Strange problems after hitting redline

englishmike · 11-12-2009, 09:13 AM

Something strange has happened to my mr2 sc.

Some background info, the syncros need replacing in the gearbox, gears select ok but gear shifts must not be done quickly.

Last night I was driving fast for a very short burst. I had changed from 2nd gear to 3rd too quickly while high in the rev range. The gear selection missed and I hit the rev limit for about a second. As this happened 3 warning lights came on, coolant fan, emergency brake and the battery light. I also noticed the supercharged led light was staying on permanently. I drove 2 miles back to the house.

The car drove fine, no strange noises, all the electrics worked and the battery needle was going down at all. I Disconnected the negative battery cable to see if If that would stop the lights from coming on but they were still present.

This morning when I drove to work, the lights are still showing but the car drove like any other time. The battery guage showed the needle 1 above the middle mark. Normally I guess its a little higher but I do not have a clue what the problem is.

Please help!

muffinman · 11-12-2009, 09:16 AM

you should have your alternator tested cause it sounds like a charging issue.

englishmike · 11-12-2009, 09:21 AM

The thing is, 1 month ago when I got the car, there was serious alternator trouble, it was holding charge and the same 3 lights, coolant fan, e-brake and battery were flickering on. The car died and replaced it with a brand new alternator.

muffinman · 11-12-2009, 09:29 AM

then check the wiring to the alt and make sure you have a clean/tight connection.

englishmike · 11-12-2009, 09:33 AM

Can it be done from above the engine or from under the car?

muffinman · 11-12-2009, 09:42 AM

i'm not very familiar with sc alt location so i can't really say. why not just drive by an auto parts store and have them test it while it's still in the car.

englishmike · 11-12-2009, 02:25 PM

The auto parts store could only check the battery, which came back as bad. However the battery had just died and I used jumper cables to get it running. Surely if the alternator isnt holding the charge and the battery loses power it will make the parts store equipment read the battery as bad?

muffinman · 11-12-2009, 02:28 PM

If the battery has died then it has to be the alt whether it's a bad connection or just a bad alt. get a multimeter and test the output from the alt.

scottohno · 11-13-2009, 01:44 AM

stupid question, but is the belt ok? when mine blew a belt it scared the bejeebers out of me cuz it hit the engine lid, but maybe yours went down. if it broke its not turning the alternator, giving the lights, and maybe the sc light (not familiar with sc) but check the belt first. a little rubber band going around 7200 rpm. its worth an ask... sometimes its the little stuff.

traintech86 · 11-13-2009, 04:42 AM

i ran into this problem, but luckily i have a nice battery so i wasn't stranded. it got really cold out and i think somehow it caused the wire on top of the alt to seperate from the clip that attatches to the alt. i ended up having to strip back the wire, sand the clip down and clean it up, and crimp the hell out of the rear crimp holders. its a temp fix but if i manage to find a good one ill be sure to let you know!

scottohno · 11-17-2009, 01:13 AM

im having a very similar problem. my 3 lights were on tonight and they would go out when i beat on it a little. i just replaced the serpentine belt two nights ago. i also replaced a distributor oring (it was hard as a candy cane, explains my oil leak.) but it goes away when i beat on it. its exactly the same with me, my needle goes down and the lights come on. im thinking its the wire plug on the alternator. im going to put the car on the rack tomorro and check it out. ill keep you posted

328FTW · 11-17-2009, 04:07 AM

My 88SC does this sometimes haven't figured out why just that if I flick the key off/on the problem solves itself and won't come up again for a while. Been about 6 months since it last did it and I have changed nothing. Before that it was doing it a bit but now it just doesn't.....who knows maybe it's magic lol.

I did find one car I had that did this had a bad alternator plug so might be worth cleaning up the contacts it's a free thing to try.

11-12-2009, 09:13 AM	#1 (permalink)
englishmike Some Skills Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Birmingham, Alabama Posts: 85 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	Strange problems after hitting redline Something strange has happened to my mr2 sc. Some background info, the syncros need replacing in the gearbox, gears select ok but gear shifts must not be done quickly. Last night I was driving fast for a very short burst. I had changed from 2nd gear to 3rd too quickly while high in the rev range. The gear selection missed and I hit the rev limit for about a second. As this happened 3 warning lights came on, coolant fan, emergency brake and the battery light. I also noticed the supercharged led light was staying on permanently. I drove 2 miles back to the house. The car drove fine, no strange noises, all the electrics worked and the battery needle was going down at all. I Disconnected the negative battery cable to see if If that would stop the lights from coming on but they were still present. This morning when I drove to work, the lights are still showing but the car drove like any other time. The battery guage showed the needle 1 above the middle mark. Normally I guess its a little higher but I do not have a clue what the problem is. Please help!

