What Battery? Replaced Failed Alternator, now battery failed (1 Viewer)

[West Hill]

Regardless of price, what are a couple of the best batteries for my Landcruiser? I have since installed an after market sound system with external amplifiers which certainly draw a lot more power.

Full audio upgrade, speaker sizes?

Mount it over the wheel well where the current factory woofer is. At six inches thick It will be close to flush with the well. If you’re good with the wood You could build a wood platform that curves to the wheel well radius. Just trace with cardboard. Secure at the base

forum.ih8mud.com

My wife was driving our 2000 Series 100 Landcruiser when the alternator failed, causing the battery to discharge to the point it left her stranded on the side of the road. Fortunately she had just taken an exit off the freeway or she would have been in serious danger. She is a petite women and panicked as the power steering, breaks etc. all shut off.

We had the car towed to a Toyota dealer to have the alternator replaced. They claimed they charged the battery. They gave me a list of recommended repairs but I declined preferring to use an independent service company. With towing, the dealer was the more convenient option for an alternator. One new issue was a check engine light that wasn't diagnosed.

The car had developed a serious misfire/s on the drive home that we didn't have before it was towed to the dealer. Funny how I leave with more issues than I had or knew about every time I visit this dealer. We haven't driven it since and I connected my CTEK charger to the battery and it is completely dead and will not take a charge.

Would a bad battery cause the check engine light to go on and could it cause misfires?

I had purchased a new Battery on 03/17/2016. (Toyota Truestart Battery FP Number 00544-27f60-710, 84 month warranty).

0054427F60710 - TrueStart Battery - Genuine Toyota Part

It failed and was replaced under warranty on 04/25/2018.

I don't know if the 84 month warranty starts over, if it does I am just past the 2 year free replacement but would still have the pro-rated coverage.

Thank you.

 

[thebeedeegee]

Can you jump the battery and get the truck to start? Then make sure you are seeing around 13v to 14v at the battery with the engine idling to see if that alternator is actually working. If the car cranked from the dealer the alternator should ha e charged it on the way home, sounds like maybe it discharged the whole way home?

I know low batteries can cause all types of weird issues so maybe it could cause a misfire, but I would pull the code and see if maybe you have a failed coil pack.

 

[West Hill]

I have not tried to jump start my Landcruiser, I first want to determine if the battery is salvageable.

I suppose I will call the dealer and check on warranty but I am not excited about working with them again.

The CTEX charger would not get past step 1 (Desulfation) after many hours and some research inferred it wouldn’t work on a fully discharged battery.

I have a second charger I connected and the lights immediately started flashing and the horn started beeping. I disconnected the battery and tried the charger again but the needle barely twitches and the manual says try it for 8 hours, it is likely a sulfation issue or a failed battery.

Thanks

 

[ramangain]

If a Costco is nearby, their Interstate batteries have a 3 year replacement, no Qs asked warranty.

 

[MJK]

My CTEK charger has revived a few fully discharged batteries if left overnight. If yours won't, I suspect the battery has failed.

I also run the Costco Interstate batteries after a handful of bad experiences with part store Duralast etc offerings.

 

[West Hill]

My CTEK charger has revived a few fully discharged batteries if left overnight. If yours won't, I suspect the battery has failed.

I also run the Costco Interstate batteries after a handful of bad experiences with part store Duralast etc offerings.

Just checked the Schumacher charger I have connected and it now seems to be charging. I have disconnected the battery terminals. It's charging at over 15 amps and hopefully holding the charge. I think I will let it run for awhile and then try the CTEK 5.0 again, maybe run recondition mode.

Costco suggests a 24F in their battery search. I believe I want a 27f.

Thanks

 

[AlpineAccess]

Several battery models are compatible - the posts need to be in the right spot and it needs enough cranking amps. Then you're primarily looking at overall capacity. The 31 is what many people with a single battery system use if they want to run extra accessories.

