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The more complicated the plumbing.....

  • Thread starter Deleted member 8987
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D

Deleted member 8987

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I hate this stuff.
So, a month, six weeks ago I saw my neighbor out, asked about his dead 86 Toyotata 4-runner.
Been watching for a couple of years as different folks are over with the hood up....found out it wouldn't charge.
4 outfits and a dealer couldn't find it.
One outfit said it was a "control box" inside the right kick panel......one replaced the alternator....no charge.
So, got the keys, he left 30 minutes later to winter in Arizona, brought it here, and sure enough....no charge....AND no gauges, no idiot lights......obtained a proper schematic (them Japanese car forum guys are like British car forum guys.....while the folks here always say "change the coil", they say "fix the grounds").....except it wasn't.
One fuse drove all those functions, and had no power either side.....yet the ignition switch was normal output, and the main connector for ignition switch wasn't melted.
Pull the fuse...right. Took a BIG pair of pliers.......and it was so corroded the blades were white.
Cleaned the contacts, new fuse, light it off, charge, idiot lights, gauges.
Told him it appeared he had a windshield leak that needed to be addressed.

The son-in-law started using the vehicle regularly....until a week ago, got a visit....crank but no start.
Went over to check it out several days later, cranked and immediately started.
Odd.
That afternoon, drove by their house..parking lamps were all on.
Odder still.
Stopped, cycled the switch, went off.
Went by later, on again.
Same drill.
That night, came home, you could just see them dimly lit.
Told them to put it on charge so I could pick it up in the morning.
Got it home, no way to turn off the park AND dash lights.

You could hear a "beep-beep" somewhere under the dash when you removed the key....could not locate exactly where.
Read on some forum about a factory alarm module under the carpets....no module....but would make sense for park lights and beep-beep and no start.
Dropped bottom of dash.....checked it all out....and realized the windshield was leaking....badly.....water dripping off fuseblock and COMPUTER.
Pulled the EFI and taillight relays.....BADLY green on connectors....rusty around the edges....and the sloshed when shaken.
Opened up taillight relay.....this has been an issue for some time.

Off to pick up relays in 30 minutes...and tape plastic sheet over the fuseblock and computer until they get the screen resealed.

Ain't troubleshooting fun?
 
Well, you got there in the end. Sloshing inside an electrical component is never a good thing.
 
And, yet, Limey Limos seem to get away with it......
 
I hate this stuff.


You could hear a "beep-beep" somewhere under the dash when you removed the key....could not locate exactly where.

Ain't troubleshooting fun?

By then I would have expected more of a "bleep-bleep" under the dash by now.
 
That's why British Submarines worked so well.
Except the Canucks demanded the Lucas stuff be removed and fitted with something else before they bought the last batch
 
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