Charging System Problems: Toyota Highlander
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- Опубликовано: 24 май 2017
- Hey, it's another Toyota...and it's not a rusty exhaust pipe this time!
This 2007 Toyota Highlander almost left its owner stranded...well it got him to work and then completely died in the parking lot.
Sounds like a job for Pine Hollow Auto Diagnostics!
Enjoy!
Ivan
Jump pack: NOCO GB70
no.co/gb70
AC/DC Amp clamp multimeter: Craftsman Professional Model73756:
www.sears.com/craftsman-profes... 
Авто/Мото
Something I admire about your vids is the fact that you go the extra mile to teach and show us all the possible roads to get to the same place. Yes, it was quickly deduced the battery and alternator had gone kaput, but still you showed different methods to be sure about that... Diagram, amp clamp, scope..... No stone was left unturned!!! Hats off to you!!! Thanks!
Thanks for the feedback! Yeah why not try a few different methods if the opportunity is there. Ootherwise it would have been "dead battery, noisy alternator...replace both, done" :)
I've seen techs get that moaning noise confused for power steering noise, when it's bad diodes in the alternator. Great video Ivan!!
I had a power steering pump that HOWLED like a banshee when it got down to 5'F or so. It screamed 'I'M COOOOOOOOLD!'
For a vehicle to have that many miles and no complaints is pretty good. I think Mark Thomas nailed it, that dude was shorted internally. Good to see your videos Ivan, I really look forward to them.
As always Wyatt, I appreciate the supportive comments :)
Thanks for sharing your willingness to learn when a chance presents itself. That inspires and makes videos like this a win/win. Thanks Ivan!
Thanks as always for the comments, John!
Cool video Ivan. Glad you brought us along. I have the same meter and the owners manual says to disconnect the leads before using the amp setting but you just switched between volts and amps with no problem.
the rectifier in the alternator is shorting inside straight to ground.
Mark Thomas Yes.. that part trashed the battery...
And I'm going to guess road salt corrosion is what did it in, if you were to crack it open and look.
Mark Thomas Bingo!
Hey Bro
Don’t sweat the guys hating on your camera work or not explaining all of the intimate details of voltage/current readings. Honestly I’ve come to respect your videos for being a little raw.... true to life more like it. When things are too polished it gives an unrealistic view that you simply walk up to the vehicle plug in your scanner and walk away with a clear cut 100% diag in a few moments. Seeing you struggle through the internal thought process is both interesting and entertaining to me. Besides there’s this confidence you portray.... any guy that can get a following like yours without even combing his hair. I love it!! Keep it up.
Hey Kevin, thank you for the motivating words! I really appreciate it!
This might sound like one of Eric’s O’s famous one liners but I promise it’s mine.....
“If you can’t be an athlete..... be an athletic supporter!” (Pun intended of course)
It’s sort of my lot in life to be an encourager.
Awesome video, Ivan!!! My mother bought a new highlander in 2015. Long life vehicles.
Nice job Ivan. I will admit that I was geeking out a little bit on those negative amp wave forms
Nice job Ivan. That poor alternator screaming then flat lining..... Lol Cars do have souls! :)
Nice seeing what the waveforms looked like. When the alternator goes that bad it usually takes the battery with it, especially if it's got some time on it.
Nice diagnosis Ivan! Rectifier bridge diodes bad which accounts for your battery drain and excessive AC ripple. Walmart replacing the battery was nice so customer now has a new charging system.
yup, probably had a draw..key off..I bet the "S" terminal on the alternator had power.
Yes I was very pleased with the WalMart warranty! It took them an hour to test the old battery, and it failed (thankfully).
I was hoping , since you smelled something burning , and the alternator was screaming you would put your hand on it , to see how hot it was, if it had a fever , than its sick!
Love your toyota videos. Two in a row!