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11-12-2009, 09:16 AM	#2 (permalink)
muffinman U-P-G-R-A-Y-E-D-D Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Sunny South Florida Posts: 5,881 Thanks: 53 Thanked 283 Times in 272 Posts Blog Entries: 1 My Google Map iTrader Rating: (2/100% )	you should have your alternator tested cause it sounds like a charging issue.

11-12-2009, 09:21 AM	#3 (permalink)
englishmike Some Skills Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Birmingham, Alabama Posts: 85 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	The thing is, 1 month ago when I got the car, there was serious alternator trouble, it was holding charge and the same 3 lights, coolant fan, e-brake and battery were flickering on. The car died and replaced it with a brand new alternator.

11-12-2009, 09:29 AM	#4 (permalink)
muffinman U-P-G-R-A-Y-E-D-D Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Sunny South Florida Posts: 5,881 Thanks: 53 Thanked 283 Times in 272 Posts Blog Entries: 1 My Google Map iTrader Rating: (2/100% )	then check the wiring to the alt and make sure you have a clean/tight connection.

11-12-2009, 09:33 AM	#5 (permalink)
englishmike Some Skills Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Birmingham, Alabama Posts: 85 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	Can it be done from above the engine or from under the car?

11-12-2009, 09:42 AM	#6 (permalink)
muffinman U-P-G-R-A-Y-E-D-D Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Sunny South Florida Posts: 5,881 Thanks: 53 Thanked 283 Times in 272 Posts Blog Entries: 1 My Google Map iTrader Rating: (2/100% )	i'm not very familiar with sc alt location so i can't really say. why not just drive by an auto parts store and have them test it while it's still in the car.

11-12-2009, 02:25 PM	#7 (permalink)
englishmike Some Skills Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Birmingham, Alabama Posts: 85 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	The auto parts store could only check the battery, which came back as bad. However the battery had just died and I used jumper cables to get it running. Surely if the alternator isnt holding the charge and the battery loses power it will make the parts store equipment read the battery as bad?

11-12-2009, 02:28 PM	#8 (permalink)
muffinman U-P-G-R-A-Y-E-D-D Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Sunny South Florida Posts: 5,881 Thanks: 53 Thanked 283 Times in 272 Posts Blog Entries: 1 My Google Map iTrader Rating: (2/100% )	If the battery has died then it has to be the alt whether it's a bad connection or just a bad alt. get a multimeter and test the output from the alt.

11-13-2009, 01:44 AM	#9 (permalink)
scottohno control your hose Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Fox Lake, IL Posts: 5,100 Thanks: 43 Thanked 93 Times in 83 Posts iTrader Rating: (7/100% )	stupid question, but is the belt ok? when mine blew a belt it scared the bejeebers out of me cuz it hit the engine lid, but maybe yours went down. if it broke its not turning the alternator, giving the lights, and maybe the sc light (not familiar with sc) but check the belt first. a little rubber band going around 7200 rpm. its worth an ask... sometimes its the little stuff.

11-13-2009, 04:42 AM	#10 (permalink)
traintech86 Cage Fighter Join Date: May 2009 Location: Yokosuka, Kanagawa Japan Posts: 1,802 Thanks: 27 Thanked 47 Times in 43 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (3/100% )	i ran into this problem, but luckily i have a nice battery so i wasn't stranded. it got really cold out and i think somehow it caused the wire on top of the alt to seperate from the clip that attatches to the alt. i ended up having to strip back the wire, sand the clip down and clean it up, and crimp the hell out of the rear crimp holders. its a temp fix but if i manage to find a good one ill be sure to let you know!

11-17-2009, 01:13 AM	#11 (permalink)
scottohno control your hose Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Fox Lake, IL Posts: 5,100 Thanks: 43 Thanked 93 Times in 83 Posts iTrader Rating: (7/100% )	im having a very similar problem. my 3 lights were on tonight and they would go out when i beat on it a little. i just replaced the serpentine belt two nights ago. i also replaced a distributor oring (it was hard as a candy cane, explains my oil leak.) but it goes away when i beat on it. its exactly the same with me, my needle goes down and the lights come on. im thinking its the wire plug on the alternator. im going to put the car on the rack tomorro and check it out. ill keep you posted

11-17-2009, 04:07 AM	#12 (permalink)
328FTW Crazy Nasty Honey Badger Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: New Zealand Posts: 5,236 Thanks: 24 Thanked 266 Times in 239 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (1/100% )	My 88SC does this sometimes haven't figured out why just that if I flick the key off/on the problem solves itself and won't come up again for a while. Been about 6 months since it last did it and I have changed nothing. Before that it was doing it a bit but now it just doesn't.....who knows maybe it's magic lol. I did find one car I had that did this had a bad alternator plug so might be worth cleaning up the contacts it's a free thing to try.