Offroad-Express

Hi all,

Just bought my 93 Hilux SSR-G 2.4L turbo diesel and loving it (trying to avoid everyone's comments that the head gasket on this model will blow any minute if it overheats!).

Just wondered:

1) How come there's two batteries when it's still running at 12V? Does this mean if I leave the lights on by accident, only one battery will run out and I'll still be able to start the truck with the other battery?

2) I flushed the radiator as it was a victim of brown sludge but when I took the bash plate off under the engine, I was surprised to find a second radiator running parallel with the bash plate. What's that all about? Is it something to do with the turbo or it being automatic or something? I assume it was flushed when I flushed the main radiator.

I had a bloody good weekend with my new toy and we managed to get both my hilux and my mate's pajero stuck in the mud and had to call another mate out to pull us both out but I'll tell that story later!

Cheers for your help!

2nd rad will be for cooling trans fluid. 2nd battery: check to see if there is an isolator for it, if not get one fitted then you will alwyas have a starting battery. Did it run extra electrics requiring the 2nd battery ie fridge, laptops etc.
Al

Cheers Al,

I haven't noticed one but I'll take a look later. I can't be sure if all the electrics run off one battery or if some run off one and some run off the other so I wouldn't want to isolate one until I find out.

Not sure about its history either. There aren't any extra leads lying around inside and even the cigarette lighter didn't work when I got it so I doubt the previous guy had much unusual running off it.

Lincoln wrote:Hi all,

Just bought my 93 Hilux SSR-G 2.4L turbo diesel and loving it (trying to avoid everyone's comments that the head gasket on this model will blow any minute if it overheats!).

Just wondered:

1) How come there's two batteries when it's still running at 12V? Does this mean if I leave the lights on by accident, only one battery will run out and I'll still be able to start the truck with the other battery?

2) I flushed the radiator as it was a victim of brown sludge but when I took the bash plate off under the engine, I was surprised to find a second radiator running parallel with the bash plate. What's that all about? Is it something to do with the turbo or it being automatic or something? I assume it was flushed when I flushed the main radiator.

I had a bloody good weekend with my new toy and we managed to get both my hilux and my mate's pajero stuck in the mud and had to call another mate out to pull us both out but I'll tell that story later!

Cheers for your help!

Sometimes the 2nd batt is to give the engine 24v to start.

Quite a lot of these models came out with dual battery set ups. There doesn't appear to be any reason for it, so do as Al has already said, and fit an isolator between the two.
If truck is auto, then yes, 2nd rad probably is for that, but check out where the entry and exit lines run from and go too. I think I have seen one used for water cooling a turbo (but not overly sure )

The second battery is the cold climate option. Usually optioned for trucks from northern Japan. There is no isolator for the system. The second battery is wired in parallel. The cold climate option is not just a Toyota thing. I have had Mitsubishi's with it as well.

i've seen it in the surf's. commonly called winter pack. it can also include electric fuel heater and possibly a few other things like heated seats and mirrors (tho thats also an optoin for the top models).

big down side of the dual batteries is you need to treat them as one. if one dies it normally takes the other one out as well. replace them as a pair.

the other rad may be auto cooler to get around the problems the stock coolers have (blocks of raditor flow causeing poor cooling). however i have seen aircon setup above the bash plate before to so check what it feeds.

plenty of fixes for those, check if the EGR has been blocked off and disable the EGR butterfly.

tweake wrote: however i have seen aircon setup above the bash plate before to so check what it feeds.

Not that I've ever had a modern enough vehicle to have air cond but I was wondering if the other radiator was for the air conditioning?

The 91/93 Surfs came out standard with two 12volt batteries in parallel, it is still only 12 volt, check the volt meter in the dash. The second radiator that you have seen will be the air con condenser. Be very weary of going through mud because you will get mud between the condenser and the radiator that you can't clean out with out removing the radiator and the first time you work the motor hard it WILL OVER HEAT.

SAVE YOUR MONEY FOR REPAIRS,

FITZY.

Haha sweet. Went through plenty of mud on the weekend so might get the plate off again and get in there with the hose.

Thanks for all your replies. Sounds like there's a few variations on the dual battery topic but looks like the jist of it is it'll take more for the battery to run out but when it does they generally run out together so no back up.

P.s. I see I'm a stropper now. Nice.

P.P.s. What's an EGR?

sorry i should have mentioned that the batteries are in parallel.

EGR= exhaust gas recirculation. pumps exhaust gas into the inlet manifold to reduce emissions. unfortunately the systems do tend to go faulty and they usually get plenty of egr in due to blowby anyway.
blocking off EGR and disabling EGR butterfly helps stop motor overheating, cracking heads and increases fuel economy.

heaps of info on those motors at http://www.toyotasurf.asn.au/forum/

fit a secondary temp guage to it, the factory guage lies, don't let it get too near the red otherwise it will stuff the head, theres a thread somewhere which explains the issue and a mod to the guage

Rip the aircon out unless you're especially fond of it.

The underslung A/C condenser is a royal pain in the ass. With it gone all you have to do is undo the four bash plate bolts and you've got access to the underside of the motor.

Same with the A/C compressor, it has to come out to access the alternator, which will need servicing at the most inopportune time, most likely when it and the rest of your engine bay is full of mud.

Yeah sounds about right. I had to turn myself into stretch armstrong by putting my arm in amongst all the workings up to my elbow just to reach the plug for the radiator.