Failing Alternators and Flickering Battery Light - Help

[surfajl77]

I’m the owner of a 2009 Yaris S that I purchased brand new in 2009. My car currently has 406K miles on it and counting.

Please note that I am not skilled at DIY repairs. The majority of my maintenance is done at a local Firestone, while more intensive work I usually leave to Toyota.

I’ve been through about 7-8 batteries over the years. I live in Phoenix and my batteries usually start failing between 16-24 months, sometimes sooner. It’s always covered under warranty, so I’ve never had to purchase a new one.

March 2019 - the OG alternator finally goes out. I was forced to replace it with an aftermarket one, as I could not afford to wait three days for Toyota to acquire a factory one since I was out of town at the time.

September 2021 - Alternator #2 fails and is replaced at Toyota with another AutoZone one due time constraints. Battery light comes on within hours. Toyota claims the alternator is bad and promptly replaces it. Alternator #3 lasts a few days until the battery light turns on again. I return to Toyota, only for them to tell me that alternator is also bad. Alternator #4 is installed and despite my concerns, there were no issues.

Well…at least for 13 months.

Oct 2022 - 13 month old battery fails and is replaced by Toyota for free. Battery light starts flickering again, only to turn off. I take it to Toyota and they run tests and says the alternator is working fine.

Battery light just started flickering again…leaving me very frustrated. From what I’ve read, it’s likely a bad voltage regulator - which will result in ANOTHER alternator.

Why would I be going through all of these alternators? What the hell is going on?

[bronsin]

First may I congratulate you on getting 400,000 miles out of your YARIS!

Second there is definitely something causing your alternator and battery to go bad. It’s possible the AutoZone alternators were faulty, but there are other things that can make an alternator go bad and they’re complicated to diagnose. Can you get a Toyota alternator?

If not I would go to another shop possibly one specializing in electrical problems. Explain the situation to them. Maybe you have a short someplace? Maybe ask Siri or Google some questions. Definitely I would ask the mechanics at Toyota you replace two or three Alternators but they keep going bad. What else could be the problem?

Good luck and tell us what happens!

[sh0rtlife]

400k..has anyone checked the cables and grounds, thats where i would start, the battery cables have been off and on so many times the ends are probably shot and only contributing to the death of an alt by causing it to work overtime due to the way the volt reg senses ..and thus probably over volting the battery now n then

as far as "brand" and alternator is pretty mcuh the same no mater who made it, the volt reg inside the unit may or may not be of quality but....if you went thru that many that fast you have a CABLE/GROUND issue

FWIW an alt can be replaced in under 10 mins and is only 2 bolts

[surfajl77]

Originally Posted by sh0rtlife

400k..has anyone checked the cables and grounds, thats where i would start, the battery cables have been off and on so many times the ends are probably shot and only contributing to the death of an alt by causing it to work overtime due to the way the volt reg senses ..and thus probably over volting the battery now n then

as far as "brand" and alternator is pretty mcuh the same no mater who made it, the volt reg inside the unit may or may not be of quality but....if you went thru that many that fast you have a CABLE/GROUND issue

FWIW an alt can be replaced in under 10 mins and is only 2 bolts

Oh man...I had a horrible time today. I was on my way to get the flickering battery light looked at and the whole dash went haywire. I know what this means, because this happened on the way to Flagstaff when the OG alternator started failing in 2019 (quite terrifying, actually). I immediately tried to exit the freeway, but it died before I could make it. I had to be pushed. To make matters worse, my key fob broke off while trying to remove my key from the ignition, so getting the "teeth" out of the ignition was quite difficult.

After getting it towed to Toyota, they blame the fact that three alternators have failed within 13 months due to them being aftermarket alternators - and they think putting in an OEM alternator will solve my problem, citing how my OG alternator never gave me any issues. This is what they will be doing, but I am not 100% convinced. The only leverage this will give me is a warranty on the alternator if these problems continue.

I would think the technician is checking the cables and grounds - but when I call tomorrow, I'll leave a voicemail with my advisor, making sure that they check all of this.

