alternator input, if I minimized the current draws from headlights and so forth???

Trying to decide what to do. Classic start to a camping trip with the wife and cat.

 

[2020 Rocks]

It's doable from the bottom.

about five minutes in the work begins



The dealership will be spendy.

 

[flintknapper]

It's doable from the bottom.

about five minutes in the work begins



The dealership will be spendy.

I've done it both ways, from the bottom, from the top. Equally frustrating....just for different reasons. My preference is from the bottom *depending on what you have available to lay on*.

If I were on a trip with Wife and Cat *as OP is* I'd have my ass under that vehicle post haste getting this done, if you ever hope to have them go on another trip.

Dealership will be 'spendy' is an understatement, especially when they learn it is an emergency situation.

 

[porkandcorn]

Incredible turn of events just now… a saint of a man named Thomas at O’Reilly in Pendleton not only had my alternator, but went into the back room with his boss (presumably to ask for permission to help me) and came back out with a cart of wrenches and said “we’re going to get you fixed up.” He spent the next 30 minutes sweating into my engine in 90 deg heat, and swapping it out from the top. He taught me how to do it next time.
Between this amazing human, and Nirmal Singh (every calls him “Happy”), the Sikh owner of the Americas Best Value Inn downtown, who let us camp in his hotel parking lot, my wife and I are back on the road, overwhelmed with gratitude for regular Oregonians helping other Oregonians in need, and knowing well that the journey IS the destination.

 

[suprarx7nut]

We’ll… we were driving through Pendleton, Oregon yesterday in my 06 LC w/ 140k miles, after my alternator was struggling to charge all day. The first day of a two week trip out camping and heading towards Wyoming and Montana. Left home that morning with a strange new whirring sound from under the hood - now I know what it was! Also as part of this perfect storm, I used my on board ARB dual compressor to add 10 lbs per tire that morning while the engine was running. In retrospect it probably pulled quite a bit of charge out of the starting battery because the alternator was already struggling at that point (unbeknownst to me). I didn’t notice voltage level drops of concern until we’re about 100 miles out of town.

Battery finally ran out of juice and killed engine in a downtown hotel parking lot. Was a hot rod convention in town, and that hotel lot was the after party, so lots of advice both sober and not. Fun place to break down!

O’ Reilly is the only thing open this Sunday morning, and they have their brand alternator in stock that supposedly fits an 06 Land Cruiser. I’ve never done an alternator change (nor really any other engine work) but willing to try - have tools and general technical ability

Other option is to drive 35 miles on Monday to a Toyota service center nearby and have a proper Toyota alternator put in by a certified mechanic. I must admit I like the sound of that. I have the battery on shore-power at the hotel and it will likely have 100% charge by tomorrow.

Question: How long would a full battery run the electrical system and engine without any alternator input, if I minimized the current draws from headlights and so forth???

Trying to decide what to do. Classic start to a camping trip with the wife and cat.

For posterity for others, I had a similar dying alternator event a couple years back. A partially functional alternator can make a full charge battery last for a long time. A totally dead alternator can't support a fully charged battery for more than a few minutes. Hard to say, but generally I wouldn't count on more than 15-30 minutes of drive time.

Incredible turn of events just now… a saint of a man named Thomas at O’Reilly in Pendleton not only had my alternator, but went into the back room with his boss (presumably to ask for permission to help me) and came back out with a cart of wrenches and said “we’re going to get you fixed up.” He spent the next 30 minutes sweating into my engine in 90 deg heat, and swapping it out from the top. He taught me how to do it next time.
Between this amazing human, and Nirmal Singh (every calls him “Happy”), the Sikh owner of the Americas Best Value Inn downtown, who let us camp in his hotel parking lot, my wife and I are back on the road, overwhelmed with gratitude for regular Oregonians helping other Oregonians in need, and knowing we’ll that the journey IS the destination.

That's awesome. Glad it worked out! You'll have to mail Thomas and Nirmal something of a token of appreciation or something. That sort of above and beyond help is very cool when you're stuck far from home.

 

[porkandcorn]

For posterity for others, I had a similar dying alternator event a couple years back. A partially functional alternator can make a full charge battery last for a long time. A totally dead alternator can't support a fully charged battery for more than a few minutes. Hard to say, but generally I wouldn't count on more than 15-30 minutes of drive time.

That's awesome. Glad it worked out! You'll have to mail Thomas and Nirmal something of a token of appreciation or something. That sort of above and beyond help is very cool when you're stuck far from home.