I didn't want to bother you with my problem with my 2004 Toyota Highlander 4 cylinder, but after looking and looking and finding nothing, I'm now desperate. Occasionally ALL my dash lights will come on and go off..or at least some will come on & most will go off. I remove the - battery terminal to clear the other lights and that works..for a while..this all started with the battery light. After testing with my multi-meter and seeing and over charge condition, I had the voltage regulator changed. .but! later..I found my multi meter was defective!( damn). I've pulled interior panels and covers from front to back expecting to see corrosion or chewed wires from a mouse. They all look brand spanking new. Don't know where t go from here. Thanx for your videos. I think your logical step by step approach is just what I need. I'd bring it to you by I'm too far away. Suggestions?
If it's similar to how all the lights turn on and some turn off when you start your car but it's happening while it's already been running then it may either be losing input from the pcm or the instrument cluster could be intermittently losing power if all wires are good you may need a new pcm
@@colepeterson9961 Thanks for the reply!
Hi Ivan, love your stuff. educational entertainment. checking for AC voltage is a quick way to check the diode function. cheers Steve
Nice scopeage Ivan. Thanks
Don't tell Scotty that there's a Toyota that developed a problem...he might have an aneurysm. ;) Great diagnosis!
Chris Freemessm cab opposition
I have a 2000 Camry, bought from carmax with 7500 miles on it. Now has over 150K, was submerged in a flood over seat panels in 2016. No water in engine or transmission, but insurance refused to fix and totalled it. Gave me $4500, bought back for $450. Pulled interior, cleaned it up, all wet connectors cleaned and lubed, power seat switch replaced. AC clutch moans a little, especially when NOT engaged. $18 bearing, too hard to replace right now. Drove car four more years now, bearing no worse in noise, AC still ice cold. Replaced alternator thinking it was responsible for noise, but it wasn't. Car looks and smells like new inside. Still an awesome performer V6. Needs struts and a timing belt job. People think those V6 engines aren't worth all the trouble to work on, but this one is still on original plugs and wires, runs excellent, smooth idle. Best car we ever owned, will be my teenage daughter's first car when I do the struts and timing belt job myself. Oh yeah, I had to clean the MAF once and replace one O2 sensor. Great car.
IVAN,good work as always keep'm rolling and thanks for sharing. cheeeeeeers
nice fix like always. thanks for showing that info on the pico
Nice video 👍, would be cool for you to explain a bit more when working on electrical for those who aren't too familiar with electrical and amperage draw
just wondering was it the battery that caused the alternator to go bad by using too much juice on account of high internal resistance ?
Nice one Ivan.
I’ve had toyota since 2013; and it has been so dependable.
nice work Ivan went smooth as cooking up your soup ☺
Hey btw where did you get the bike rack
Great video Ivan. Thank you.
Since I am not familiar with the scope output as you showed with the old alternator/battery it would have been nice if you could have shown what the wave forms looked like with the new alternator/battery as a comparison for educational purposes.
Paul
Hey Paul, yes I ak kicking myself for not doing an "after" scope capture. Maybe I'll add it as "bonus material" to another vid :)
Hi Ivan,
If you disconnect the connector on the alternator of a Nissan Juke,
and then the charging goes back up to 13.9v when it was 12v connected. What would be the next step of the diagnosis? Please help sir?
All that`s needed to spice this up is some video of "Toyota Jan" doing a little dance. Good job Ivan.
Thank you Ivan excellent video
Hi Ivan, where did you get your diagram?
What if i disconnect the battery + and -.And then disconnect all cables that go to the alternator and test with DVOM set in 'diodes mode'.Next put the red lead on alternator charging post and black lead on alternator case..If it's not open loop then we have bad diode bridge.Is it the same test?
Good job, thanks for sharing.
very good ivan
Unparalleled Tenacity!
I agree with viewer below, a comparison wave form of Good
& Bad Alt. could have been one more tool in your tool box.
It’s OK to show off a little. Nice Job.
