The srangest thing happened to me last night on my way home from work. I hit my brakes lightly and my radio turned off. I released the brake and my radio came back on. I thought it was just a crazy random thing that happened and just ignored it. Then I put on my turn signal and my radio flickered off for a second again!
After that everything was cool. Until I cranked my heater from low fan speed to high. Everything on my guage cluster went almost completely out. There was a slight glow left but hardly any to see AND my radio went off again and stayed off. I brought the fan speed back down to one and all the lights came back on like nothing ever happened.
The engine didn't have a sliht hiccup at all during this whole charade.
i go to turn my truck over this morning and it was as iff I had a completely dead battery. My radio wouldn't turn on, the guage cluster was completely motionless. My headlights came right on when I tested them though.
I'm thinking perhaps my truck has enough juice to power my headlights and not enough for my radio or guage cluster and that my alternator died. I can't see it being a bad connection or ground because my radio would not come up.
Any thoughts??? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

my freinds toyota did almost the same thing and it had a bad altenator.

You might want to visit our Toyota section a little more often; link up in header

http://www.4x4wire.com/toyota/maintenance/alternator_brushes/

Take it to a parts store when your'e done to have them test it before you toss it back in the truck.

If your alternator doesn't have any output, your battery will die.

Time to start reading and learn a little more about how stuff works

www.autoshop101.com BOOKMARK IT! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

yah, he's right. don't wait till your alternator gone bad, or your whole Toyota truck conk out.

I'm no rocket scientist, but I know how stuff works. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/shame.gif" alt="" /> the symptoms didn't seem like just an alternator problem. Hence my intruige.

I finally got to investigate the issue this weekend. Turns out my main fuse, alternator and starter switch all ran their lives to the end all at once. replaced all three and without even charging my battery, it started like a champ. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

It takes a lot to blow the 80A main. Sure nothing is grounding out on the chasis?

the radio thing used to happen in my old chevy blazer. i hooked a #10 gauge wire from the negative battery post and grounded it to the frame- no problems since.
worth a try maybe??

SHORT

Cool; probably wouldn't hurt if you get a little extra time to unbolt the fuseblock and do a visual inspection underneath to make sure none of your wires are chaffed.

Just cheap insurance. This stuff starts gettin' brittle when it gets old. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />