Questions and Answers

Toyota Dash Lights Q. Vince, I've got another one for you. If the charge light and brake light both come on and stay on, what's failing? It's staying charged, and the brake system's fine. I saw a similar posting on the web site saying the diodes in the alternator are bad. I've also been told that the brushes are almost worn out. This is an 1986 Toyota Camry. Your thoughts please.

A. These are classic bad diode pack symptoms so what you're seeing is correct. You used to be able to replace a diode pack separately but don't know if that's still true with today's alternators. The question is if diode pack is available from the dealers.

I used to repair Nissan alternators years ago, but new brushes and diode packs were available as separate parts. I just opened up the alternator, unsoldered the old pack and solder in the new one. Install the new brushes and it was good for another five years.

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