Plenty of known-good ones running around...definitely worth having a waveform or two in the database :)
Great Video Ivan, Ivan do you use Pico starter test there you get battery test and alternator test with voltage, amperage, and ripple at one time also starter is included. I like when you use Pico a lot of details. By the way, starter test, in this case, is maybe not the way to go with a jump pack on the car
My batt . light came on a couple of days ago . Alt. not charging . I figured out that if i rev it up to 4000 rpm the light goes off and itb starts charging untill the next time I start it. Charges everytime Ive done this which is about 6 times so far . 2003 Toyota Sequoia 4.7 . Any ideas would be a big help . Thanks
wow! the NOCO has a magic button just like the Loadpro! cool!
hehe!
The only difference, is that the NOCO was actually very useful in this diagnosis! lol
I have an 07 highlander with a fairly new alternator and battery. good charge until you turn on climate control and it drops to around 10v at battery. do i condemn the alternator?
Current clamp switches to ac ---> alternator output is ac due to bad diodes in the rectifier bridge. The battery acts as a big capacitor smoothing out that ripple.
When the alternator died on my '83, the battery had just enough juice to get me back to the parking lot, lol.
Good job Ivan! I was hoping to see the picoscope waveform after the fix for comparison.
Ah I know! The owner was waiting for me to finish up so I had to scramble at the end :)
Pine Hollow Auto Diagnostics Pine Hollow Auto Diagnostics Thanks for the educational videos. I have been a scannerdanner premium member for 2 years and a few more on his free channel. Good thing that I seen the video where Paul, Eric O, and yourself were going to Ohio (my hometown) to visit ETCG on his annual meet & greet. Maybe sometime I will run into you at a campground. LOL! Keep up the good work.
Troubleshooting a 2010 Tundra's charging system. Thank you Ivan
Ivan what amp/multimeter are you using? I see so many different brands from 30-500 dollars. I am just a shade tree/ garage DIY mechanic that doesn't call for spending that much money for a full lab scope like a Pico.
Now that's Toyota quality we know and love. You can tell the customer really looked after their car engine was running sweet as a nut.
Yup purrs like brand new at 200k miles, no oil burning.
You can easily check the diodes when you pull the alternator out by putting your ohm meter on the battery post on the back of the alternator and the case of the alternator. You should get continuity in one direction only. I'll bet it was flowing pretty good in the wrong direction.
And, no way that reman alternator from Napa will last another 200K miles. The last Napa reman I put on my 98 Nissan 200SX barely lasted 30K. Fortunately, I got a lifetime warranty on the first one and they gave me another one...they didn't want to and I had to push it based on all the old paperwork I had.
Great suggestion on the diode test. Why didn't I think of that?? It is smart to keep the paperwork on any item that has a warranty for sure.
I'll bet that alternator was singing for a while, too...maybe not like it was on this day but it was likely making noise. I've seen alternators catch on fire on Hondas, just sitting there not running, when that happens. When you said you could smell something burning I was just waiting for it to happen.
With a bad diode, that could lead to the alternator putting out A/C current which is probably why you had those negative numbers showing on the pico.
Glad to see a new battery many make the mistake and start the vehicle on a low charged battery cooking the new alternator in no time as the brushes havent had a chance to break in like they should.
My 93 ford f-150 5.0 has Fluctuating rpm's and constant backfire, replaced failing fpr,iac and tps, please help.thks
Do you reckon the Alternator killed the battery?
Or the battery killed the alternator. Which came first the chicken or the egg? You really can't tell.
Some of this alternators have a clutch type pulley and if its the case that was the squealing noise and maybe that is why it was charging at times...
Good video
200,000 MLS, alternator has done well.
Deserves a new alternator.
The scope on this one made as much sense as looking for a pulse on a decomposing body.
