EyeInTheSky's Gen 3 Budget Build Thread

[EyeInTheSky]

Below is my proposed wiring diagram (behold my mighty Paint skills). Any reason this won't work or could be better done another way?
View attachment 372124

Yep, found another way. Based on my friend’s suggestion I’m going to wire some LED floods in the rear that will be connected via a relay to my current reverse lights. I will then add a line from the front so they can be switched on via the control panel as well for late night camp setup lights etc along with illuminating in reverse.

I also added the relay bank and bus bar for the switches. I’m thinking about running one power line for the bus bar into the center console area, splitting the power there, then routing another cable bundle back out to the relay box which will be in the engine compartment.

I also noticed that I forgot my circuit breakers, so those have been added as well.

I would like to find some reasonably priced switches that are similar to the original design so they can go in the lower switch area (currently have seat warmers and rear air control only). I also have some basic silver toggles, but that will require fabbing and mounting a switch plate.

On another note, what other switches go there on the Gen 3s? I have…3 (?) blank spaces to use.

 

[OuterLimits]

Oh man... just looked up smog results in CA. Monteros seem to fail much more often than other vehicles. Check out this database.
http://www.sacbee.com/site-services/...e72718117.html
Also, not sure if you've used this or not, but it's a good tool. Type in the VIN or license plate and you get smog history on a vehicle (plus it confirms year/model).
https://www.bar.ca.gov/pubwebquery/v...pubtstqry.aspx

Eye,
Both links are great scores. I hadn't seen those before. Adding to favorites. Thanks!

The poor Montero doesn't fare well here in CA. The 2005 isn't bad, but pretty hard to find one.

I think one of the smog problems with the Monty is the operation of the computer. Some have said that when you turn off the engine (waiting for the smog test), then fire it back up again, not all the proper codes will be set, till you drive it again (not just into the smog bay). If the monty codes are not available for the ca smog computer, the Monty fails. I noticed many of the Montys failed, then passed again, the same day. I think this is likely related to the code availability problem. A pain.

In Washington, the state did all the testing. You stayed in your car. You kept the engine running. I bet the Montys fare better there. In CA, you drive to “bubba's smog shop, you park your car, engine off, and wait for your turn. You start back up, pull in the smog bay, and fail the test. I think if I had a problem Monty, I'd leave the engine running while I wait.

The best free VIN site I have found is: https://www.vehiclehistory.com/vehicle/land.php
Lots of info here.

I went ahead and ponied up for an unlimited month of CarFax. One catch… It is unlimited for license plate look ups. Only 5 reports for VIN numbers. This works great for craigslist (lots of license plates). But, dealers always strip off the plates, so I am stuck with the VIN (only 5).

The CarFax isn't perfect, but it does a pretty good job of determining number of owners and catches odometer scams. I found a 2003 on Craigslist that stated 2 owner, 125k miles. The owner said he took it in for oil changes every 3 months (whether it needed it or not). That was impressive. But then odd for such a fussy owner not to have ANY of the service records. I bought CarFax and ran the plate. 3 owners, 150k miles. I get not knowing about all previous owners, but the mileage fudge was dishonest. Pass.

I looked at a 2005 at a dealer in LA. It was an odd thing. Much of it looked really well cared for, but other things looked much worse than it should for the age. It looked like it was a mash-up of two different vehicles. CarFax says no accidents, but it just didn't feel right. Toss in their starting price of $16k!!! They later dropped to advertised at $14k. They would let it go for $12k, but it's more like a $9k value (or less).

I don't mind paying a premium for the right vehicle, but if this Monty was determined to be a poor fit after a few months, I'd take a $$$ bath trying to unload it as a private sale.

Looks like we are in the same neck of the woods. I'll have to drive by sometime and check out your rig (and the pup of course).
Cheers

 

[EyeInTheSky]

As usual, life intervenes. No dual battery set up yet. My wife slipped and sprained her ankle so I spent half the day at urgent care with her. I did get one thing done however.

I noticed that I had a blown speaker when I would play CDs; the lows would come through crackly etc. I just turned down my bass and assumed it was one of the rear speakers and would deal with it later. Well, the other day I opened the back door while I still had my music playing and heard an awful rattling from the rear driver's side. Turns out my Montero had a factory woofer behind that body panel. This just would not do.

