electrical problems after TYC altenator install

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Aug 25, 2017
Messages
55
Location
Michigan
Car: 2001 Camry 1MZ-FE, miles: 108,xxx

About a month ago I installed a TYC altenator because my original altenator was only supplying 12.8-13.1 volts to the battery when the car was running which isn't super horrible but not the best. It was my mistake for buying the TYC from Rockauto as I did not read clearly enough when purchasing. It was my first purchase from them and I saw Denso in the description and thought I was getting a Denso rebuild. I didn't, my own reckless stupidity. Dumb me....

The new altenator is putting out 14.8 volts to the battery when it's running but now I'm having electrical issues that I never had before. Two days later on the way home from midnights at work my TC light started flashing and the ABS light came on. I have a bluetooth code reader but it didn't show codes and I shut the car off when I got home. The lights were not on the next time I started it. I live in Michigan so it's been very cold. I was off for a few days and drove around in temps above 20 degrees Fahrenheit and the lights never came during those days off. I left for work in the morning after my days off with temps below 20 and the lights came on almost immediately. When I got out of work it was warm out (in the thirties) and the lights were not on. If the lights are off and I spin the tires in snow the lights come on immediately and neither the TC or ABS work. The other day I spun the tires and only the TC light came on and stays on. I have to disconnect the battery to clear it. Yesterday morning I left work from midnights and the temps were around zero. Sure enough the ABS light came on and the TC light was already on since. I went into work today with the temperature around 40, the ABS light was off and the TC was still on since I had not disconnected the battery to clear it.

As far as I can tell cold temps below 20 degrees cause the ABS light to come on and the TC light to flash if it isn't lit already. This pattern is very consistent and odd but I'm confident temps below 20 are somehow contributing.

A few weeks ago on a trip out of town my CEL came on with a code P0330. I cleared it and it came back on in about 10 minutes. I've done this a few times over the past few weeks. My car is running just fine and is not running any differently than before he alternator change. MPG, starting, driving, idling, and accelerating all feel the same. I hear no weird knocks or pinging coming from the engine, I don't feel a lack of acceleration from the timing being retarded, and idle is smooth.

Can the new altenator be part of the problem even though it's supplying proper voltage to the battery?

Is it possible that the OE altenator was supplying adequate voltage to the PCM but lower voltage to the battery while the TYC altenator is supplying adequate voltage to the battery but improper voltage to the PCM?


I've researched that improper voltage to the PCM/ECM can cause issues. The battery is an Interstate and was installed a year ago the day I test drove the car. I had none of these issues until I installed the TYC altenator 5 weeks ago. We easily and consistently had temps well below zero from December through January before I changed the altenator and I did not experience any issues with the TC/ABS. I replaced my brakes last summer but it still stops great and I experienced no ABS issues. The altenator also makes a slight and subtle whining sound that my OE never made.

I'm going to check and clean my EGR valve tomorrow as I've read it can contribute to the P0330. It can't hurt anyway with the amount of miles on he car. I'm going to have my OE altenator rebuilt and put that back in. This new TYC might have to be a $100 loss....

Any ideas or suggestions?

Thanks in advance.
 
Last edited:
When I called a local rebuilder he said it should be no more than $60-70.
 
Last edited:
abs faults can be triggered by over-voltage


i know 14.8 isn't real high

but most charging systems don't charge over 14.5 and some electrical systems like ABS can be picky about voltage.
 
I thought 14.5 was more of the average also but it wasn't over 15 so I figured it was fine.

I have a hard time believing these issue just happen to be coincidental to the altenator change. I don't get a warm and fuzzy feeling about TYC based off what I've read about them and would rather put the OE Denso back in. Even if it doesn't solve my issues I would feel better.
 
The issue you may have with the tyc alternator could very well be a shoddy rebuild, with cheapo "no name" components. Most likely a voltage regulator that is slightly out of spec or a bunk rectifier. The oem alternator on my 99 Camry 1mz-fe has 305,000 miles without a rebuild, when I first start the car In the cold, I have about 14.6 volts, that settled down to 13.9 fully warm in stop and go driving. I would have purchased a used alternator from a salvage yard to install on the car, while picking up a rebuild kit for the old alternator. You would have one that works in the meantime plus the original in rebuilt condition. Most of the time, it is the voltage regulator/brushes and bearings that go out on denso alternators.

Also back when I had a sound system in the car, I removed the fuse for the voltage sense circuit and put a diode in its place. My doing that jacked the voltage up to 15.3 when I first started the car and it was around 14.6 driving in the city at full operating temperature. I didn't have any electrical gremlins or phantom issues.
 
Last edited:
Could be a ripple current from the alternator. Put a multi meter on the lowest AC setting(millivolts). Touch black probe to a ground and the red probe to the alternator bat terminal, sometimes red wire. If you get a number greater than 0.5 vac the alternator is causing a ripple current. This can screw up sensor readings and car computer.
 
For my cars I can tune to an unused AM frequency and hear either quiet static or noisy static.
Crank up the radio volume, and compare that sound to what another car sounds like, to calibrate your hearing. I can always pick up on burned out diodes by how sharp the sound is.

A few years back I bought a new (not reconditioned) Chinese alternator. One of the diodes was bad. I had problems with it, until I ordered a new rectifier pack for it and rebuilt it myself.

Maybe you have only a high voltage problem, or maybe a diode is bad and causing a lot of AC spikes that are being picked up on nearby sensor wires.
 