LOL but the waveform was soooo cooool! Sorry I couldn't resist.
eldoradony just as Willy Wonka makes chocolate and Disney makes magic....Ivan uses the scope!!
eldoradony 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
This boy is scope happy. He had his diagnosis without the scope. I am not convinced he actually knew what the problem was and guessed a faulty alt and batt.
My 2001 Toyota Highlander had the same problem was the alternator good as new now
Ivan I would be very surprised if that battery in the sad condition it was in did not cook that reman alternator within two days, right.
I noticed u r using the Snap On leads on your Craftsman multimeter. That meter is really cool. It has starred in almost all your videos before u had Launch, Verus and Pico. U started with MaxiDas. Correct? Thanx Ivan!!
Hi Bill, yes the Verus leads work very well with any banana jack style meter. I have had the yellow Craftsman one for a long time and it has been very handy indeed. It is my go-to tool for charging system analysis.
Hey Ivan, what is the model of your Craftsman meter clamp? Great job confirming the problem!.
I put the link in the description...
Amp clamp defaulted to AC Amps why? Maybe it is designed that way. Some default to DC.
Nice one, Ivan. I mean, it's a Toyota vid so yea nothing too crazy. ;) But you spiced it up nicely with some waveforms. I just did one of these on an ES330 (same drivetrain). Exact same fix, new alternator and battery. When the alternator fails like this, it usually takes the battery out with it, especially if they got some some age on them.
As for that reman, they are a crapshoot, but what can you do? Surely won't do 200k like the original one, that's for sure haha.
And in my personal experiance, those Wal-Mart batteries are the best of the bunch. Every now and then I see cars come in with those over 5 years old and they are still truckin. I've never seen another brand do that. Of course I personally think all aftermarket batteries suck but the Everstarts seem to hold that record at least down here in South Florida where it doesn't get cold. I use and install Advance Auto batteries simply because the stores are all over and it makes warranty claims (which is often) more convenient no matter where the client is left stranded.
Yeah the EverStart batteries are actually decent. My favorites are the NAPA Legends. I got a whole nine years out of my last one and it would still start my van, but the capacity was getting low :)
Nine! That's a hell of a record. Too bad Napa's are few and far between in my area. I might try one of those for my personal truck and see how she goes. In the name of science, of course. ;)
My toyota avensis original battery lasted 13 years and it still was decent but cranking power was significantly lowered compared to new one so i didn't want to risk it being empty when i really needed it. Probably would have squeezed couple years out of it but i like driving knowing my car won't leave me stranded
There's only like two, maybe three, big lead battery acid manufacturers left in the U.S. They've all been consolidated.
The universe works in mysterious ways. This morning, my Autocraft battery was dead. LOL. 2.5 years into the 3 year warranty. Like clockwork haha. Off to get a free replacement.
Good thing about those Autocraft Golds, you pay for one, and usually get two out of the deal.
The old superstition is true... You talk about your car, it hears you, and it breaks, haha! Not even 24 hours later!
I just baught 07 highlander v6 3.3 just like yours It is good For towing Im thinking to Install tow hitch and Tow Small cars with tow Dolly what you think ?
ok
Wow Dude that Battery has a massive surface discharge.. On a Side note couldn't help but notice how nice your beard looks, let me know if you want a 'Straight Razor shave', its a Fun Hobby; been at now since 2011..
i have a question no body can seem to answer and it's came in twice at my shop now. I'll be honest, i did a lazy diag but it was a fairly easy one. Vehicle stalled out & only cranks, when you spray carb cleaner in the breather it'll start for a sec then die out. you'd automatically think fuel problem correct? turns out after replacing the fuel pump & diagnosing fuel I'm like wait, what if this isn't even a fuel problem. check spark, zero spark. my question is if its getting fuel with no spark, then how on earth does spraying carb cleaner get it to attempt starting. long post but please answer. thanks!!
Sean Day I would say the engine is dieseling on the starting fluid
I would have replaced that squealing alternator regardless of how it was charging.
