Hi

I have a 2001 4 cyl camry and have multiple issues occurring. I've had the car for a couple of months and have been doing some odd jobs here and there. The car appears to be well looked after before I got it however I think it hasn't been driven much till I came along. I do a lot of daily driving.

The car has an intermittent quirk where it is slow to turn over when starting and once started I noticed the clock resets to 1:00. It has happened about 4 times in 2 months of daily driving. I have noticed under the bonnet there r several possible issues. The alternator makes a bit of noise like roaring and sometimes squeaking. The wires to the alternator have lost there black outer covering due to it being brittle and breaking off. I'm not sure how long the car sat not being driven before I came along and I'm not sure whether the battery was ever allowed to drain etc. I notice during starting that it is relatively slow to start compared to other cars I drive. A couple of times recently the car has taken a couple of goes to start. Usually it would fire up every time. I changed the oil on the weekend and filter and noticed the accessories belt was very cracked so I replaced it. Then I had some squealing so had to adjust it accordingly with out doing to tight. Anyway now I think I can hear a faint high pitched whine which I believe is coming from the alternator. It doesn't appear to be the belt as it's pretty tight though not too tight (I hope). I really suspect the alternator has had it. And my battery is no good as well from being allowed to drain. The alternator is very old looking so i doubt its ever been changed. Anyway any input woukd be greatly appreciated. I'll probably head to a mechanic soon and get the battery charging etc tested. Thankyou!

Kaybee

 

Is the alternator wiring insulation gone and possible allowing the wiring to touch each other or to ground?

Some auto parts stores can test the battery and alternator for free.

Remove the alternator belt and spin the alternator pulley. Check for free spinning and noise.

How are the battery cable and connections to the battery?

 

Thanks for the reply. I took it for a battery test which came up as needing replaced. The voltage was at 12.7 however the starting capacity was low and the device said replace battery. They didn't test the alternator. He said since the battery is low the alternator could be louder due to a heavier load. Anyway I kinda knew I would need A new battery sooner or later. The wiring still has its insulation in tact however the black plastic sheath has fallen apart. And yes there is some corrosion on the terminals. The alternator doesn't run as smooth as it should without the belt on. I can feel a roughness when it spins and I used a large screw driver to listen and it's quite loud. I guess I'll be needing a new alternator as well. I might go get another battery test and this time insist on the alternator being tested as well tomorrow when I go looking for batteries. Thanks again.

 

If the voltage gets low enough it might cause the clock to reset. The clock has a constant 12v power source to keep the correct time when the car sits..

 

Hi I think the issue has been resolved for the time being. I got a new battery and terminals and having had the clock reset again for about a week. Fingers crossed it will continue this way. Thankyou!
Kaybee

 

Great. Thanks for posting back.