It was rough, man. 4.5 hours I had to wait for a tow due to repeated miscommunications with Progressive. In a sketchy trailer park located in an extremely high-crime area of Phoenix.

My Yaris and I have been through a lot together to say the least.

[bronsin]

As my father used to say “the first hundred years are always the hardest“

But I think you’re on the right track! Yes a Toyota alternator will be warranted and you’ve got them by the short hairs there. No I don’t think that will solve your organic problem which is a short someplace or bad battery cables. That would also explain the dash lights going out.

Keep pushing the text to check your cables and grounds. If Toyota fails to do this work elsewhere. If you can a shop specializing in electronics that would be a plus.

If you do go to the Toyota alternator root Emphasize if the Toyota Alt goes bad You’ll be expecting another one. Or you can solve the problem now and not have to buy me another alternator.

Good luck! And tell us what happens!

[sh0rtlife]

id actualy bet money on "internal cable failure" IE it cant be "seen" and can only be measured with the right equipment...on what cable...who knows but 10-1 odds are its a ground fault issue on the primary battery cable...ive seen this EXACT issue on older cars and trucks, and its common for a cable to "look" good only to be having a short internaly..atleast with old iron when they do it they just wont start due to high voltage draw, and will sometimes spark at the jacket to crimp end connection to "point" themselves out

[bronsin]

You might check some YouTube videos “how to find shorts in your cars wiring“

You might be able to fix it yourself!

[remcafee]

where in arizona are you? you can come down to my shop and ill help you figure it out if youd like

[bronsin]

Originally Posted by remcafee

where in arizona are you? you can come down to my shop and ill help you figure it out if youd like

[surfajl77]

Originally Posted by remcafee

where in arizona are you? you can come down to my shop and ill help you figure it out if youd like

Northwest Phoenix

[surfajl77]

I just wanted to provide an update.

The advisor at Toyota said that the technician ruled out the issue being anything electrical. He is still insisting that my recurring alternator problems are the result of not using a Toyota alternator. He claims that they see this happen all the time and that he can more or less guarantee that my new alternator will not prematurely die like the other four aftermarket ones did.

Honestly, at this point, I’m just trying to keep my Yaris for a few more years until someone releases a compact EV that I see as a suitable replacement - so hopefully I won’t run into anymore of these alternator issues since I’m at the point where any repairs I invest exceed the actual value of the vehicle.

[bronsin]

So they got you a Toyota alternator? And your car is running OK? If you don’t mind my asking how much was the alternator compared to something aftermarket.

How long is The warranty for? My wife’s 2005 Camry has a NAPA alternator about five years ago. The original started smoking! Almost caught the car on fire!

[surfajl77]

Originally Posted by bronsin

So they got you a Toyota alternator? And your car is running OK? If you don’t mind my asking how much was the alternator compared to something aftermarket.

How long is The warranty for? My wife’s 2005 Camry has a NAPA alternator about five years ago. The original started smoking! Almost caught the car on fire!

The alternator (w/labor) came to just over 700 for the Toyota alternator. I can't remember what I paid for the aftermarket ones in the past, but I believe it was a couple of hundred less.

The warranty is for one year - which given the fact that the aftermarket one lasted 13 months, isn't really very assuring if something goes wrong again. But as of right now, things are working fine and I hope it remains that way for awhile.

[bronsin]

I guess you have to go with the Toyota dealer. I mean they said there Were no electrical issues.

On my 2009 Yaris when it had 30,000 miles on it and was out of the three year warranty, The oil pressure sensor screwed into a block failed and most of the oil came out of the engine. Lucky for me I saw the red light right away and pulled over and shut the Engine off. I think a new sensor was $250 at Toyota and they gave me a number to call the Toyota customer service. Toyota customer service gave me a $100 check. Apparently to foster Goodwill they do stuff like that even though technically they aren’t liable.

If this $700 alternator fails in anything less than 10 years you might look into it. Unfortunately I don’t have the number. But you could call and ask about it just in case.