Power Electric Problems

[tunkmaster]

Hi,

Just over a year ago I purchased this Toyota Carina E CD 1997 car with only 42000 miles on the clock (now only 47000).

I am having a problem now I left the car sitting for a week and now the engine did not want to start. Seemed to me the Battery had died so I purchased a new Battery!! This starts the engine but at idle (with no gas) the electrics does not have enough power to work i.e. rev meter, temp meter, lights on dashboard etc.. So if I was to rev the engine between 1 and 2 the electrics start to come on.

The wearied thing I left the car running at idle for now 45 min and the engine stayed on. Also I rev at 2 rpm for 15 min all electrics stay on and still not luck.

Please can you advise as what is preventing the electrics coming on at idling or what is draining so much electricity?

Thank you for your time as I do not want to scrap the car PLEASE HELP!!

Regards

[BALIKBAYAN]

Check all fuses, specially those that are for charging.

Meassure the voltage at the Battery when the engine is idling. You should have 13-14 V when the engine is running. How is the belt for the alternator, does it have enough tension?

My guess is that you have a faulty alternator/voltage regulator.

[tunkmaster]

Check all fuses, specially those that are for charging.

Meassure the voltage at the battery when the engine is idling. You should have 13-14 V when the engine is running. How is the belt for the alternator, does it have enough tension?

My guess is that you have a faulty alternator/voltage regulator.

Thank you very much for the reply!!!

I tested with a multimeter the voltage and while the engine was at idle it gave me around 12.5v so it wasn't charging!! (Afterwards to try again the new Battery with a full charge did not seem to have enough charge to start the engine i will connect to a charger and see if that helps)

First if I want to eliminate the fuses do you know where the charging fuse would be located? Second removing the alternator if its faulty is that something i can do?

Regards

[BALIKBAYAN]

There are 2 fuses in the fusebox under the hood that is for charging it is a 7.5 A and 100 A. In the fuse box at footwell on the left side there is also a fuse for the charging it is a 40 A. My guess is that most probably it is the 7.5 A in the fusebox under the hood.

How many volts do you have at 1500rpm?

There could be many faults with the charging system. The alternator has plenty of things that could be wrong, the voltage regulator, a diod, It can be an easy fault too like the drivebelt tension or the cables to/from alternator. Double check those first before you start to dismount the alternator. It is not difficult to dismount the alternator, but be aware of the age of the bolts and that they might have some rust.

[tunkmaster]

There are 2 fuses in the fusebox under the hood that is for charging it is a 7.5 A and 100 A. In the fuse box at footwell on the left side there is also a fuse for the charging it is a 40 A. My guess is that most probably it is the 7.5 A in the fusebox under the hood.

How many volts do you have at 1500rpm?

There could be many faults with the charging system. The alternator has plenty of things that could be wrong, the voltage regulator, a diod, It can be an easy fault too like the drivebelt tension or the cables to/from alternator. Double check those first before you start to dismount the alternator. It is not difficult to dismount the alternator, but be aware of the age of the bolts and that they might have some rust.

Thank you for the reply! Was sick in bed all night and all day will try as soon as my head returns

[tunkmaster]

Hi,

OK!!!

I checked right away the fuses and I saw right away the 100 amp fuse was blown!

After searching google and spending an hour or so I finally managed to remove the 100 amp fuse(uncliping the left hand side part of the fuse box and some how wedging the left side up so that I can access the two bolts on the left and right side of the 100 amp).

I now need to find a place where i can purchase such an odd fuse!!

Thank you and hopefully it is only this that is the issue!

[tunkmaster]

I am back to square one!! I purchased a new fuse and as soon as i connected the Battery the fuse blew again. so to me it looks like a faulty alternator?

[BALIKBAYAN]

WOW, That was huge current in those wires. Did the fuse blow as soon as you connected the Battery? It sounds like you have a huge shortcircuit. Doublecheck that you have the wires correctly connected to the alternator. As I don't have any Carina anymore I can't go out and have a look at my alternator.

Have you had any jobs done recently on the car or did this just happen with 100 A fuse blowing without anything else done with the car?

If the wires to the alternator is ok. Then you should go for a second hand or a brand new, if you want to spend all those money a brand new cost.

[Parts-King]

The 100 amp fuse usually blows if you put jump leads or Battery on the wrong way round!

It could be a huge short in the alternator

Kingo

[BALIKBAYAN]

Who puts the Battery or jump leads wrong? The batterypoles and the wires are well marked with + & -.

[tunkmaster]

Hi,

Yes as soon as the terminal was connected i saw the sparks on the 100amp fuse and bang that was it. I havent yet touched any wire with any alternator or anything else other then that fuse. This leads me to the next point in the past 6 months i have had two alternator put into the car and now again it looks like that is why I am fed up going back to the same mechanic as this again frustrated me a little only after living the car for a week!!!

Though i unfortunately the family got inpatient with me trying to fix it and they found an auto electrician down the road i drove the car on Friday and so far he says that the fault is in the alternator again!!

He says he cannot do much until Tuesday

by the way if you try to pull the positive lead to the negative or vice verso they do not reach!! so I could have not and I know I have not connect the terminals the wrong way

I am not too pleased with the whole thing as the car has cost me quite a few pounds now!!! thanks for the replies!

[petroleum]

To be honest you might not have got the Battery terminals wrong but perhaps when you or your freinds jump started it when your first Battery was flat, you blew the alternator and fuses by getting the jump leads a little mixed up!!??

I have a similar mileage carina 1.8 auto and because i adjust the pully belts to a resonable tension i expect the alternator to run to at least a 100.000 miles I had a little daihatsu Charade Gtti with similar jap electrics that went way past that mileage and sold it without having to renew it

[sigvid73]

Hi there! I'm a new user here. I have '94 model of Carina E. When I swith on the 30AMP (F32) fuse in engine fusebox blows. It is sayd to supply F6 and F7. I have already removed F6 and F7 and it still blows. Have anybody an idea of what the problem can be?