My 100 had a 24 in it when I bought it, and now has a 27 in it. I have seen absolutely no difference between the two batteries in performance.

24, 27, 31 are all commonly used in the 100 based on what kind of a discharge capacity you need over time. The 31 requires some minor modification to the battery tray for fitment, or buying an aftermarket tray.

Just pull codes for the misfire but you can always start with:

Check battery connections. Check grounding cables from battery to chassis. Check the connections on their alternator job.

Then look at stuff they removed to get to the alternator:

1. Airbox vacuum lines (highly likely they broke one or forgot to attach something) and box connection to throttle body clamp is tight and sealed.
2. Coil pack connections (they might have pulled on something) or a coil pack died and is misfiring.
3. Alternator regulator harness (harness comes out of alternator and runs to fuse box to tell the voltage regulator what to charge at) isn't connected, broken clip, or cut wire.

Alternator job isn't rocket science but can be more involved in terms of all of the stuff that need to come out for access. If they were in a rush, tired, or simply less organized than they needed to be you'll get a stumbling condition and/or misfire from not buttoning the job up all the way. They should have run the vehicle afterwards to ensure proper charging and to correct any conditions that popped up from their work, and they definitely should have tested the battery knowing the alternator had failed to charge and the vehicle had taxed it.

Simple stuff that the dealerships seem to miss often these days.

Good luck and report back

 

[West Hill]

Thank you the detailed reply. I haven't done mechanical work on my Landcruiser so will need to search to understand where to look for the parts you mention. Not that I can't figure it out if I want to but working on cars in just not something I enjoy.

Would be nice if the dealer would check and admit if they did break or miss something but I can't imagine that ever happening.

I'll look at your suggestions and follow trouble shooting 101; is everything plugged in.

My CTEK charger is now working after getting some juice in my battery with the other charger and I am running the recondition mode.

Thanks again.

Several battery models are compatible - the posts need to be in the right spot and it needs enough cranking amps. Then you're primarily looking at overall capacity. The 31 is what many people with a single battery system use if they want to run extra accessories.

My 100 had a 24 in it when I bought it, and now has a 27 in it. I have seen absolutely no difference between the two batteries in performance.

24, 27, 31 are all commonly used in the 100 based on what kind of a discharge capacity you need over time. The 31 requires some minor modification to the battery tray for fitment, or buying an aftermarket tray.

Just pull codes for the misfire but you can always start with:

Check battery connections. Check grounding cables from battery to chassis. Check the connections on their alternator job.

Then look at stuff they removed to get to the alternator:

1. Airbox vacuum lines (highly likely they broke one or forgot to attach something) and box connection to throttle body clamp is tight and sealed.
2. Coil pack connections (they might have pulled on something) or a coil pack died and is misfiring.
3. Alternator regulator harness (harness comes out of alternator and runs to fuse box to tell the voltage regulator what to charge at) isn't connected, broken clip, or cut wire.

Alternator job isn't rocket science but can be more involved in terms of all of the stuff that need to come out for access. If they were in a rush, tired, or simply less organized than they needed to be you'll get a stumbling condition and/or misfire from not buttoning the job up all the way. They should have run the vehicle afterwards to ensure proper charging and to correct any conditions that popped up from their work, and they definitely should have tested the battery knowing the alternator had failed to charge and the vehicle had taxed it.

Simple stuff that the dealerships seem to miss often these days.

Good luck and report back

 

[West Hill]

I was able to charge the battery and started the Land Cruiser today. Initially I was excited it didn't seem to be running as rough and the engine light wasn't on while idling in the driveway..

Unfortunately, once I started out the neighborhood and up a small incline the engine light started flashing and the power and engine response was weak. Still not the obvious miss-fire I felt before but I never tried to get it up to speed and likely would feel it if I did.

The battery charge needle was at 3/4, between 18V and mid-point.

What's the easiest, cheapest way to get the engine light code?

Thanks.