100%. They’ll both get care packages. I knew Thomas was gold when I asked him were he learned to work on cars… he said his parents met at a drag racing event - racing each other, and that he didn’t remember a time when he wasn’t wrenching. Watching him work was like watching a surgeon.

 

[nissanh]

A 140 K miles if WAY too early for a toyota alternator to die. If it is aftermarket, then yes. how are the battery terminals and clamps? If those are loose, then the rectifier/diodes can blow. Good you got help from fellow humans.

 

[daohaus]

I'm glad it worked out for you and your better half. There are good people out there still.

 

[flintknapper]

A 140 K miles if WAY too early for a toyota alternator to die. If it is aftermarket, then yes. how are the battery terminals and clamps? If those are loose, then the rectifier/diodes can blow. Good you got help from fellow humans.

Oh....I don't know about that. Just depends on what it has been subjected to. After all....Toyota saw fit to place it right down at the bottom of the engine where it is exposed to every contaminate able to reach it. And then stuck the damn starter *a mostly sealed and trouble free part* up under the intake manifold. My alternator failed at about 185K miles.

Not mine below....but an example of what can happen due to location.

 

[100d ua]

Glad that things turned out overwhelmingly well given the situation you found yourself in! Unfortunate that it happened at the start of your trip though! I recently had to replace my alternator at the comfort of my home and it was NOT pleasant at all, especially in the heat. I'm surprised to see how optimistic people on here are about removing the alternator from the bottom, it didn't look like there was any room due to some lines running at the bottom for me to finagle mine out that way. I ended up having to go from the top of the engine bay without draining the power steering line and it was utterly miserable busting up my knuckles the whole way.

 

[94SRUNNER]

A 140 K miles if WAY too early for a toyota alternator to die. If it is aftermarket, then yes. how are the battery terminals and clamps? If those are loose, then the rectifier/diodes can blow. Good you got help from fellow humans.

On my 06', I had my first alternator (and was the original Toyota/Denso unit) failure at 137k (then had a series of additional aftermarket alternator failures). I purchased our 100 with 135k and am only the second owner. Based on what I know the 1st owner used it only as a DD and that is all we use it for. IMO, the alternator used in the 2UZJ was not as reliable as the other alternators Toyota used. Not necessarily an apples to apples comparison, but my 80 Series at 312k on the original alternator when I sold it.

 

[nissanh]

I find mechanics who has know idea about toyota parts inform toyota truck owners to replace this and that just based on mileage. Unknowingly, the owners end up in never ending money pit afterwards.

Can the engine be washed at some point? Loose battery clamps and certain faculty batteries are known killers of rectifier inside the alternator.

My 92 corolla at 280K miles and only got a brush kit: Same with LC100 at 239K miles and 4Runner at 218K miles.

 

[flintknapper]

On my 06', I had my first alternator (and was the original Toyota/Denso unit) failure at 137k (then had a series of additional aftermarket alternator failures). I purchased our 100 with 135k and am only the second owner. Based on what I know the 1st owner used it only as a DD and that is all we use it for. IMO, the alternator used in the 2UZJ was not as reliable as the other alternators Toyota used. Not necessarily an apples to apples comparison, but my 80 Series at 312k on the original alternator when I sold it.

Yep, have 326K on my original alternator. 80 series

 

[100d ua]

Yep, have 326K on my original alternator. 80 series

My OE one went out at 250k

 

[Njck22]

I had to replace mine at 130k. Reman Denso from an authorized dealer. could have been it died from trying to jump start someone with the engine running. Or too much debris going through it. Left me stranded on a ranch an hour from home with a car full of friends. Not a good look Mr. Landcruiser.

 

[medtro]

Oh....I don't know about that. Just depends on what it has been subjected to. After all....Toyota saw fit to place it right down at the bottom of the engine where it is exposed to every contaminate able to reach it. And then stuck the damn starter *a mostly sealed and trouble free part* up under the intake manifold. My alternator failed at about 185K miles.

Not mine below....but an example of what can happen due to location.

Was the alternator a result of skid plate removed?

 

[flintknapper]

Was the alternator a result of skid plate removed?

No...combination of deep water and grass. And with skid plate/covers in place....if you back up, all kinds of crap can accumulate anyway.

Alternator is in a horrible spot for water ingress, salt, dust, dirt, engine oil from leaks, etc....