I'm still very new to this and have no other social media experience so I hope I'm putting this in the right place. Last time I butted into someones conversation or thread or whatever it's called and made people angry so I'm trying my best to figure this out. Too many things to click on that I don't know what they mean. So, I hope someone sees this. Please respond even if you can't help my issue to let me know if I'm even doing this right. And will someone tell me what the heck "tags" are? I left that blank. Sorry this is long. It's a squirrely problem.
Ok, I rebuilt my AC compressor and took it to a shop to have them draw a vacuum and put in oil and some of my precious stash of R-12, and do a pressure test. All went well and the AC is back to meat hanging temperature. I mention this just in case, but I don't think the issue is from this work because I did it a month ago and this problem just popped up in the last few days.
I hop in Elsie, (my 88 FJ62) head down the road and hit the AC. It comes on, but I notice it isn't blowing very hard while on high. Strange. Then I look at the clock and notice it is very very faint, can hardly see it. First thought is the lights are on. It was early and maybe my left hand just turned them on in habit after years of owning Elsie. I flip the lights and the AC starts blowing hard and the clock brightens, but I notice I had turned the lights on. I turn them off and all is well. Strange again. I ask my son who drives her too and he says he hasn't noticed anything like that. A couple of days later I hop in and the same thing. Low blow low clock. I flip the lights on and the turn signal arrows light up, the high beam indicator faintly lights up, the clock brightens and the blower starts blowing hard. Turn the lights off and blower soft clock dim but the turn signal lights stay on. I take the blower fan switch from high to low and the turn signal lights dim. Then I notice that if I engage the AC button and flip the blower fan to low the signal lights dimly light, to medium a little brighter, high pretty bright, but still blowing softly. I turn on the lights and hear a buzz down by my left foot. Sounds like a relay. I've worked on just about every machine type and have dealt with relays on Volvo wheel loaders and excavators (a typical problem with them) and know that sound.
Turn the AC off, lights off. Wait to jack with it when I get home. Get home turn the AC to high, same signal lights on, flip on the lights, buzz starts, check the headlights, nothing, not even dimly on, do the half crab walk to look up under the dash above the pedals and find the relay outlet up against the drivers side wall and high. Feel them and the brownish/red square on is the one buzzing and the one next to it to the rear of the truck (silver and round) is pretty warm.
Now, relays can last a long time, and they can go out. But, often they go out because something is exceeding the specified load. Half the time when they buzz, they will be dead soon, and it is just the relay. Half the time they die, get replaced and then start buzzing again and you have to go digging through a spaghetti of wires to find the problem.
During all of this the charge/voltage/battery gauge has stayed between the "good" two white lines toward the top of the gauge and barely move a half a needle when I engage the AC or blower or lights and buzzy relay.
I opened the hood and checked the AC switch line. It's fine. I noticed my 29 year old original negative lead connector was not real tight on the battery pole and couldn't be tightened anymore. So, I changed that because I should, but didn't expect it to solve anything. It didn't of course.
I've replaced the buzzy relay but nothing changed. I'd love to have a guide to tell me what each of the relays on that outlet bank are for so it would give me something to think about or go on. Other than that, I'm stumped. I'm hoping someone will know exactly what it is so I don't have to start tearing things apart and putting a voltmeter to every harness and component and checking readings to the repair manual schematics troubleshooting guide. That's a PITA I'm not looking forward to. HELP!!! Thoughts?
Ok, I rebuilt my AC compressor and took it to a shop to have them draw a vacuum and put in oil and some of my precious stash of R-12, and do a pressure test. All went well and the AC is back to meat hanging temperature. I mention this just in case, but I don't think the issue is from this work because I did it a month ago and this problem just popped up in the last few days.
I hop in Elsie, (my 88 FJ62) head down the road and hit the AC. It comes on, but I notice it isn't blowing very hard while on high. Strange. Then I look at the clock and notice it is very very faint, can hardly see it. First thought is the lights are on. It was early and maybe my left hand just turned them on in habit after years of owning Elsie. I flip the lights and the AC starts blowing hard and the clock brightens, but I notice I had turned the lights on. I turn them off and all is well. Strange again. I ask my son who drives her too and he says he hasn't noticed anything like that. A couple of days later I hop in and the same thing. Low blow low clock. I flip the lights on and the turn signal arrows light up, the high beam indicator faintly lights up, the clock brightens and the blower starts blowing hard. Turn the lights off and blower soft clock dim but the turn signal lights stay on. I take the blower fan switch from high to low and the turn signal lights dim. Then I notice that if I engage the AC button and flip the blower fan to low the signal lights dimly light, to medium a little brighter, high pretty bright, but still blowing softly. I turn on the lights and hear a buzz down by my left foot. Sounds like a relay. I've worked on just about every machine type and have dealt with relays on Volvo wheel loaders and excavators (a typical problem with them) and know that sound.
Turn the AC off, lights off. Wait to jack with it when I get home. Get home turn the AC to high, same signal lights on, flip on the lights, buzz starts, check the headlights, nothing, not even dimly on, do the half crab walk to look up under the dash above the pedals and find the relay outlet up against the drivers side wall and high. Feel them and the brownish/red square on is the one buzzing and the one next to it to the rear of the truck (silver and round) is pretty warm.
Now, relays can last a long time, and they can go out. But, often they go out because something is exceeding the specified load. Half the time when they buzz, they will be dead soon, and it is just the relay. Half the time they die, get replaced and then start buzzing again and you have to go digging through a spaghetti of wires to find the problem.
During all of this the charge/voltage/battery gauge has stayed between the "good" two white lines toward the top of the gauge and barely move a half a needle when I engage the AC or blower or lights and buzzy relay.
I opened the hood and checked the AC switch line. It's fine. I noticed my 29 year old original negative lead connector was not real tight on the battery pole and couldn't be tightened anymore. So, I changed that because I should, but didn't expect it to solve anything. It didn't of course.
I've replaced the buzzy relay but nothing changed. I'd love to have a guide to tell me what each of the relays on that outlet bank are for so it would give me something to think about or go on. Other than that, I'm stumped. I'm hoping someone will know exactly what it is so I don't have to start tearing things apart and putting a voltmeter to every harness and component and checking readings to the repair manual schematics troubleshooting guide. That's a PITA I'm not looking forward to. HELP!!! Thoughts?