Hilux Alternator, help please
Submitted: Friday, May 23, 2014 at 07:54
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Member - lyndon NT
Hi All
Have a mate staying with us who had a warning light come up on his dash yesterday, Hilux 2006 T/D. He checked the book and it said something to do with the electrics. Anyway, checked battery voltage, 12.1V. Battery is new this week and he had just driven
home from work. Tonged the alternator and only registering 4 amps. Have the windings in the alternator died or has a fuse blown (would expect no charge on the meter for this though, unless it is just an interference reading). Can someone refresh my memory of how to
check individual battery cells with a multimeter. I used to know how to do this but can't remember now.
I have posted a couple of POOR photo's of the fuse box. The chart matches the fuses until you get up to where the alternator fuse etc should be. There is a copper rail in a clear box, can someone explain what this is for and how it works?
Thanks
Lyndon

fuse box

fuse box

fuse box
Reply By: Ross M - Friday, May 23, 2014 at 09:53
Friday, May 23, 2014 at 09:53
Using a clamp meter is an inaccurate way of measuring amps. Unless zeroed and zeroed it can read 4 amps when there is none flowing at all.
If the voltage at the alternator output terminal does not increase when started then there is no output happening. The only way amps can flow is if the pump is higher pressure than the tank.
At a rough guess I would say if the vehicle has a few KM's on it, then the alt brushes are worn out or stuck.
Try applying small hammer to case of alt to shake brushes around. If it then works, clean and service brush holder or fit longer ones which will reach the slip rings..
Fuses will only be blown etc if there has been an anomaly in the system.
The copper bar in the box is either a fuse or a busbar connector for the distribution of 12v power.
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