Voltage draw from Power Windows on 62

[Casey914]

Greetings and happy thanksgiving to you NA folks. I have an FJ62 that recently had a reman toyota oem alternator installed. Recently I noticed that when either the windows are the whole way up, or the whole way down, when you push the window switch in the same way the voltmeter in the gauge cluster pegs at the lowest amount. I havent put a real volt meter on the car yet but prior to getting dirty I figured I would ask the brain trust to see if this is something that is normally seen. I figure it might be a ground or something or possibly the gauge in the cluster is just buggered.

Thanks in advance!

Casey

 

[DirtRoads]

I can watch the volt meter move on my 62 when the blinkers cycle. I can't remember what it does when I hit the window button. I would probably not worry about it too much.

 

[Casey914]

Thanks, I recently installed heated seats. When they are on full bore they also hover close to the "8" mark... That is my reason for concern.

Any insight would be great!

 

[lovetoski]

You have a couple of things going on.
The alternators reaches its rated amps at 1500 - 2000 rpm. At idle, it may be at 1/2 or less the rated amps. Depending on what loads (fan, heated seat, lights, etc) you have, the battery fills the amp gap.
When you have a higher load on the electrical system at idle, the volts go down, this is normal. As long as your battery is in good condition, you're fine.
The power window is a load also, and the voltage drop here follows what I've described above. In addition, the rubber window run is likely old/worn/sticky. This increases the amps required by the motor to move it up/down, so the voltage drops even more. Replace the drivers side window run is a good option. Silicone lube on the window run will help shorter term.
Good grounds help to minimize system voltage drop. Search will bring you a number of options.
The original electrical system on a 60 series might be accumulating resistance, as a function of corrosion. This increases amp draw and thus also creates voltage drop. You can clean electrical connections as you work on the truck, especially those in areas where weather can make an impact.
Adding a wire (fused) between the alternator + and the battery is one work-around to minimize voltage drop. I wrote a thread in the FAQ on this topic.
HTH

 

[Casey914]

lovetoski thank you very much for your response. I will begin looking into the wire you spoke of.