Help! Alternator problems

I am requesting the help of TacomaWorld. Within the last couple of days I have started having trouble getting my truck to start. I was assuming it was the battery. Today I went to Auto Zone so they could check my battery. They told me that believe it's my alternator and not my battery. They said my battery is at 47 percent and my alternator was showing 12 volts when it should be showing 14? Not sure what the altenator volts mean.

I am kicking myself because Wednesday I took a couple friends exploring in the woods and we hit some mud pits and now I'm wondering if I did this to my altenator. We went out Wednesday and the Problems with my truck started Thursday morning. Could water have damaged my altenator? Is there anything I can do myself to try and fix this?

Thanks in advance. And worst case scenario, does anyone know how much I should expect to pay for a new alternator in a 2010 Taco?

 

Here is the parts list and prices 2013 Toyota Tacoma Pickup.pdf

1GR-FE Charging
Charging System: Precaution, Parts Location
Charging System: System Diagram, On-Vehicle Inspection
Generator (For DENSO Made): Components, Removal, Disassembly, Inspection, Reassembly
Generator (For DENSO Made): Installation
Generator (For BOSCH Made): Components, Removal, Disassembly, Inspection, Reassembly
Generator (For BOSCH Made): Installation

 

The workers at parts stores are normally hack jobs that don't fully know the ins and outs of every vehicle. Good choice coming here for advice on your Tacoma.
<-Certainly can damage or clog up your alternator. The charging systems in our trucks are smart charging systems. The ECU controls how much output charge the battery and electrical system get. So this means the alternator isn't always putting out the stated 14 volts.

Here is a thread to read, pics aren't working in it.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/how-to-change-the-alternator-on-a-2nd-gen-tacoma.175116/



*my buddy after hitting too many mud holes, his alternator quit charging, auto zone didn't have a new alternator for the non tow package, the tow package alternator is more expensive, I cleaned the mud out of the brushes in the parking lot and the old alternator has been good since, circa Oct 2015.

 

^^^^^^^^

 

Hahaha awesome. How did you clean out the altenator?

 

Cleaning out the alternator brushes. The Allen key is important to note to keep the spring loaded brushes retracted during reinstallation, when the mud is cleaned out they should spring freely.







*my brushes from replacing my diodes, link in next post.


Windrock offroad park

 

Another issue I've come across is the diodes failing.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/2nd-gen-1grfe-alternator-rebuild.453757/