Starter Motor or Alternator Issue - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

Redguyto · 08-04-2008, 10:06 PM

Looking for repair advice

As a Torontonian, my '92 Camry has honoured me with loyal service and companionship through 64 seasons of challenging and demanding weather.

Had an electrical short in the entertainment system (radio/cassette would not power up, couldn't even eject anything) that ultimately drained the battery. Charged the battery then the starter motor went....at least I hope it's that.

Have recharged the battery and am in the process of installing the new starter, but not sure how to deal with the fact that a potential electrical short will continue to be an issue.

Checked the fuses, all intact.....

ANYONE HAVE A GOOD SUGGESTION ON HOW TO IDENTIFY AND THEN REPAIR THE SHORT???

I have all the tools and my Haynes manual. Additionally, someone suggested if my wiring is old and corroded it may be an alternator issue, but when the battery was jumped the first time a few weeks ago, the charge was fine, all the power features on the car worked perfectly (except for the entertainment system) and even with a fully charged battery and lots of gas in the tank, turning the key in the ignition just resulted in clicking. The starter that was in the car was the factory original.

Would appreciate any advice.

Thanks,

Redguyto

Mike Gerber · 08-04-2008, 11:03 PM

If you are hearing 1 click and then get nothing when turning the key, you have a starter issue. More likely the contacts in the starter's solenoid are bad. This has been covered numerous times on this forum so do a search for "solenoid contacts" and read up on the problem and it's cures. If you are getting multiple rapid clicks, then that's a problem with the battery, corroded or loose connections at the battery or the starter, or possibly an alternator problem. An alternator problem could be the alternator itself or simply a loose alternator belt.

Mike

1996camry · 08-05-2008, 12:04 AM

If your alternator goes bad, it will grain your battery very quick... Inside the alternator, the voltage regulator maintain the charge when your car running and hold purely constant DC. ONe you first start the car, it use a little juice from your batter to start it up..then the alternator job to maintain DC charge while you're driving. Once you shut off, the voltage regulator keep DC level constant. If the voltage regulator goes bad, you could have short internal alternator..and it will drain your battery out... Only way to know, take it out..go any Auto have them run diagnostic to verify if you have a bad one... sometimes a short alternator it's hard to find....

hope this help...

***ASG14*** · 08-05-2008, 01:12 AM

Or in my case, and 2WickedToyz, the Alt shorted out and put more then 14.4V back into the car.......Oh fun times. And yeah, may as well have your Alt checked. AutoZone does it free of charge.

Redguyto · 08-05-2008, 11:29 AM

Thank you all for the great advice, much appreciated and I will check the forum for the solenoid run through.

Redguyto

mvftw · 08-05-2008, 11:42 AM

To check if you have a battery drain (short)...take off one of the battery leads and put a VOM (use high current scale first, then go to low scale) and put it between the cable (that you took off) and the batt. terminal. It should be around 50ma or very low current. Make sure all power is NOT running, like interior lights, the clock & radio will take some current, that's your low reading. If it's reading amps then you can find the bad circuit by pulls out fuses till the current drops...hope this helps...