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battery light on at high revs

S

steener

CEG'er
Joined
Jul 7, 2000
Messages
38
Location
Ottawa, Canada
Lately, when I rev the car above 5300 or 5400 rpm, the battery/alternator warning light comes on. Happens in 1st, 2nd and 3rd gears - haven't revved it that high in 4th or 5th lately :)

Battery is fairly new - 24 months, maybe - and if alternator was failing, I'd think the warning light would be more likely to come on at low rpm.

Any ideas? Thanks.
 
It is the alternator.

It makes contact at slowe speeds, but once you start revving it up it wont catch.

You could drive on it for awhile potentially, I did. But then the alt **** itself.
 
Should get it fixed ASAP. But first, check if wiring from battery to alternator and to ground is loose. Sometimes that will cause the Battery/Charge light to come on too.
 
I drove the car for 4 months with that light coming on consistantly above 4500 rpm. However it just died one day, so I suppose it varies from car to car.
 
Thanks for the advice. Guess I'll do some shopping.

I haven't looked, but I assume switching out the alternator can't be that complex.
 
Belt and wiring all looks fine, so I guess it's the alternator.

It's in a heck of a place to get at, and my Haynes manual describes removing the right front wheel, removing the fender liner, disconnecting the drive shaft (somewhat special tools required, not to mention skill) and the y-pipe, and then going at the alternator. Has anyone done this from above - do I really need to take half the car apart?
 
That is an incredibly helpful bit of work that Ray has done there. Haynes should put him on retainer....far better practical instruction and pics.

How would we go about getting that posted that in the "how-to" section?

(At the same time, after swapping out the alternator on my kid's old Corolla the other day, in about 15 minutes, you gotta wonder what lunatic thought putting the alternator THERE was a good idea.)

Thanks again, chaps.
 
That how-to IS in the how-to list, under the Duratec Maintenance FAQ. [polishes nail on shirt] Being a moderator, I don't have to worry about getting a how-to in there.. [/polishing]


:D :D :D lol . Thanks, man. Its not that hard, unless you have a bolt that is rusted in there, then OUCH.
 
steener said:
...(At the same time, after swapping out the alternator on my kid's old Corolla the other day, in about 15 minutes, you gotta wonder what lunatic thought putting the alternator THERE was a good idea.)
....
Click to expand...
Most newer V6's, Toyota included, have the alternator at the bottom due to space constraints. ;)
 
isn't that flickering high rpm light fixable with the golden tour's wire fix? i have had that problem forever, and have changed 2 alternators, and belt and it never goes away...comes on at about 6.5k rpm. tensioner is also good, and all connections are normal!!
 
I know you said you checked the belt buuuttttt double check and make sure it is looped properly. I had similar symptons and halfway through putting in a new alternator, we realized the belt was installed wrong (thanks ford service techs) and just barely touching the alternator.
 
Duh. I didn't look at the how-to list in the forum; I was looking in the How-To on the home page. I take it all back, except the compliments to the author, of course!

And thanks, hotdimmes, I will take the time to examine the belt a little more closely - I just checked it for wear, not to see whether it was actually seated properly.

I'll also have to have a look at this "golden tour's wire fix" thing.
 
Same problem got worse MAYBE NOT ALTERNATOR

Same problem got worse MAYBE NOT ALTERNATOR

Ok, so I thought it was the alternator. Same symptoms, around 5K i got a light. Last night, I started to get the light solid. Drove the car home, and looked at it this morning. The first thing I noticed when I started it with the hood open was a slight squeal. Almost like a slipping belt, not not really that loud. So, I check that everything is moving, and wouldn't ya know it, the A/C Compressor has frozen. So I shut the car off, and see how easy I can move the belt, and it stretches pretty easy. I just put that belt on in the spring. My guess is that the Compressor has been failing, and at high RPM the drag of the A/C caused the belt to slip. So today I will go get a belt without AC and bypass the compressor. I'll keep you updated.
 
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