Five alternators? Really??

RedManRocket · Oct 29, 2016

mikesedge[OP] initial post: ↑

So yeah, I just installed the 5th alternator that this truck has had (that I know of). It's a 2003 Tacoma V6 TRD Off-Road manual with 190,000 miles. The way I understand it, I should be on no more than the second one by now, and I've read that a lot of you have had the original well beyond 200,000. So what's going on here? I'm very curious if anybody else has had this issue. I'm pretty sure that at least once the alternator failure was my fault. I red-lined it a bit much fooling around and after that everything got really bright if the rpms got above 3500 or so. So that ONE is on me, but all the others are really getting me concerned, especially this last one and the one before it 6 months ago. I do drive a lot more now than I ever did. I drive an hour to and from work everyday. But it's a lot of highway miles and I'm usually not getting the rpms beyond 3K or 4K. Even still, the alternator shouldn't fail just because I'm going to work. So what's going on??? I feel like maybe there's another electrical issue somewhere else. Possibly drawing too much power from the alt and killing it before its time? Or maybe I should stop getting re-manufactured alts from Advance Auto and Auto Zone? The last one came from Pep Boys. Should I just get a brand new one from the dealer (or maybe Rock Auto or some place cheaper than the dealer)? I really want to figure this out because it's really the only serious issue I have right now and I wanted to go one more year with this truck before I go buying a new one. If I have to buy something new now I'm not gonna get what I really want.

So yeah, has anybody ever gone through way too many alternators and then found another issue that related to the alts?
Click to expand...

I installed a GM alternator, its bolt on, you can get a plug and solder new wires, or they make an adapter plug so there is no issues and could swap back to the stock if need be.

FrechTaco · Jan 16, 2022

Would it be wise to upgrade an alternator for something like the Genesis Dual Battery Kit, running group 35 batt?
can a stock Alternator handle charging 2 batteries simultaneously?

YotaGangYotaGang · Jan 16, 2022

mikesedge[OP] initial post: ↑

So yeah, I just installed the 5th alternator that this truck has had (that I know of). It's a 2003 Tacoma V6 TRD Off-Road manual with 190,000 miles. The way I understand it, I should be on no more than the second one by now, and I've read that a lot of you have had the original well beyond 200,000. So what's going on here? I'm very curious if anybody else has had this issue. I'm pretty sure that at least once the alternator failure was my fault. I red-lined it a bit much fooling around and after that everything got really bright if the rpms got above 3500 or so. So that ONE is on me, but all the others are really getting me concerned, especially this last one and the one before it 6 months ago. I do drive a lot more now than I ever did. I drive an hour to and from work everyday. But it's a lot of highway miles and I'm usually not getting the rpms beyond 3K or 4K. Even still, the alternator shouldn't fail just because I'm going to work. So what's going on??? I feel like maybe there's another electrical issue somewhere else. Possibly drawing too much power from the alt and killing it before its time? Or maybe I should stop getting re-manufactured alts from Advance Auto and Auto Zone? The last one came from Pep Boys. Should I just get a brand new one from the dealer (or maybe Rock Auto or some place cheaper than the dealer)? I really want to figure this out because it's really the only serious issue I have right now and I wanted to go one more year with this truck before I go buying a new one. If I have to buy something new now I'm not gonna get what I really want.

So yeah, has anybody ever gone through way too many alternators and then found another issue that related to the alts?
Click to expand...

You said it yourself, you bought junk. You buy a toyota for reliability and quality, dont go puting shitty parts on it and expecting toyota standards, buy oem only.

Bivouac · Jan 16, 2022

mikesedge[OP] initial post: ↑

So yeah, I just installed the 5th alternator that this truck has had (that I know of). It's a 2003 Tacoma V6 TRD Off-Road manual with 190,000 miles. The way I understand it, I should be on no more than the second one by now, and I've read that a lot of you have had the original well beyond 200,000. So what's going on here? I'm very curious if anybody else has had this issue. I'm pretty sure that at least once the alternator failure was my fault. I red-lined it a bit much fooling around and after that everything got really bright if the rpms got above 3500 or so. So that ONE is on me, but all the others are really getting me concerned, especially this last one and the one before it 6 months ago. I do drive a lot more now than I ever did. I drive an hour to and from work everyday. But it's a lot of highway miles and I'm usually not getting the rpms beyond 3K or 4K. Even still, the alternator shouldn't fail just because I'm going to work. So what's going on??? I feel like maybe there's another electrical issue somewhere else. Possibly drawing too much power from the alt and killing it before its time? Or maybe I should stop getting re-manufactured alts from Advance Auto and Auto Zone? The last one came from Pep Boys. Should I just get a brand new one from the dealer (or maybe Rock Auto or some place cheaper than the dealer)? I really want to figure this out because it's really the only serious issue I have right now and I wanted to go one more year with this truck before I go buying a new one. If I have to buy something new now I'm not gonna get what I really want.

So yeah, has anybody ever gone through way too many alternators and then found another issue that related to the alts?
Click to expand...

I went through 5 alternators in 3 days till the parts came in at my Toyota dealer to rebuild the Denso one which is going strong years later..

Every rebuilt in stock at autozone and advanced auto as far as I wanted to drive.

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Five alternators? Really??

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Five alternators? Really??

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YotaGangYotaGang PreRunners are wannabe 4x4’s

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