What can cause this ?

Hello everyone

I hope that you are doing well

2004 Tacoma, 6cyl.

A few weeks ago it would not hold idle, lights would dim when idling, blinkers would work normal, then start flashing fast, then really fast. ABS light came on.

Shut the truck and tried to start - nothing, no lights no starter clicking. As if the battery was disconnected. Truck would not start.

I disconnected the cables from the battery for half hr, and connected the + to - cable to drain the system. Also cleaned the throttle body really good.

After reconnecting the battery, the truck ran as it should for a few days

Today it started doing the same thing ?

What should I check / replace next ?

Thanks everyone

Alex

 

Have you checked the battery voltage when this happens?
Weird things start to happen when they don't get the correct voltages.

FWIW, I'm not saying it's the battery. But that would be a good place to start.

 

How’s the corrosion on your battery & alternator cables? If those are a mess I’d disconnect, clean, and reconnect then check alternator output and voltage regulation including alt-S fuse.

 

I would questions grounds and battery cables first.

 

OBD II codes at all?

 

Thanks for the replies gentlemen

I will check / clean the cables and see if it helps.

 

Good AM everyone

As suggested by you, I cleaned and lightly sanded the battery posts, and the cables, and the problem went away. So it must have been a bad connection

While at it, I cleaned the mass airflow sensor and ordered a fuel injection cleaner from Amazon, just to make sure everything works as it should

Have a nice day and thanks

Alex

 

Hi Folks

Truck runs well overall, the fuel injection cleaner made the car crisper - going by the seat of the pants.

Something else I noticed. When the car is idling the blinker flashes fast, when I step on the gas, it flashes normal (slower).

What can cause this?

Thanks

Alex

 

The problem was this

$13 Top Post Battery Master Disconnect Switch

https://www.amazon.com/Post-Battery-Master-Disconnect-Switch/dp/B001N729FS

Once removed, the truck works fine.

 

Cra Cra.
Thanks for update and follow up

Mental Note: no Master Disconnect for me.

 

I had one of those disconnects for years. Kept trying to use it in my old Saab Turbo. It always got corrosion between the contact surfaces leading to low voltage and current. What a piece of junk it was.

What looked like brass construction wasn’t. It was diecast zinc pot metal, plated with something to look brassy.

 

I focused on battery cables and voltage as mentioned by several people here. The problem is when the car starts, it is all good for a while, then the car started acting up. I even had a skilled mechanic hook it up to the scanner machine 2X , no error codes. We even disconnected the old alarm system (not working any longer) to isolate the issue. Finally he suggested we bypass the cutoff switch, and bingo.

 

You don't really want to use those anyway since they reset fuel trims, timing, and emissions functions every time, just like unplugging the battery