polymerase

Wow, step out for four years and Corey gets a new rig? Where did that polished 91 white 4Runner go? And Jason, my wood paneling is peeling. Just joking, still looks great.

Yes, I go on the lamb for four years and only come back when I have a problem with my 4Runner and I know this group will have the answer. My mechanics sure don't. I promise to stick around if you give me the goods.

Setup: Yes, of course I still have my 99 SR5 4Runner and it only has 115,000 miles on it. Hardly middle aged. Besides putting a new timing belt in it when it hit 100K the thing just wants an oil change every 6K. (I did put some BF Goodrich A/Ts on it and they are still looking brand new after 50K on them.)

Except for a fluky problem: I have a transient electrical problem. Very irritating since it disappears when I am at the shop. The symptoms have now predictably settled down to:

1) When it rains it occurs.
2) After driving in the rain I go to turn off headlights and car. I then open the door and "bing" my headlights turn on.
2a) The other variation is that the headlights don't turn on upon door opening but twenty minutes later they flip on! They then are on for twenty or so off for twenty or so. If I don't notice this light show in my driveway my battery is dead as a door nail in t he morning.

Weird huh? Well obviously I have a short exacerbated by water. The door opening makes me think the module that keeps accessories running for 30 seconds after key removal or until the door opens is on the blink. But the module might be OK but a wire leading to that module is shorting.

Help! My mechanic says he can start yanking modules and replacing them but they are all pricey and it might not fix the problem. Swell.

So, has anyone seen this problem? I hosed all wires and components down with WD40 on the wild chance I could drive the water out and seemed to actually work. But two weeks later it rained and it is back. I got a deluge coming in tonight and I am sure it will be back. Disconnecting the battery every night is getting old. Does anyone know which module does this 30 second Accessories activated? I suppose that's a good place to start. Pull that and clean the contacts and protect.

tia.

polymerase

ps. I was Paul Morrison over at 4x4wire. I must be some kind of scientist nerd to have picked polymerase as my nickname back in 2002.

polymerase

I'm driving along in the rain and at a stop light my doors lock. Then they all unlock. I flip the button to lock and they pop back up. The short gremlin is growing.

mqtjd

I have been having the same problem! The ignition is off, the lighs are off, then poof...they come back on all by themselves. Trying to find a mechanic who can actually fix this problem is impossible. I have already replaced the headlight relay switch which I thought fixed the problem..until of course my battery went dead this morning. Please Help! I have a 98 4 runner that has been very reliable but this probelm is quite annoying! Please let me know if you have any solutions or suggestions.
Thanks!

okie81

Polymerase, your short may be a chain reaction

Do you have fog lights? I know the early 3rd gen 4runners had an issue with the front tires throwing water onto the fog lights, but that still doesn't explain a lot of your symptoms.

polymerase

ouch, that pun hurt!

Well, you may be onto something there. Before this all started happening some crazy lady back into me (while on a cell phone) and knocked out one of my fog lights. Now I know this is sacrilegious, I have the replacement light but have never replaced it because the light fixture opening is bunged a bit. So that busted fog light has been hanging there inside the bumper. That could be the source of my short. In retrospect I am a complete idiot for leaving that light hooked up all this time.

It actually might explain my door locks too. As the mechanic explained to me the door locks spring open if they sense there is no electriciy available. Good thing to happen in a crash. That sensor might be getting bummed I am leaking juice out of my busted fog light. It is certainly in a position to get damp when it rains.

None of my symptoms have shown up in several months but I will be disconnecting that lead this weekend. Right now I have to get back to the lab to add more polymerase to my samples.

Fink

I had this same problem with my '99.

Intermittent paranormal pulsating electronics caused random locking/unlocking of the doors.

I have since sold that rig, however, so I have no idea if it was ever solved or not.

Good luck with your search and it sounds like that fog light needs to go.

