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Car not turning over without crash start

Ops123

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May 13, 2022
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new_zealand
Hello Everybody,

I have an 1997 HZJ80 Landcruiser 12V. This morning went to turn it over (haven’t had an issue with it whilst I’ve owned it) and it wouldn’t start from the key so I had to crash start it. Went to go home this afternoon, crashed it again algoods but on my way home the Speedo and Rev Gauge both started bouncing and then fully died, head unit and cigarette lighter died, lights extremely dim, dash extremely dim.

Can anyone point me in the right direction to what this could be. Battery? A Fuse? Something else? I’m not sure, any help would be appreciated

Cheers
 
Mine did this once and it turned out to be a dead battery.
 
"Crash start", that reminds me of my friends Standard car that always had a flat battery. He could not afford a new battery. He used to phone and I would go round and drive my Land Rover in to the back of it to get it started. No rear lights left and a huge RSJ type crease along the back. No rear lights were not much of a problem back then.
 
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Alternator or alternator plug, battery running down preventing cranks starting, dashboard playing up just leave the alternator or battery and obvious connections, I would drop a substitute battery in and see how that goes and check running voltage absolute minimum of 13.8 volts up to 14.4, allow for a couple tenths either way for meter error unless your using a 'Fluke' meter which are super accurate. You can also check the output at the main terminal of the alternator, never run engine with alternator disconnected. If running voltage is good with the known good battery then replace your old battery.

As an aside, a lot of the new design battery testers do NOT 'load' test a battery, despite the technology they can (and do) give false results, and the gadgets that check battery voltage normally multiple LEDS with green telling you the battery is good.....throw it in the bin!

Stay safe.

Regards,

Dave
 
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Welcome to the forum Ops.

As above. Battery is being depleted most likely due to not being charged. With this low a discharge the battery is probably damaged. If it is more than a couple of years old then it’s probably worth getting a new battery or pair of batteries if your 80 has the dual battery system.

As above check alternator. Check it has belts on it and voltage across the battery terminals when running. Voltage should be as Dave says, 14.4 after starting.

In the (likely) event that voltage is lower than this, check the plug on the back of the alternator. Do this while by watching the voltage on the battery terminals while giving it a wiggle. If it’s the problem, you will see the voltage jump to around 14.4.

As also mentioned, there is a fusible link from the left hand battery (from drivers view) that goes from the battery terminal to a small black block that just contains a bolted connection. Test using a multimeter set to Ohms or ‘continuity’ across this which should read close to zero. There is more than one of these and they should all be intact at near zero ohms or show continuity. If one is broken replace it with an inline fuse holder (the ones that come modded onto a piece of wire) and a suitable fuse, probably 10A is a good starting point as the values of these fusible links are (I believe) not known.

If all of these fail to solve your issue then it is likely your alternator has failed. So this means replacing the alternator. Note that it has an adjuster for tensioning the belts which has to be backed off unlike other (lesser) vehicles that rely on levering the alternator to tighten the belts while struggling to tighten the bolts with your free hand without smacking yourself on the chin with the lever and dropping the wrench!

Let us know how you get on. If located in the UK, and you need a replacement alternator, give Robson and Francis a call on 0207 733 2353.
 
While I don't own a LC as of yet, I experienced similar issues with my Ford ranger a while back. I had a combination of corrosion on the battery terminal clamps (and the wires in the clamps) as well as a loose/poor connection on the cluster grounding lug to the body. Even a small amount of extra electrical resistance will have a massive impact, especially at the battery terminals as it results in a high voltage drop while cranking. The cluster issue was a result of the poor ground connection but it also resulting in the engine stuttering as the cluster (and parts of the engine harness) was browning out while driving due to a floating ground/0V.

I would suggest you inspect and clean each and every grounding lug after disconnecting them from the body. Any oxides should be removed on the lugs and studs. Replacing the battery terminals and spraying them with a corrosion inhibitor may help.

Inspect all fuse & relay terminals for corrosion/discoloration and make sure they are tight/not opened up. I would also have a look at the ignition switch for intermittent connections/worn contacts.

Taken resistance and voltage measurements with a pinch of salt as they don't provide a complete picture of voltage drops unless under load/cranking. Measuring voltage drop from the battery post to the clamp while cranking, clamp to wire, etc will tell you if the connection is bad or not.
 
Edit, didn’t notice this was originally posted in May and he hasn’t bothered to add any further updates:whistle:

Batteries should be 12.7v when fully charged, the alternator if working correctly will show a regulated voltage as mentioned above 13.8-14.4v If I remember correctly you should see 12v on all 3 wires for the multi plug on the back of the 80 alternator with the ignition switched on. Did you have the two warning led’s lit up on the revcounter? This is a giveaway for the fuseable link on the left battery having failed. You can replace the voltage regulator, but for all the dirty fingernails your just as well to change the whole unit, again Francis & Robertson are a good shout.
have you tried a jump start using leads?The 80 uses 24v to start, unless it’s been converted by a previous owner, so, If you have 2 batteries that are flat then it’s going to be difficult to jump it. You may want to charge both batteries and try from there.
check your earth cables are good, and if your batteries are charged you can connect a jump lead from one of the battery negatives to the engine block.
Check the small wire on the starter solenoid is connected, or giving you voltage when someone turns the key to crank, voltage here and no action points toward faulty starter motor

Keep us all posted on what you find
 
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