My first stop for car audio is always Crutchfield, who was trying to sell me a shallow mount 6 3/4" Kicker subwoofer for around $150. Nope. I did some research and found out that the OEM subwoofer is actually more like an 8" (much cheaper than the less common 6 3/4"). I shopped around and decided my ghetto blasting days are behind me so I would just get a cheap sub to just round out the music. I used to have a little Honda Prelude in college that had two 10" subs in the back. No thanks. I want to maximize my storage space.

I then hit Amazon and found this:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CMC6O68

Funny thing is this sub is made by a local company; their headquarters are a few miles from me.

I was a bit worried about depth since Crutchfield was trying to sell me a shallow mount subwoofer, but based on an Amazon review of another sub, I figured this had a good chance of fitting.

All in all replacing the sub took me about an hour. Fifteen minutes to remove the rear trim (covered extensively elsewhere), 5 minutes to remove the old woofer, 5 minutes to connect the new, and the balance of the time swearing at the inventor of interior body panel clips. The sub fit just fine with a few sheet metal screws into the panel.

Honestly, it was the best $14 I've spent on the Montero. There is a noticeable difference in my audio quality and no more rattle. Don't expect to shake windows with the factory system, as the crossover is somewhere around 100hz (definitely a woofer, not a SUBwoofer). I highly recommend knocking this out if you're getting that rattle. Honestly, if you're already going to be removing the trim from that area for another project, you might as well replace the subwoofer, since the paper cone and foam surround will deteriorate over time anyway.

On another note, my relay box and bus bar arrived, so I'm going to get started mounting them in preparation for the dual battery. Still need to fab a switch plate out of the aluminum I have laying around. I will try to document that as well as I can since I haven't seen much in the way of detailed electrical writeups on the Gen3.

 

[billygoats]

Funny, I was there with the 4 runner at hungry too.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[EyeInTheSky]

...that's me and the wife. Hahahaha. I enjoyed watching you go through that. Braver than I. Was it you who lost the driver's side fender flare?

 

[billygoats]

...that's me and the wife. Hahahaha. I enjoyed watching you go through that. Braver than I. Was it you who lost the driver's side fender flare?

Not me! Ive got no balls like that. I rode passenger in it for all but this part so I could photo.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[EyeInTheSky]

Veteran's Day 2016 - Parasitic Drain edition

Blah blah no dual battery mount yet. Life got in the way etc.

Bigger problem. Wife is using the Montero because she sprained her ankle and can't use the clutch on her car. Day before yesterday she got outside and called me, telling me the Montero was dead. I hit the battery with my multimeter: 7.5 volts. Yep. You read that right.

Not good.

A neighbor was kind enough to wheel over his 200amp starter/35amp charger and we got it going. Sent her to work and immediately bumped my Optima purchase up and ordered it. I figure that if a battery discharges that much, it's irreparably damaged. She gets to work OK, drives it on her lunch break, no issues. When she goes back out after work, dead again. Only clicking. She gets a co-worker to jump her (co-worker actually said, "Should I get one of the security guards to help us?" My wife replied, "Nope. I got this" and proceeded to expertly jump the Montero, impressing the hell out of her co-worker).

She makes it home, but when she turns it off, headlights immediately go dim. I decide to purchase a cheap ($50) battery at Wal-Mart to tide me over until the Optima arrives. I test it the next morning, 11.85v. Not good. It turned right over so I sent her on her way. No issues yesterday.

I finally got the registration replaced in my Jeep so I sent her with that and figured I'd take some time and work on the Montero.

I got my trusty Harbor Freight multimeter out, grabbed my keys and headed outside. Hit the unlock button on the remote....nothing. #$*#*(&%!!!

Pop the hood, the $50 Wal-Mart battery is pushing 3.6 volts!!!!! ******.

So I test the amp draw and something is pulling around 1.6 amps with everything off. I start pulling fuses under the hood... nothing drawing more than .1. I leave the test leads between the negative terminal and the ground cable and pull the ECU. No change.