That's how a alternator sounds when it's at max output!!
Yes I can make any alternator squeal like a banshee with my load tester
At less than a volt I would have removed the positive battery cable, with a battery that dead your boost pack might not start the car because too much current is being drawn charging the battery. I would probably spring for a new $150 battery if I got a reading below 5 volts, I would put it on a charger to assess the battery for diagnostics. With 200K miles and a noisy alternator I would replace it even if I found other problems.
why did the car shut off when you turned off your battery? Fuel pump went out? Wouldn't there still be some fuel in the engine?
12V electrical components like the PCM don't like to keep functioning when system voltage drops to less than half the designed value lol
Pine Hollow Auto Diagnostics Ah didn't think of that. 👍
it's worth saying you need to be careful with an unstable battery they can and do explode and that's no joke
HEEEEEEEEYYY Mr WIZARD!! 🧠🧠👏👏👏
falto colocar el traductor ,,,lo felicito muy buen vídeo
Mine has no power to the interior or fuse box under the dash.. headlights turn on... doesn't crank or start.. no lights on the dash at all... just blickimg security alarm light
mine has a new alternator with no output. ignition off 1 wire at alternator has battery voltage, ignition on then 2 wires have 12V.... red wire never has voltage, even when running
Our Highlander 2007 4 cylinder keeps messing up alternators. We've changed it twice in 6 months and the last time was only a week and a half ago. My cars Chevy Cobalt 2005 died while driving up a hill.
Nowadays batteries can die instantly, but check the CCA after charging the battery.
But i think you need a rebuild alternator.
Does it make anyone else sad that never again in human history will engines be made as good as those V6 Toyota units?
Nice Diag Ivan. Seen several cases of bad voltage regulators in Toyota alternators on the high mileage shitboxes i look after. Never seen one go that bad before.
yeah this one was by far the noisiest one I have dealt with lol
And that instantly recognizable Toyota V6 silky fast crank always brings a smile to my face :)
'Brand New' Remanufactured Alternator?...Lol....I like it🤣
check the voltage at the battery termnal and then check the coltage at the altinator terminal and then you will know where to look in case of a shorted wire on the unibody frame. you thought me this.
Nice !
Sweet!
I'm surprised no fuses blew.
Ivan, I am really surprised by your approach here. Gee, lets sit there and watch the alternator fry. "Kool!" "Neat!" Charge a dead battery with the alternator! But the exhaust is mint! Needs an alternator! "Wicked kool!"
Really Ivan, my approach would have been to remove and try a slow charge on the battery as it was totally dead. If and when it appeared to be charged, I would then do a load test on the battery, as it could either be internally shorted or have limited capacity. In this case, I am going to assume that Wal-Mart 's finding of a defective battery was correct and install a new battery, calling an internally shorted battery the root cause of the complaint. THEN - I would check the alternator output, ripple, etc, under load. If the alternator checks good at that time, given the mileage on the vehicle, I would strongly caution the customer that the battery failure has certainly put a heavy strain on the alternator and would recommend alternator replacement as a preemptive move to avoid what could be a soon - to - follow complete alternator failure (and a come back). Of course, if the alternator was DoA, I would inform the customer that the battery failure took out the alternator and that replacement was mandatory to effect a successful repair. Maybe I am too prejudiced from the 1990s and that "Great GM Feeling" I got with the CS series alternators that were running at 90% output, 100% of the time, when the battery was in great shape.
Step one, replace bad battery, then you can properly test alternator.
But in this case alternator whining with all the other noise,
All indications show bad battery and alternator, wasting a lot
Of time testing what is obvious!
вопрос
Вольво 2.4 дизель 2007 год
искали в чем проблема вибрации приводного ремня генератора...чтобы убедиться что проблема из за ремня (шум на холостом ходу) Сняли ремень..завели...и лампа зарядки на панели приборов погасла. Это Как?
