Corolla 1.6 16v 1990- Battery light is always lit ?

at that age it probably needs new brushes in the alternator

In some model Yota that light is dual purpose and also covers the brake system/reservoir - check it to see if it is full. Also check owners manual to see if thats tru for your model.

OK. In my 1993 Toyota Corolla made in America, it finally did that. Turns out the alternator was a Delco and couldn't handle being in a Toyota engine.

WE had a similar problem with the Previa, but in that case it wasn't the alternator. The original 8 year old Panasonic battery had lost a cell or two by then.

Get someone that has some real electrical tools to check both the battery and the alternator. A new battery is cheap, but even a rebuilt alternator is cheaper than damaging the electrical system.

Charles of Schaumburg

Delco alternators can't handle being in GM cars either. My folks had a Grand Prix that was on its 4th Delco alternator when they got rid of it at only 90,000 miles.

Thanx for the answers,

I've spent the entire day searching for errors. I discovered that the alternator only generates a 0.5 V Voltage. The brushes was renewed by the previous owner when the car had gone for15000 km Now the odometer is showing 33000km . So the brushes are probalby worn out by now..

I will get back to you when i've changed the brushes.

/Kaabdalis

mrcheerful . skrev:

What's really weird is that supposedly the Delco alternator and its Nippondenso replacement were rated the same and supposed to be nearly identical units. Why does the ND last 5 times or better the Delco-Ream-me?

Charles of Schaumburg

@!!"&%#!!!!!!

I've changed the brushes, but the alternator is not working. The old brushes didn't seem worn out.

Any suggestions?

/Kaabdalis

kaabdalis wrote:

Check the wire connections at the alternator, grounding points, and battery.

Maybe the voltage regulator Ray?...does that model have a separate regulator?...looks like about the only thing that I haven't seen mentioned here (unless it's a loose gas tank cap!) :)

Yup, the voltage regulator is certainly a possibility. I think it is an integral part of the alternator. I don't remember how to full field the alternator, I haven't had to do it for a long time.

Yep, I will give it a try.. I think the regulator is a built in I regultator. I dont thint it is possible to fix with a soldering iron and a nail :-( Guess i have to go to the store and by me a new regulator...

Kaabdalis

As far as I know, the last Toyotas with non-integral voltage regulators were

1977 or 1978. I know even my little 1501 (1979 KE 30) had an integral VR with the alternator.

Charles of Schaumburg

Well, I'm not gonna buy a new Voltage regulator. The storeprice was about $200 . My car isn't worth that kind of money. It looks like i have to buy an used alternator from the scrapyard.

/Kaabdalis

You are shopping in the wrong places! Rebuilders buy the generic ones in bulk for something around $10 - $20 each.

Find a good local rebuild shop that does their own work, bring in your old unit, tell them the brushes are already done and that wasn't it. And I'll bet they can hand you back your alternator the next day for under $100 (mine have been around $50, but things change) all cleaned up, fixed up, and good as new.

They have the tools, supplies, parts, and experience. Some days it doesn't pay to mess with it yourself, when doing it right is cheap.

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I heartily agree...you futz around, rip off your knuckles, spend bucks then find for about the same price some specialty shop could have done the same work in half the time (and probably better)...shucks...

I believe this is true of most tasks that requires tools, whether it is installing a wax ring on a toilet or replacing the ballast on a fluorescent light, mudding drywall, or replacing brake pads. All of those tasks (except for the brake job) takes me at least twice or 3 times as long to perform as it would for a pro.

On the other hand, I'm too cheap to pay someone to do those jobs and if I didn't tackle those jobs, I wouldn't have any war stories to tell around the campfire afterwards.

Yep!...you're being paid for your work but in a different coin than some!...who's to say which coin has the higher exchange rate?!?... :)

Yep, I did find a Rebuilder shop. It would cost about $50 to rebuild my alternator. But I bought a used alternator from a scrapyard at $30. And I do have new brushes when that time comes...

I will keep the old alternator and try to rebuild it myself > >

There are not many TV shows that catch my attention, so I'd rather just putter around. Next job to tackle is taking apart our Brother laser fax/printer that I jammed, if I can just figure out how to get it apart...