Originally Posted By: wheelman1991
The issue you may have with the tyc alternator could very well be a shoddy rebuild, with cheapo "no name" components. Most likely a voltage regulator that is slightly out of spec or a bunk rectifier. The oem alternator on my 99 Camry 1mz-fe has 305,000 miles without a rebuild, when I first start the car In the cold, I have about 14.6 volts, that settled down to 13.9 fully warm in stop and go driving. I would have purchased a used alternator from a salvage yard to install on the car, while picking up a rebuild kit for the old alternator. You would have one that works in the meantime plus the original in rebuilt condition. Most of the time, it is the voltage regulator/brushes and bearings that go out on denso alternators.

Also back when I had a sound system in the car, I removed the fuse for the voltage sense circuit and put a diode in its place. My doing that jacked the voltage up to 15.3 when I first started the car and it was around 14.6 driving in the city at full operating temperature. I didn't have any electrical gremlins or phantom issues.


On Rockauto it says has a Denso amp so that's where I didn't read close enough. That's probably the only Denso part in it.

I don't have too many junk yards around me and one burnt down last year. Whole yard gone.

I figure the best I can do is drop off the OE tomorrow and drove around with the TYC for another day or two.

I think when I checked the voltage from the OE alt. it was 12.8 at idle and 13.1, 13.2 raised RPM's with a warm engine. The TYC was 14.7,14.8 at idle.
 
Originally Posted By: irad
Could be a ripple current from the alternator. Put a multi meter on the lowest AC setting(millivolts). Touch black probe to a ground and the red probe to the alternator bat terminal, sometimes red wire. If you get a number greater than 0.5 vac the alternator is causing a ripple current. This can screw up sensor readings and car computer.


I'll check that when I get home from work in the morning.

Do you think I could have permanent damage to the PCM?
 
Originally Posted By: spackard
For my cars I can tune to an unused AM frequency and hear either quiet static or noisy static.
Crank up the radio volume, and compare that sound to what another car sounds like, to calibrate your hearing. I can always pick up on burned out diodes by how sharp the sound is.

A few years back I bought a new (not reconditioned) Chinese alternator. One of the diodes was bad. I had problems with it, until I ordered a new rectifier pack for it and rebuilt it myself.

Maybe you have only a high voltage problem, or maybe a diode is bad and causing a lot of AC spikes that are being picked up on nearby sensor wires.


Interesting method, I'll keep that in mind. I really hope putting the rebuilt OE altenator back in cures at least some of my issues.
 
OP said, "When I called a local rebuilder...".
Why didn't you just have yours rebuilt in the first place? Street parking?

That TYC name is radioactive, cancerous poison. Stay away.

Not trying to scold you, just asking.
 
It could be overcharging but cold weather sometimes causes ground and connection issues. Check the connections at the alternator, make sure the plug and cable is clean and tight.
Check the battery and any other ground cable to the engine/body is tight and clean.

A power probe can help isolate bad grounds, when the idiot lights are on simply inject a ground from the probe to the various ground cables one at a time and see if they go out also ground the alternator case itself and see if that changes anything.

Have someone start the engine while you check the voltage at the battery with a VOM what is it? Let it idle with nothing turned on for a few min does it drop?
Rev the engine to 2K and turn the lights, rear defog and heater blower on what is the voltage?
 
I have only had to deal with Bosch or Delco alternators. The old Bosch 90 amp alternator is a beast. Most E 28 BMWs are running around with their originals. The regulator /brushes can be R+R'ed without taking the alternator out. My experience with Delcos started with adapting a 1 wire Delco into my Willys. The Delco needed to come apart to replace anything.They were no where as robust as Bosch.With alternators and starters, I advise against giving up the original part for a core charge, until the replacement is proven good. I'd rather try a used part, because you know that it worked once. No such assurance with new or rebuilt.
grin2.gif
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Kira
OP said, "When I called a local rebuilder...".
Why didn't you just have yours rebuilt in the first place? Street parking?

That TYC name is radioactive, cancerous poison. Stay away.

Not trying to scold you, just asking.


I was going to have the OE rebuilt last fall while I could still ride my motorcycle while my car was down. Something came up and the altenator wasn't priority. In February I thought I would replace it but this is what I got for my failure to read the details.
 
I had the OE looked at and he said it was fine after hooking it up to his load tester. Now when I check the voltage its around 14.1V. For $38 he tested it and put new bearings in it. The TYC squeaks just turning it by hand. I hope I don't have trouble returning it since it was garbage right out of the box.

I drove around for a while and the TC/ABS lights not only went off but they started functioning normally. The bad part is my CEL is still on for my knock sensor. It's possible the sensor is bad or its more likely a wire in the harness is broke causing a fault in the system.

This coming Thursday I'm finally getting my timing belt and water pump changed. After that they are going to look into the knock sensor. Good thing the sensors are under the intake manifold......
 
Last edited:
Rock will probably exchange for another TYC under warranty, if its more than a month I doubt they will give you a refund.
Email them if they want to go that route and ask if you can pay a little more and get the Denso, at least then you have a good spare that you can sell easily later when you get rid of the car.
Let us know what happens will you.
 
Originally Posted By: Trav
Rock will probably exchange for another TYC under warranty, if its more than a month I doubt they will give you a refund.
Email them if they want to go that route and ask if you can pay a little more and get the Denso, at least then you have a good spare that you can sell easily later when you get rid of the car.
Let us know what happens will you.


Yeah, I'm thinking I won't get a refund either and I don't want another TYC alternator. I was going to ask them to put the refund towards the AISIN kit for my timing belt replacement but all the garages said they wouldn't warranty the job, which I expected and understand. I want a warranty to go with that kind of work. I'll either see if they can put the refund towards an actual Denso rebuild or maybe find another part I can use for the future. This will be a test of their customer service and I'll be sure to post the results.
 
Last week, I replaced an alternator (100 Amps) in my 2005 Camry 1MZFE with an alternator from 2006 Toyota Sienna (150 Amps)from a salvage yard. I hope I don't have any ghostly lights....Initial cold start voltage at 14.5.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top