What have you done to your 1st gen Tundra today?

How many miles? Those look kinda rough for 4 years.

 

So long as it isn't parked over lawn/mud with morning dew saturating your under carriage each day. Amazing how fast that will rust underbody up.

 

I usually send them an email with the PNs I think I want, along with my VIN, and ask that they confirm and quote.

 

About 45k miles

 

How are you liking the Stt pros? How many miles on them?

 

Got some electrical testing done this weekend while starting to polish chalky paint in my engine bay - plan to polish out the interior of the bay and seal it in the coming months.

Testing was sparked (ugh) by another member's no-start-condition thread.

I posted past videos of what I felt were unusual voltmeter needle fluctuations, short one here. I felt overall response was, "weird, bro!" I rarely paid attn to the voltage gauge until a series of events:

• 65k-ish miles, while running a years-old batt, original alternator started failing mid-drive
• Stopped at NAPA thinking the old batt failed and replaced with a new 'NAPA Gold' batt
• Before I could exit, the alternator was on fire, smoking wisping from under the hood
• Put out fire, had stealership run diags, then reman Denso installed at my trusted shop
• Few weeks later, noticed the fluctuations seen in that video and can't unsee it now, needle is rarely still

Truck sat overnight before pulling my DMM to take measurements

• 12.48-12.51 on terminals after sitting overnight
• 0.2A draw on the battery with everything 'off'
• 13.6-13.7 on terminals while running
• 12.61 on terminals after a 2-3 mile drive
• Didn't see similar bouncy fluctuations on DMM as I see w/gauge needle

I didn't test the alternator directly, which I realize was stupid. I'd already pulled into the garage, parked and shut it off when I realized I should've done it. Garage is small, so once the truck is in, I can't get even easily get the hood open.

Curious to hear any thoughts.

 

Changed the rear diff fluid, wasn’t to brown or milkshaky like I was imagining it would be. Used slip additive and redline. Magnet had a little bit of fuzz, which I proceeded to smear all over my hands like anti seize. How much do our rears take? Over 3 right? I was filling out of a 4qt jug with a tranny funnel and a plastic hose, my arm got tired before I expected it to

 

Are the voltage fluctuations on your dash the cause for concern?
I have sorta the same thing. I’ve replaced the Alt with a oem reman Denso unit. New agm battery(I have a feeling the battery is my issue, not sure what your running) and I still have a weird tick/jump of the needle on the cluster. But at the battery terminals nothing. I didn’t test at the alt either, forgot. But I’ve asked one of the local techs and he said it could just be the cluster, so not much you can do.

 

I mean, no major cause for concern now I see things are stable at the battery, and I suspected it could be the gauge or cluster, but it's also totally possible it's been happening the whole time I've had the truck. The fact I know it's happening but don't know why is cause for concern though. I'm contemplating getting one of those plug-in-cig-lighter voltage gauges to see if it also fluctuates. If not, I won't be thinking twice about it. I may end up trying to get setup on Techstream and read what the ECU is seeing also, but that may be a couple weeks.

 

So I would monitor my voltage with my scan gauge, and it didn’t mimic what the dash was doing. I didn’t pay enough attention when I had a lead acid battery in before, but I’ve heard people having strange issues when switching to AGM(I’ve even put mine on a tender so I know it’s fully charged, and it still does the needle dance)
My buddy made his own GM diode and gave me one, I’m tempted to try it and see if it cures the ailment.

 

I need to get the diode going too.

Anyone swapped their CHMSL bulbs to LED? They look like standard T10?

Oh, maybe 194’s?

 

That makes me feel a bit better, knowing scan tool was showing steady while dash gauge was jumping.

Funny you mention, I was actually contemplating whether to have NAPA test and see if the battery was good (just because I felt 12.48v on an overnight with little to no draw was lackluster), and shopped out what a new Die Hard AGM would cost. At around $220, not horrible. I haven't read about others seeing issues w/AGM though.

 

Oil change Sundays. Finished right before my Chargers game! Cheers fellas.

 

921 I believe or at least that's what they were on my DC.

 

Cleaned the sequoia. Might sell it if my cousin doesnt want it.

 

About a year ago I started having some needle dips that were way too big and very uncharacteristic. I was kinda worried that the alternator was on its way out so I bought this little double usb thing that has a digital voltmeter and put it down in my center console in one of the blanks. Over time I noticed that it didn’t fluctuate anywhere close to how bad the dash gauge does.

Dunno if these gauge clusters just get wonky over time or what?

But I did do the GM diode thing a month or so ago. Now I consistently get 14.4-14.5 while at highway speeds. The needle on the gauges stopped twitching and also sits dead center now.

I feel like I should mention that this is the factory alternator with 180k on it and a ~5 month old Die Hard Gold.

 

Based on input I've seen in random replies to other posts, and what I'm seeing in reply to my question, I'm starting to think there may be something to this. Like maybe the fluctuation is not supposed to be there, but something is getting old/futzy.

Curious to hear more about this GM diode thingy, it's the 3rd or 4th time I've heard someone bring up "GM diode" in relation to that gauge.

 

Details?

 

beat on 2wd limited ‘pack-mule’ that got a new engine in ‘09-‘10. Chassis says 224k? Rode hard and put away wet, its the ultimate city vehicle. Back bumper had a concrete filled pole hop out behind it, front bumper hasnt had clips ?ever? So it wiggles. Hatch lever broke, so you have to roll down the back window and tug on the cable sticking up out of the slot. Drivers door latch is sticky so you have to reset it with your finger every time. Repeated slamming of the door has injured the ‘catch’ for the mirror. It was my moms car, and since 2014 was a sort of loaner, i brought it up here, 280 miles away, and used it for a yard truck until 2018. since then, it’s been my river ferry, toting tubes, kayaks, people, and dogs.

My cousin brought his 15 year old son to visit, and i told him, if he gets a job, and could save $1000 we’d get tires, and an alignment, and a new stereo (im convinced the factory radio was a power drain, and the antenna and cd player didnt work, so its unplugged). Then the world of shitty cars you dont like could nickle and dime him the rest of his life.

he said he was gonna save $3k and buy my jeep. Which…maybe… but i told him to buy a better jeep, and id trade him.

 

The GM diode didn’t fit my fuse box..

 

How about the Ford one?

 

Didn’t try

 

We definitely need a diode solution for agm on FGT. I’ll consider that my problem.

 

Here you go: https://www.hkbelect.com/product/434-mk3-mini-blade-75a-electronic-fuse-version-2002/

 

yea thats the one to use.

 

As @Festerw said. 921. I just tried to do my cargo lights only to find out the LED's made my factory keyless entry not work when they were on. Could have just been the brand that I bought. Not sure if you have keyless entry but just something to keep in mind.

 

IIRC I used the Sylvania or Phillips LEDs because of that and haven't had any issues with mine.

 

Finally got some LED pods mounted on the back of the high-rise. I haven’t had decent reverse lights since I got rid of the cab height topper, and man did I miss them!

 

Ive never been so jealous of a topper.

 

So, I was thinking vled but I hadn't decided if that is just completely ridiculous? Perhaps it is. I'm not sure if they have bulbs which are small enough even. And the irony is that the entire thing is blocked by the shell so it's all a total waste (but a fun one).

Thanks for the confirmation on bulb type everyone.