alternator issue

So yesterday Im driving home and the brake and charge warning lights came on along with the lights light, my lost power and ran really rough. When I got home I tried to turn on the car againd and it wont start, tried jump starting it and it turned on but would idle really bad. Does it mean my alternator went?

Most likely. Easiest test is this. Disconnect the battery leads. Connect jumper cables to battery leads. Jump start car and disconnect jump leads. Car runs, alternator is fine. Car dies, check your alternator.
Most likely, it is the brushes in the alternator. I had a 91 cressi that had this issue, sometimes it would run fine, sometimes it would not charge at all. Took the alternator out(much easier in the 7m) and took off the back. The brushes were shot. Replaced the brushes and never had an issue again. Take the alternator to an alternator shop to get it checked. They should be able to replace the brushes as well.

^don't disconnect the battery while the car's running, it only fails this test most times. I've seen a bad alternator keep an engine running through that test. also a good way to fry an ECU. sure it's OK 99 times out of 100 but I'd hate to be #100. Voltmeter will tell you more and is cheaper than any of the 3 (batt, alt, ecu)

batt+brake+lights idiot lights together means the alternator is doing something bad. You can try cleaning it, the distributor o-ring leaking oil, certain head-related gaskets, and some power steering leaks will dump oil on the alternator. I limed my '88 along for quite some time soaking the alternator in electrical parts cleaner whenever those lights came on.

Did you ever resolve this? My car does basically the same thing. All 3 lights flicker once in a while, sometimes it dies momentarily or completely, then starts right up again. Alternator is probably 8 years old. Was really greasy on the outside before I cleaned it after recently installing new 6m. Lost the receipt but it has limited lifetime warranty so I'm going to see if autozone will give me any cash off a new one. I've looked all over for a short and can't find one. Had this problem before and after installing new engine wiring harness.

I installed a new alternator and battery, the car runs perfect now

Replaced brushes on alternator and loose negative battery terminal. Problem solved! Brushes were pretty far gone not too hard a job to DIY. Check out videos on YouTube if you want to save some money on new alternator. Apparently brushes are problem when they go majority of time.

yea the brushes are important and after 25 years there's gonna be some wear.

Replacement alternator was the way for me, most Toyota alternators I see the armature slip rings are badly worn. I found a Hi-Ace alternator was exactly the same and half the price!!! Only had to change over the drive pulley. It was a Lucas brand alternator.

heff wrote:Did you ever resolve this? My car does basically the same thing. All 3 lights flicker once in a while, sometimes it dies momentarily or completely, then starts right up again. Alternator is probably 8 years old. Was really greasy on the outside before I cleaned it after recently installing new 6m. Lost the receipt but it has limited lifetime warranty so I'm going to see if autozone will give me any cash off a new one. I've looked all over for a short and can't find one. Had this problem before and after installing new engine wiring harness.

The 3 lights of death are an old Toyota charging circuit warning PERIOD... If it is flickering it very well could be a ripple in the current through the voltage regulator which is internal on the Nippondenso Toyota alternators, but what it more popularly could be is a loose alternator belt which can be a bitch to get tight on these motors. If it is when the motor is cold that it is flickering that would be my go to.