Not sure if this thread should be in the "Interior/Electical" section, but it does involve the overall running of my truck.

Anyway, I'm driving a 1989 Toyota 2wd pickup, 4cyl automatic with fuel injection.

Anyway, it's been totally reliable, except for a minor electrical problem - a parasitic drain on the battery... I've learned to just unhook the terminal at night, because it's let me down a few times in the morning. I suspect it's the tape deck - someone may have buggered the wiring, the entire instrument cluster is out - has been since I owned it, I just learned to get used to it. That circuit is certainly the one that's doing the draining...

Anyway, my truck is of a vintage where when you start it the headlights and running lights are on full time - 1st year for daytime running lights? Not sure. Seems like the design is such that I don't even need to turn the lights on, unless I need the high beams. Or is this some further glitch in the wiring?

But anyway tonight something totally weird happened where upon starting the vehicle the headlights and running lights did not come on automatically - I had to physically turn on the lights, and the emergency brake light and battery light came on and stayed on, plus it was idling really high. A totally different personality with my vehicle all of a sudden.
Luckily the drive home was only about 10 miles or so.

Another thing which I found alarming though, is that the temperature gauge was getting really high. I always thought my temp gauge was never working properly because it would rarely ever go beyond the first white line - ever. So now it's over 3/4 toward the red!
To top it off when I reached my street the engine cut out completely - no stalling or sputtering, just - ZAP- nothing. And then would not restart. All the accessories, etc, headlight, etc were still functioning normally.
I lifted the hood and sure enough I could hear the coolant bubbling. Removed the battery cable like I usually do, and put it back on...
...and the truck fired up again... not easily though. When I parked it at my place, the idle was surging up and down.

Wow, like...WTF? No doubt the problem is centered around the electrical system... but in a vehicle going back to 1989 - would it be a chip that failed? I'll be bringing it in to my mechanic first thing tomorrow.
Wouldn't mind some 2nd opinions though. Any ideas??

Also I should note that over here we're getting a freezing cold snap - not that we have anything to complain about over on the west coast, but it is unusual, and wonder if the temp drop might be a factor in this sudden drastic change in the vehicle's running behavior. Idle at start was much, much higher than normal, even for a cold night.

I sure hope I didn't blow the head gasket, but wouldn't there be coolant present on the oil? I checked it and it doesn't appear milky. But the the engine did cut out on me, which really concerns me. I didn't lose very much coolant, just the small amount that bubbled into the overflow.
The fact that's it's so cold here right now might have saved my engine from really blowing. I don't think I've had the temperature that high since I've owned it (2 1/2 yrs).
Just hope that whatever is wrong is centered around the source of the problem - something in the electrical system?, and that because the temp got really high a whole other host of problems wasn't created.

 

I,ve never heard of any daylight running lights in your vintage trucks, not saying it might be something Canadian compared to US, but I still don't think they did, the fact the lights come on when started may be a indicater of part of the electrical problem or some previous owners rewiring to make it work that way
The alt/brake light coming on is usually an indication of an alternator problem. Why it overheated wouldn't be caused by electrical, you have some other problem going on there, not seeing any water in the oil doesn't mean the gasket didn't blow, water can go into the cylinders and be spit or turned to steam and go out the tailpipe. Good luck

 

Also, just a thought, beings the overheating and charge light issue happened around the same time, what about the fan belt, broke, came off, slipping

 

yea as far as i know there was no daylight running lights on theses trucks...heck i had a 98 tacoma that didnt even have DRL's...

sounds like you have a really bad case of wiring gremlins....in a bad way!!

blah...no fun chasing those down!! good luck man!!

 

you have a Canada truck and you have DRL's let me get you the schematic.

 

That's exactly what it was. Late at night when I got it home, and didn't notice that when I was poking around.
The alternator still charges OK.

I gave the shop the go ahead to finally deal with the parasitic drain.
The mechanic told me that yes, in Canada they're wired for DRL's.

Kind of feel like I dodged a bullet, but ultimately now that I think about it, I should have just drove the thing right to the garage and walked home from there, it's only about 2 miles from my place. The road up to my street is all hills so I was putting extra strain on the motor in that last stretch of getting home.

 

here is the location of your Canada DRL electrical components

 

Hey thanks.

Since the system wasn't charging due to the broken belt, that component must have gotten knocked out.

AOK now.

Also, I needed a new thermostat - the existing one was stuck open. That might explain the strange placement of the needle on my gauge.

 

check your ground wires, the connectors, and their connecting surfaces. This may help.

 

For sure.


I'm going to be regularly checking my coolant level now, too... I'm still paranoid that I may have pushed it a bit hard last night.

 

@Nook If it was a broken belt, it wouldn't have started again.

 

Why not? it doesn't need the belt to make it run, it just needs it to make it cool and charge. If it was a V6 and we were talking about the timing belt, then I would agree with you.

 

After it crapped out, it did start again - but not easily. I can't recall if when I took it to the shop if the belt was broken or had slipped off.

 

You could take all the fan belts off on a 22R, and it'll still run just fine, as long as the battery has a charge to start it, it'll go until it either melts down from heat or the battery goes dead. the fan belts have nothing to do with making it run.

 

This is what exactly Happen to my truck!!! Look everywhere too see if someone had the same problem..
My 1989 toyota pickup 22re 4clyd .

While I was driving it the brake light and battery might turned on.. Couple minutes latter it was boiling and smoking... Next morning seen my belts where out and warned out like its old or something . ATM it's been 2 weeks since I tried fixing it.

I've changed all 3 belts, and added coolant.. The fact at the time my coolant was worn out cause of the overheating ...
Now the problem is I can't start it cause of the battery life. It's dead to the point that there's no energy. But when I jumped it, it seems fine and have some sort of
Electric but still wouldn't start my car to turn on.. I need help did you figure out the problem and got it fix ? What happens to your truck?

 

Did it turn over when you tried jump starting it?

Sounds like you blew a hg or seized your engine.... smoking and bubbling is never good!

 

Don't think it has nothing to do with my engine.. It was bubbling on my coolant bottle thingy maybe because it was hot over there cause I didn't have coolant... My battery and brake light on my dash turned on and usually that indicates that the alternator has a problem, not the engine light.
And I think it didn't jump because of my battery think I need a new one it would
Almost start but
Don't seem
To have enough power.