Alternator Repair/Replace

[Peter]

i notice a pattern now. when the engine is cool and i start the car, it idles at 1500, then after i drive and the car warms up, i goes down slowly to 500. anyone have the idle ajustment page? davpak?

[Yanks0114]

i notice a pattern now. when the engine is cool and i start the car, it idles at 1500, then after i drive and the car warms up, i goes down slowly to 500. anyone have the idle ajustment page? davpak?

Well thats true about when its cold. Especially in the winter in NJ. There will be mornings when i'll get in the car and its 10 degrees out. My car idles at almost 2k rpms. Thats so it can get warm. Once it gets warm it should be 6-700.

[Flipside909]

i notice a pattern now. when the engine is cool and i start the car, it idles at 1500, then after i drive and the car warms up, i goes down slowly to 500. anyone have the idle ajustment page? davpak?

You don't want to adjust that. The ECU runs the engine at a higher RPM epsecially when cold to help warm the engine faster therefore spitting out less emssions when fully warmed up.

[Peter]

well, i should just get my alternator checked out then, i'll let you all know whats up

[DavPak]

i think that's the most frequently asked question at work in the winter. customers will come in and say that their car is racing or revving high. its perfectly normal for a toyota to do that until the engine is warm. also, the auto matics will not go into overdrive for the same reason.

[Yanks0114]

i think that's the most frequently asked question at work in the winter. customers will come in and say that their car is racing or revving high. its perfectly normal for a toyota to do that until the engine is warm. also, the auto matics will not go into overdrive for the same reason.

It also shifts much later and holds a gear for longer until it warms up.

[Jai_Jai_Binks]

i notice a pattern now. when the engine is cool and i start the car, it idles at 1500, then after i drive and the car warms up, i goes down slowly to 500. anyone have the idle ajustment page? davpak?

You don't want to adjust that. The ECU runs the engine at a higher RPM epsecially when cold to help warm the engine faster therefore spitting out less emssions when fully warmed up.

Ryan, i don't think Peter was talking about COLD weather affecting higher RPM's...he was saying after engine warm up its low as 500! I know some of us 5SFE celica guys had to adjust the idlerpm's (on a warmed up engine)...I don't think 500 is right, (more like 900-high 800's)....

[Flipside909]

Ryan, i don't think Peter was talking about COLD weather affecting higher RPM's...he was saying after engine warm up its low as 500! I know some of us 5SFE celica guys had to adjust the idlerpm's (on a warmed up engine)...I don't think 500 is right, (more like 900-high 800's)....

500 sounds about right actually. This morning my car idled at 550-600. For 1MZ it's range is 500-700 rpm. The Avalon idled at 600-700....sometimes as low as 500 on different occassions...of course climate related.

[Jai_Jai_Binks]

500 sounds about right actually. This morning my car idled at 550-600. For 1MZ it's range is 500-700 rpm. The Avalon idled at 600-700....sometimes as low as 500 on different occassions...of course climate related.

Learnt something new AGAIN today!
My 1mz idles at higher 800's (temp over at houston is high 60's)...Is that right? (I ask because even the ES300 1mz idles at the same range??)....

[Flipside909]

500 sounds about right actually. This morning my car idled at 550-600. For 1MZ it's range is 500-700 rpm. The Avalon idled at 600-700....sometimes as low as 500 on different occassions...of course climate related.

Learnt something new AGAIN today!
My 1mz idles at higher 800's (temp over at houston is high 60's)...Is that right? (I ask because even the ES300 1mz idles at the same range??)....

That sounds kinda high. How many miles do you have on the ES?

[Jai_Jai_Binks]

That sounds kinda high. How many miles do you have on the ES?

63K on the camry...and close to 92K on the ES. (all major services done at a toyota dealership for the lexus). ??

[Peter]

anyone in so cal know of a good junk yard where i could find an alternator?

[Peter]

would this fit?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayI ... 2406907349

[Peter]

i found a 4 cyl alternator, and i called toyota, he said it would bolt on, but the amp difference would mess something up. i dont see how different amperage can mess something up... please help

[homerj]

An alternator generates a sinusoidal AC waveform. What people refer to as the "voltage regulator" is actually a bridge rectifer (turns AC to DC) and a voltage regulator. Two things:
1) If the alternator can't source enough current into the regulator, the regulator wil stop regulating (also known as a brown out) and your alternator will stop delivering the 14 or so Volts that it was design for.

2) If your battery has been giving you problems for quite some time, it can fry the regulator. The reason for this is that the regulator is designed to deliver 14 or so volts to a 12V (or so) battery, resulting in a voltage drop of about 2 volts. Ampere's law Power=RMS voltage times RMS current, where the power is the heat disspated by the regulator, RMS voltage is the equivalent DC voltage drop across the regulator, and RMS is the DC equivalent current through the regulator. If the battery fails, voltage at the terminals will drop. at 10V, you're dropping 4V through the reg, at 8 you're dropping 6V, and so on. Simple math:
2V X 100A = 200Watts
4V X 100A = 400Watts
6V X 100A = 600Watts
etc
Over long periods, this contnuous heating can cause the Silicon in the rectifier to degrade and fail.

You probably need a new rectifier/regulator and battery. If you can find the rebuild kit, it should be cheaper than the whole alternator.