help? - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

Creeps228 · 07-04-2007, 10:47 PM

I was on vacation and my car was with my cousins....they told me that when they went to the mall and turned it off when they tried to turn it on, it wouldn't run. Long story short...i went to see whats going on with it...i went to check it out...i started it up and there was a spark near the intake but the car was running...although the car was running none of the electrical things inside the car were working...then my step father disconnected one of battery terminals and the engine shut off...he said the alternator was to keep the car running...so took out the alternator...is that the thing thats wrong with it.

bigbird · 07-04-2007, 10:50 PM

well hes right about the alt is supposed to keep the car runnin even without the battery. but is sounds like u have a short and that short prolly fried ur alt.

Creeps228 · 07-04-2007, 11:03 PM

oooooooooo...ok...we going to get the new alternator...but i was wondering if a v6 alternator would work for a i4?

bigbird · 07-04-2007, 11:16 PM

that i dont know, but id fix the short first if u can, dont want to blow another one.

Creeps228 · 07-05-2007, 12:16 AM

the thing is i dont kno if its a short or not, i wasnt here when the car messed up...hopefully it was the alternator that was blown out and didnt give any power to the electrical stuff inside

dc_98_cam · 07-05-2007, 12:28 AM

If the alternator is out of the car, take it to a parts store. They should have a machine to check it out and determine if it is working correctly. However, you want to be sure that the other wiring in the engine compartment is connected properly, with no loose ends or burnt insulation, or anything else that looks like it might be a problem. ... You have not really provided enough details for anyone to guess what might be wrong.

Creeps228 · 07-05-2007, 12:38 AM

the thing is i dont know whats wrong with it, i was away on vacation when the car broke down.

Here are the problems:
No Power Windows
No Power Locks
No Gauge Lights
No Power Side Mirrors
No Signal Lights
No Brake Lights
No Wipers
Alarm wont sound or take affect
No rpm,hot/cold,mps,gas needle movement

Engine is working fine, it ran with the battery...headlights turn on engine revs and everything

But as stated above its suppose to run on the alternator with the battery disconnected onced it is started, we removed one battery terminal and the engine instantly dies. Im guessing the alternator wasn't putting out any current to the electrical things to the car. The car isn;t with me in NY its at my cousins house in NJ, we're going to get a new alternator hopefully that'll fix the problem with the engine dying after being started bcuz it should run on the alternator and maybe the new alternator will fix the electrical problem.

96CamrySport · 07-05-2007, 12:58 AM

that's a lot to have stopped working. Check your fuses, and more likely, fusible links. If voltage is too low, you won't have those things, but you won't start the car, either. I'd take that alternator to a parts store for testing and to make sure you get the right replacement because the v6 and i4 are NOT the same.

Creeps228 · 07-05-2007, 01:06 AM

thats what im going to do in the morning...im thinking electrical wuse a fuse could have blown but it cud also b the alternatir since it didn;t have enought power to keep the engine runnig without the battery it may not have enought energy to power the all the fuses

bigbird · 07-05-2007, 01:10 AM

wait, in ur origional post, u said there was a spark near the intake, that usually means short.

Creeps228 · 07-05-2007, 01:33 AM

my cousins boyfriend said there was something that was disconnected around and he tighten it or something, but we has removed the alternator by that time

Mike Gerber · 07-05-2007, 03:22 PM

"then he disconnected one of battery erminals and the engine shut offf...he said the alternator was to keep the car running..."

First of all, stop doing this. This was an OK test many years ago when car didn't have all the electronics they do today. I did it myself a few times back then. The voltage spikes caused by disconnecting and reconnecting the battery on a running car today can damage some of the sophisticated electronics on today's modern cars.

Second, listen to all the other posters. Check all your fuses and fusable links. One or more of them has probably blown to cause all these things not to operate. In addition check the ignition switch by wiggling it. See if any of these items come back on. Also take the alternator to a parts store for free testing since it is already out of the car. Replace it if it doesn't test out OK.

Mike

Creeps228 · 07-05-2007, 07:30 PM

BUt the thing is i cant atm im in NEW YORK, while the car is in NEW JERSEY, when i go back to NJ i'll check but hopefully the alternator will help..plus i already got a new alternator, i'll make sure that i'll check the fuses

dc_98_cam · 07-05-2007, 08:15 PM

Install the new alternator, start the car, and see if anything is obviously wrong .... headlights, accessories, etc. If something doesn't appear to function properly, look up the fuse location in the owner's manual and check that particular fuse. If there is something else that is not normal, try to post a description of the problem.

Creeps228 · 07-07-2007, 12:35 AM

OK today the new alternator was installed, there wasnt any spark, but i had to turn the key twice in order to start the car. All electrical problems still exisit.No electricity running to the insude if the car although the headlights work but the drl dont. The brakelights nor the signal lights work unless you turn on the hazards. But the weird thing is the car wont up shift...it stays in first gear, since i dont know that much about transmission i believe that a solenoid isnt recieving electricity.

Going to check to see if its a fuse thats blown tomorrow and hopefully that will solve my problem