I jump it from her car, get it going and let it run for a while to charge the battery up some.

Now here I am. It tested at 3amps right after I shut it off, so I figured I'd write this post and give it a while for all the systems to shut off.

I disconnected my CB radio so the system is completely back to its stock configuration (CB was connected to the fusible link).

No lights on, radio is off, USB charger unplugged from the cigarette lighter. Going to start pulling fuses in the cabin next.


Hoping for suggestions and/or words of encouragement. I'm very annoyed right now.

EDIT:
Going to check the starter and alternator.
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/127553-Please-Help-PARASITIC-BATTERY-DRAIN-Ideas

 

[TheMole]

Have you checked the interior fuses as well? How about the alternator, starter, or alarm system? These came up in my searches.

 

[EyeInTheSky]

Have you checked the interior fuses as well? How about the alternator, starter, or alarm system? These came up in my searches.

Unfortunately this gremlin is running around my vehicle. My drain was at 1.6 amps, now it's down to .5. Might be because the battery is so low?

Somehow I missed fuse 18 earlier; it looks like that's my culprit. My draw goes from .5 to .09. Per the FSM (X means checked/removed and no change):

A/C-ECU
cargo space light X
clock
column switch
combination meter,
dome light X
ETACS-ECU
front door light X
front-ECU
key reminder switch
motor antenna-ECU
radio and CD player
rear door light X
rear personal light X
RV meter
side step light-ECU - Not sure on this. I pulled the bulb on the bottom of the driver's door out completely and no change. Not sure what the "ECU" in here is.
steering wheel sensor
sunroof motor assembly
theft-alarm indicator light
transfer-ECU
vanity mirror light - Checked these by opening visors slightly. Lights were off until I hit the trigger point.

 

[EyeInTheSky]

Parasitic Drain Part 2

Update:

Fuse 18 seems to draw a constant 0.3 amps, which is high, but not enough to murder a battery in cold blood down to 3.5 volts overnight in southern California.

I asked my wife to come check my multimeter for me while I fiddled around. I reconnected the positive, set up my multimeter in series with the negative post, and hopped in. No key in the ignition. Stayed at .3, occasionally would drop down to .14, and just as occasionally would go up to .6.

At one point the motion light on my garage door opener went out so I sat up on the window ledge to wave at it. As I was getting back down my wife reported a 6 amp reading. I didn't hit any switches while I was up there. Not sure where that came from. Couldn't duplicate it, as it stopped after a few seconds. She thought there was a chance it was an airbag occupancy sensor like on passenger seats. Didn't see such a critter in the SRS section of the FSM, but I'll keep looking.

One thing that occurred to me is that per my OBDII reader, I was running around 13.8 at idle, and it wouldn't hit 14 at high idle. Could that be a sign of a failing alternator? Thinking I might take it out and have it bench tested. Since I was planning to replace it anyway, I might as well ask if anyone has recommendations for a high output alternator. Doesn't have to be OEM.

I hate electrical gremlins. This is why the wiring from the second battery will be completely isolated from the main harness.

Update 2:

Removed the alternator for bench testing. Chock full of mud but spun freely. Will take alternator and battery into AutoZone for testing and recharging. I figure that I might as well get some other stuff done while it's out of commission (glad we have three vehicles). I think I'll try to inspect the timing belt and knock out the crank pulley bolt while it's garaged.

Update 3: Timing belt looks fine from what I could see on the passenger side. Could only see a couple inches of it because of the mount for the pulleys etc. No cracks, nice and smooth. Couldn't see any kind of label on it.

Realized the crank pulley bolt is a 22mm, largest metric I have is 21 and none of my SAE sockets will work. Just found out Lowes sells one for $4, so I think I'll make that investment in the morning.

I removed the fan shroud and fan, but that clutch is kicking my butt. The four 10mm bolts on there are stuck! I got one broken loose, but the others have been pretty resilient. Well, the threads have been. The heads starting getting deformed. I hit them with some liquid wrench and will try again tomorrow. I might even get replacements because the head on one is so messed up.

I'm finding a lot (A LOT) of dried mud from my Hungry Valley trip. I seriously knocked about a child's sand bucket worth of dirt out from the front end once I took the fan shroud off. Don't think I'll be doing much more mudding.

