Here is how it looks for now. will probably be painting it up in the following weeks
got this image of my truck from a video someone took at the truck meet/BBQ this last Sunday. ( don't like that primer color on the fender)

 

Came across a one small problems while trying to fix some wiring problem in my truck and was wondering if any of yall could help me out.

Problem number one:
- I got a quartz clock for my truck a few months back and it worked great until about last Wednesday when it just decided to stop functioning like its suppose to. And now it doesn't light up and if it does its very dim (borderline off). Had some free time today so I took out the clock and took it to my cousins house to see if it worked on his truck and like I expected it worked correctly. So then I went home and took apart the dash so that I could clearly see if any of the wires might be exposed and touching something it shouldn't, but didn't find anything wrong.
--So now this leads me to my question what do yall think my problem could be? --

 

I would check the voltage on that plug.
Clean grounds.
Check fuses and contacts.

Seems like it's a power supply issue, but could be traced to a wiring issue.

I'd start simple. Test and clean.

 

Another thing...

Doesn't the clock dim when u turn on your running/head lights?

Just another possibility, that it might b something to do with a dimmer switch or light switch?

 

checked the connections and every thing was good, then my stereo stopped working so i changed the fuse for the stereo and that fixed the problem however now the brake and charge lights came on.

the clock does dim when u turn the lights on.
thanks YOguyDA.

 

So, your clock is good, or u just fixed your stereo?

I would be suspicious of any wiring that has been tampered with or doesn't look stock...Toyota wiring is pretty good and usually trouble free.

I don't want to assume your alternator is going out, but typically the brake and charge light staying on is the warning.

I drove my truck for a couple years with those lights on before my alternator died, but never the less, a warning.

 

Clock was good, just that while looking for problem with the clock the stereo shut off and so we show that the stereo fuse had blown and after switching the fuses out the clock came came on.

There was just one green wire that had a yellow cap on one end that didn't look stock, followed it back to fuse box located in cabin and it looked like some one soldered it to a fuse.

I tested the alternator and it still good just a little dirty.

Ya been driving it for a few days now with no problems however will replacing/rebuilding the alternator make the lights turn off?

 

I've gone mad chasing electrical gremlins only to find out the "good fuse" only looked "good", lol...multimeter is your friend

As soon as I replaced my alternator, the lights went out.

Your alternator might be weak, or something in the internal regulator isn't functioning correctly, so your charge and brake light stay on.

When mine went out on the way to work, dash lights started to dim, hid headlights started flickering, radio turned off, etc...got to work with no lights, nothing! But was still running fine....made me wonder how long it could keep running without power, but I had to work, lol. Good to know tho!

 

I got something like this and installed it in one of the pop-outs in the stereo panel.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/282156101427

I was rushing to get out of my work parking lot and didn't disconnect my battery...when connecting the alternator, I made some sparks, lol. Alternator worked good for a month, but started acting weird, so I decided I needed some way to monitor output.

 

Did you get the truck painted yet?

 

sorry for late reply saw the email while in school but forgot to reply when i got out.

But in regards to alternator was it worked okay but saw that it started giving out alternating current, didn't at the time know if that was bad, so i asked one cousins who was a mechanic and he said that it shouldn't be doing that but that it would work for a while longer before it gave out. So i drove it for a week with nothing until it gave out while driving home at night. I had to have a friend follow behind me with his hazards on while we took the side streets to get to my house.

That gauge looks quiet handy however does it connect to the alternator or the battery?

In regards to the truck being painted. No it has not, been trying to get rid of some miss perfections still. I showed up to get it painted at my uncles shop and while water sanding and using guiding spray( black trim spray paint) found some uneven areas. Also noticed some deep cuts/scratches in the rear end(I started in the back and worked to front) from where I didn't block down the body properly with higher grit sandpaper. I just need shouldn't be long now tho. However she looks worse now due to used another different primer to spray areas where bare metal showed after the wet sanding with guiding paint.

 

I just tapped the gauge into my radio power wire to monitor voltage, so it's not an amperage guage...

Turn the key= 12.0v
Start truck= 14-14.5v

That's all I need to know really...

When I messed up my first replacement alternator, the guage helped confirm that it was charging and then would stop and start running off the battery intermittently.

 

Ya sounds pretty handy to have that gauge.
How well did it fit in the pop-outs for the stereo? and which pop-out left or right?

 

So the paint will be going on some time this week. The last things is if I should go single stage or 2 stage on the paint. What do you guys think?