2002 Toyota Camry Electrical Problem - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

ramelan1 · 02-28-2008, 04:47 AM

ok anyone have this problem. about three months ago the battery light started flashing intermittently. then it starting staying on for some period of time. when i gunned the engine it would go off. well, the battery is new and the alternator tested fine, and the the first dealer i took it to said the alt belt just needed tightening.

i got the car from the dealer, and a day later it started doing the same thing. i took it to a second dealer and a thousand dollers later they said the the wiring harness from the computer module had to be changed. i got the car back from the second dealer, and a day or so later the battery light started flashing again.

i took it back and demanded that they find the problem and give me a car to use. this time they said a tsb had been found about the wiring harness for the alternator, and they fixed it without any charge.

two days after i got the carback the problem started up again and the battery light flashes intermittently now for about three weeks. it seems worse when i start up the car after it has been sitting out over night. the battery light blinks for a few seconds and goes off. as i said it does this intermittently and stays on until i hit the accerlator. so far the problem has not run down my battery, but is it very irritating. does anyone have suggestions????

Hajoca · 02-28-2008, 07:05 AM

How many miles on the alternator?
You may need the brushed inspected

There is a regulator check hole where you ground the regulator pack and can check if the regulator is the problem.

What is the battery voltage, and if you have a battery charger, charge it overnight at around 2 amps, no more than 3 Amps... see if that restores the battery since it has not been fully charged for the past few days. the light goes on if battery is not charging.

If it is original battery (2002 = +5yrs old) may be time to look for a new one, batteries do wear out and will not hold a charge, especially if it was under charged for a while. You can take the battery for a charge and load test.

***silver04rollas*** · 02-28-2008, 01:41 PM

It should be in the Camry section.

Moved!

TRD VVTi · 02-28-2008, 02:06 PM

So what were the results of a simple charging system test then the light was on?

Also, go see the Service Manager and get your money back. Apparently their repair wasn't related to the problem because it's still there. Doing other repairs at no charge has nothing to do with them taking your money for a repair that wasn't needed. It's still possible that it was, but not likely. Have them show you what was wrong with the old part.

marc780 · 02-29-2008, 04:03 PM

Quote:

If it is original battery (2002 = +5yrs old) may be time to look for a new one, batteries do wear out and will not hold a charge, especially if it was under charged for a while. You can take the battery for a charge and load test.

He's right, an old battery can still test in the acceptable range yet be performing marginally - and maybe then the alternator has to work much harder to try to charge a battery that is slowly losing its ability to hold a charge. Which might explain the blinking dashboard light.

Also consider this, one time i had Pep Jerks replace an alternator (i had to, it was warranty from them) and the stupid mechanic put on a replacement alternator with a pulley that was too small. And so it was impossible to get the belt tight enough because the alt ran out of travel in the adjustment. It took me weeks to track down this problem and figure out what was wrong.

Also bad replacement alternators are common nowadays, test the alternator again too.

ramelan1 · 07-22-2008, 04:09 PM

there is something wrong with the wiring between the alternator and the battery in my 02 xle. the battery slowly drains. it takes several months for this to happen. my mechanic ran a wire directly between the alternator, which is all right, and the battery, which is new, with an inline fuse and this seems to be a temporary solution. it keeps the battery charged enough although the battery indicator light occassionly flashes and stays on for a few seconds. the dealer near me changed the wiring harness between the BCM and the alternator and this did not solve the problem. supposedly there was a TSB regarding the alternator wiring harness and this was changed with no charge but the dealer did charge me over a thousand dollars to "find" the problem and change the wiring harness from the BCM to the alternator. is anyone aware of this problem or the TSB on it? i would appreciate any thoughts. thanks

TRD VVTi · 07-22-2008, 04:15 PM

How large is the draw?

What circuit is the draw on?

Adding a wire between the battery and the alternator will not eliminate a draw.

If the draw is within specs, several months to drain a battery is acceptable. That's why batteries generally get disconnected on vehicles that are stored.

Are you sure that you're not chasing a problem that doesn't really exist?

ramelan1 · 07-23-2008, 02:57 PM

Thanks for the reply. I don't know what the draw is or which circuit it is on, but my electrical system shut down completely today, and luckily, I had a battery pack and could get it started and took it back to my mechanic. When I got there, the battery was definitely being charged. He will start checking the alternator wiring tomorrow. Is there a way I can get to any Technical Service Bulletins relating to my vehicle? Thanks again.

TRD VVTi · 07-23-2008, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ramelan1

Thanks for the reply. I don't know what the draw is or which circuit it is on, but my electrical system shut down completely today, and luckily, I had a battery pack and could get it started and took it back to my mechanic. When I got there, the battery was definitely being charged. He will start checking the alternator wiring tomorrow. Is there a way I can get to any Technical Service Bulletins relating to my vehicle? Thanks again.

Try doing a search for TSB's in this forum, if you haven't already.

Maybe someone with access to TSB's can check for you. I don't have access any longer.

ramelan1 · 07-24-2008, 06:02 PM

Thanks for all the information and advice. The problem seems to be in the wiring from the alternator of the 2002 Camry XLE and the battery. My mechanic, Kremer's Garage in Ocean County, NJ, which has been owned and operated by three generations of dirt tracker racers, is having the alternator, which was recently installed, bench checked by a company that only works on alternators and generators. If it is not the alternator, then the problem would appear to be in the wires between the alternator and the battery. Can anyone give me an idea of a good price for this wiring harness? I understand that the manifold will have to be removed to change the wires. Once again thanks for all your help and support.

ramelan1 · 07-24-2008, 06:07 PM

The alternator was charging the battery when the light was off but was cutting off when the light came on. The alternator checked out okay and so did the battery.

Apparently, there was a TSB relating to the connectors to the alternator on this particular model, and those were changed. I think you are right and the dealer changed something that didnt need replacing, and didnt really find the underlying problem. Thanks, Richard

Quote:

Originally Posted by TRD VVTi

So what were the results of a simple charging system test then the light was on?

Also, go see the Service Manager and get your money back. Apparently their repair wasn't related to the problem because it's still there. Doing other repairs at no charge has nothing to do with them taking your money for a repair that wasn't needed. It's still possible that it was, but not likely. Have them show you what was wrong with the old part.