Once I get the battery charged up I'm going to do another draw test and see if I can find and murder this (these?) electrical gremlins. Based on the above list of components on the fuse I identified, does anyone have any suggestions on what could pull 1.6 amps? I seriously doubt the key reminder switch could do this.

On that note, what could cause a brand new (albeit cheap) car battery to do the following: 12.5v at purchase, 11.85v after being connected overnight for nine hours, 25 minute freeway drive to work and back in the evening, to 3.6v from sitting between 7pm and 8am? That's an unreal amount of amps being pulled. I guess I'll know more once the alternator gets bench tested.

Update 4: Alternator tested bad at both autozone and oreillys for "lamp on," diode, and B+. Taking it to a local shop for a rebuild tmw.

Update 5: Alternator is at a local shop for a rebuild.

 

[EyeInTheSky]

I have given up on the fan clutch bolts for now. I'll save them for another time. The liquid wrench didn't help; they just keep deforming. I pulled the idler pulleys off to knock some crud from the back sides. Please have a look at this video and see what you think? Do they need replaced? Especially that right side smooth one?

https://youtu.be/TlNElijOr4w

 

[EyeInTheSky]

Trying to stay productive

While I wait for my alternator to be rebuilt I decided to get a task out of the way.

Since I'm going to have some electrical accessories in the Montero I ordered a relay box and relays. I have set up the wiring so it should be pretty plug and play once I get the second battery installed.

For parts used check my Google Sheet noted in an earlier post.

The tools and supplies laid out:


Get yourself a pair of these. Don't get the Harbor Freight version, the metal is very soft and it will bend. It looks like Home Depot doesn't carry them anymore, so look around online.
http://idealind.com/ideal-electrica...rimpers-multi-purpose/7-v-notch-stripper.aspx


Terminals attached and installed:


Finished product (I just put the fuses in for illustrative purposes, I'll be installing lower amp fuses as needed):


Next on my list for electrical is to fabricate my switchplate that will be going in the small cubby below the information screen. I have some spare aluminum that will look pretty nice in there. I'm thinking about running some CAT5E to my switches to make life a little easier (better than running a ton of separate wires). Any thoughts on that? My only concern is that the interior wires of the CAT5E cable might be a little brittle for automotive use.

 

[EyeInTheSky]

A little more progress

Decided to make my day off productive while I wait for my alternator to be finished. When I bought the Montero the battery was not strapped down in any way (!), so I bought a universal battery hold down kit for a couple bucks and threw it in. Well, I managed to break the plastic cross member the other day, so I decided to make a new one from some scrap I picked up from a local steel shop. I like the way it turned out. I might pull it and paint it, but it's good enough for now.


I also began cutting the diamond plate for my second battery mount. I have a couple right angle pieces I'm going to use from my ZJ's old running boards that will be bolted to those vertical pieces. Another piece of diamond plate will run across toward the driver's side and will be bolted to a bracket I'm making that will attach to the front bolt on the fender. Same for the rearward bolt, though I'm working on making a spacer to make it level with the front bolt. I don't have a press brake so I'm a bit limited. Making progress though!


Also, this is the only place I could find to mount the relay box and still be able to close the hood.

 

[EyeInTheSky]

Some progress

Replaced my rear shocks today with the KYB's I ordered a while back. All in all it was about an hour of work from start to finish. My only qualm is that now the rear is a couple inches higher than before, so my Montero is canted forward a bit. Hopefully the shocks will compress some and level me out. If not, front spacers?

Also, my PA speaker is working again. For some reason it quit functioning correctly, but when I tested it today it was fine.

I will have access to metal working tools again this weekend so hopefully I will continue (or maybe even finish!!) the battery mount.

 

[EyeInTheSky]

I will be visiting family out of town this weekend near a nice pick your part. Any pieces you would suggest I get that are good spares? I need some interior pieces currently but am looking for ideas of parts that are best sourced from a yard that are nice to have spares of.

There are 2x gen3's and 4x gen2's on their inventory page so if anyone in the Ventura County area needs anything, send me a msg and I'll keep my eyes open.