в итоги поменяли для начала ремень....потом натяжитель.Не помогло
В итоге оказалось проблема в шкиве генератооа (при проверке на снятии ремне он крутился как новый)
А точнее в якобы во встроенном в шкив сцеплении.
Почему погас индикатор зарядки при снятом приводом ремне осталось загадка.
Допускаю что заряжает аккумулятор периодически...в целях экономии топлива.
а по видео жалко конечно что обошлось без горелой проводки
Будем ждать... :-)
глупый слон ;-)
Peter Riis кто?
что?
That battery probably burnt up the alternator if I'm not mistaken. Shorted so heated up the charging circuit. chi-na stuffs....damn.
regulator probably failed first, causing uncontrolled full output, which killed one or more diodes, then dead battery from it draining it. usually when it occurs, the "idiot" light wont come on.
alternative, customer ran battery dead, jump started and alternator cooked from large vehicle load + trying to charge battery.
of course, always unhook the alternator and check vehicle itself just to be sure and the battery was probably harmed from the deep discharge.
I've had ok luck with Everstart batteries.. have one in my town car now it's from 2009.. can still pull over 400 amps from it
Wow that is awesome battery lifespan!
Pine Hollow Auto Diagnostics yes, I retired the batteries from my 01 f350 diesel didn't wanna trust them anymore lol but good enough for a 4.6 town car 😀
Ivan. Wish you were here in california
High ripple voltage, rectifier shorted to ground!
"Never Start brand from walmart"! ROFLMAO!!!
I hate Walmart as much as the next guy, but you're wrong about Walmart batteries. For the price, they're the best battery on the market. Read some objective battery test reviews before publicly shaming a brand. Besides great quality for the price, they warranty them for full replacement better than most places.
Anyhow, I'd have loved for you to actually have explained in the video what failed in the alternator if you want to educate your viewers. Even the alternator hum/whine was a failure indicator.
nonetheless, good video. became aware of you after you visited Eric at South Main.
Thanks for the comment! Ah there's no public shaming, just having some fun is all... Yes, good point on a more in-depth explanation of the internal failure. Maybe a quick sketch of the circuit would help?
was this video noco paid- it still works for me, good one .
nope just showing what works in the field for me, unbiased and uncut!
Sometimes batteries that are shorting out internally will draw a lot of current and
If you put your hand in the side of the battery after the car has been running for half an HR the battery casing gets hot, this is loading the alternator and if allowed to continue, will exceed the output safe limit,
And in most cases destroy,
The output Diodes.
May not happen with computer controlled charging systems.
Seen Batts that are knackered destroy alternators , many a time
Definitely safety third testing a charging system with a questionable battery!! Lucky it didn't blow up in your face! Must have a known good battery to check a charging system! Being that the alternator needs battery voltage to create the magnetic field and charge!
Not bad for almost 200,000 miles if that was the original alternator. I have a 2006 highlander and my alternator went out at 104,000 miles.
Looks like alternator brushes are loosing contacts with the rings (brushes worn out).
My wife got stuck with her 06 Highlander. I put a new battery in
it, so I could drive it home. I ordered
a new alternator from a dealer, because the battery light was still on after I put the new battery in.
"NeverStart brand" LOL!
200k i'm assuming that was a Denso alternator? If so, that's a decent run.
Yup Denso it is!
Badass beard
sounds like the voltage regulator build into the alternator is the problem, as it was going in and out of votlage. Just my opinion
Those waveforms are REVOLTING!!
Paid 7,000 for my Toyota, and have driven it for 19 years. 275,000 miles, 1 afm, ball joints, 6 sets of tires. A/C still blows cold, original clutch.
Ta Ta Ta Toyota
You drove a used Toyota for 19 years? You poor thing...
My gfs 2008 Honda CRV, the alternator went haywire and fried her battery. So we had a new alternator 250$ and a new battery, 145$ installed and 120$ for the mechanic. So about 520$, she was not happy.