 

[AlpineAccess]

A dead battery can add a lot of resistance, you should pull it and bring it to an auto parts place and have it tested. It's also highly likely that these guys screwed up the alternator install (check the wire harness leaving the back of the alternator and check that they connected everything).

To pull codes, any of the plug in (bluetooth) code scanners - like the $10-20 variety found on Amazon will do. If you have IOS vs Android just make sure its compatible with your phone. Then download the Torque Application to your phone. Plug the scanner into the port just above the gas pedal, start it up, and pull the codes. If the engine won't turn over you can still pull logged/stored codes in the ACC position.

The Torque App will let you look up the codes and see what the 'memo' on them is. Post the codes here when you have them.

If you don't get a code right away, keep the vehicle running and rev the engine a few times (or just hold the throttle to 2k RPM for 20-30 seconds or until a code registers for the misfire. If its the battery though, you'll get a charging error.

 

[MJK]

^^ that is the most popular way to go.

Another option is to spend a bit more for something like an Autel AL539B, which contains a DMM and battery tester in addition to the OBD scanner. I bought mine to keep in my trail bag, but it comes out most often for the battery tester. It will tell you have many CCAs the battery has, which has helped me spot them as they are dying rather than after they do.

 

[nissanh]

When you charge a dead battery or any drained battery, aren't you supposed to go with low amps for a longer period of time?

I have 24F battery in the LC and it is Walmart MaxxStart battery. S.C johnson Control makes awesome batteries and MaxxStart is made by them. It comes with 5 year warranty (3 years full exchange and 2 pro rated)

 

[AlpineAccess]

The bluetooth to Torque App is my preferred method as I can pop my phone open and set it on the dash if I'm on a longer trip or running the vehicle harder.

Great for towing or when off road to keep an eye on temps.

 

[West Hill]

I ordered the Autel AL539B before I read your second comment. I understand the benefit of a Bluetooth model but I don't think I'll need to monitor live on a long trip. I also like the option of testing the battery and should get delivery of an Autel AL539B tomorrow, Wednesday December 2nd.

I don't really know what to look for but I can't see anything obviously broken or disconnected.

Another odd thing when starting the car yesterday, my new stereo head unit didn't turn on for a couple minutes. That has never happened before. I couldn't even raise the antennae but I believe that is connected to the new head unit so makes sense.

A squirrel has just recently taken a liking to my engine bay with the car sitting unused for the last month. I couldn't figure out why I kept needing to remove pinecone's until I watched a squirrel climb up from under the car on one of my security cameras. No harm done yet, not much of a nest if any built yet and I'm putting a couple bags with holes poked in them and a couple apple vinegar soaked rags. Any other deterrent suggestions?

I'll post the codes tomorrow if Amazon delivers the reader early enough.

Thanks.

 

[West Hill]

The AL539b was delivered a day early and I ran the codes. See attached and let me know if I did it correctly. I'll read the manual in a little more detail tomorrow.

And how do I get the cable off the car? I see what I think is a tab and I tried pressing it in but the cable won't budge and I don't want to break anything.

Thanks.

 

[bigredmachine]

And how do I get the cable off the car?

pull, you would have to try pretty hard to damage the obd plug by just disconnecting the code reader

 

[MJK]

Yep. Just pull hard. You test the battery yet? (use clamps on battery, follow menu)

You can also use the test leads to confirm voltage from alternator.

 

[nissanh]

Keep the hood open to deter mice and squirral away. I do it to my LC during the day time and no issues so far.

 

[West Hill]

Battery looks good. There wasn't a 710 option so ran 700 and 720. Do the OBD codes tell me anything in addition to the misfire text?

Thanks.

 

[West Hill]

I have to believe I need new coils and spark plugs.

Not sure I want to do it myself and just got a quote from Greg's Japanese Auto for $1,912.00 Ouch. I'd prefer to use Torfab in Everett but that is a 45 minute drive and don't know how much damage that could do to the car.