Fink

mqtjd

This looks like a very cool website for people who love their toyota trucks. And my 98 4runner has been very good to me. However, this problem with the lights going on while the car is off is still driving me crazy becuase it drains the battery. Like I said, I have already replaced the headlight relay switch and I don't have fog lights or any other modification to the factory electronics except for a stereo I put in about five years ago. Please help! Thanks

Corey

iTrader: (1)

Paul, I just saw this thread, a little late jumping in.
Glad to see you back, and I remember you very well.

The old 4Runner died on me to make way for a new project.

sswearin1

bump, poly, keep me in the loop. i have a 2000 sr5 with without foglights and I am having the same issue.

It will not appear for a few weeks, but at the most inconvient time they will turn themselves on and drain the battery, leaving me stranded. Help! I've have had to jump my red top 5-7 times.

Even my mechanic (only works on Toyota's) didn't have any reassuring words.

**** (ASIDE) I rolled my truck and it is at the body shop (6000k later, thank you insurance) but it is going straight to the mechanic for the first look over, if he finds anything I will add it to this post. ****


There is wiring for the lights but I would have to purchase a kit to add them, so I assume that there is no juice going to the fog plug at this time. May be unrelated.

Anyone else want to chime in...?!

Steve

sswearin1

found a link with one suggestion

http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/ar.../t-121298.html

sswearin1

to

the

top!

trd90toyota

Did you have your windshield replaced. I had a land cruser come in once, had the hazzard lights coming on when they used the turn signals. Turn out that the windshield was not sealed correctly and water was leaking on to the junction block. Just an idea...

darksoldier313

this might help with the locks at least this will shut off the automatic lock ik its not a fix but might help

RS3000 TVIP AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCK FEATURE PROGRAMMING
Model(s): All Toyota Models

Section: Accessories

Bulletin No.: AX005-00

Date: April 14, 2000

INTRODUCTION
As a convenience feature, the RS3000 TVIP system is programmed to automatically lock all of the vehicle's doors (for vehicles equipped with power door locks) when the ignition key is turned to "ON" or "START", and unlock them when the key is turned back to "ACC" or "LOCK". The initial factory setting of this programmable feature is "ON". For some customers however, this feature is not desirable due to instances of passenger lockout when the driver enters the vehicle first and starts the ignition.

For vehicles equipped with RS3000 TVIP, this bulletin advises the dealers to communicate the following information to the customers at vehicle delivery:

Inform the customers of the RS3000 system's automatic (ignition controlled) door lock/unlock feature.
Inquire about the customers' preference for it to be set "ON" or "OFF".
Reprogram the feature's setting according to the customer's preference.
To change the feature's operation mode, follow the programming procedures below.

Verification of the Dealer-Installed Option (DIO) or Port-Installed Option (PIO) RS3000 TVIP System can easily be performed by identifying the status monitor and remote transmitter.

The remote transmitter has two buttons, Top and Bottom. See Fig. 1 .
The status monitor has a Toyota label, LED, and microphone. See Fig. 2 .
APPLICABLE VEHICLES
All models equipped with DIO or PIO RS3000 TVIP.

WARRANTY INFORMATION
WARRANTY INFORMATION
OPCODE Description Time OPN T1 T2
N/A Not Applicable to Warranty ..... ..... ..... .....


PROGRAMMING PROCEDURE
AUTOMATIC (IGNITION-CONTROLLED) DOOR LOCKING/UNLOCKING FUNCTION
The factory setting for the AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKING/UNLOCKING FUNCTION is "ON".

To change this feature's operation, follow the steps below:

Sit in the driver's seat with driver's door open.
Insert the key into the ignition switch, and turn it to "ON" position (not "ACC") 5 times (ON > LOCK > ON > LOCK > ON > LOCK > ON > LOCK > ON) within a 10 second period.
System Response: The STATUS MONITOR's LED turns on, and the PIEZO BUZZER sounds once.

NOTE: You must perform the next steps within 30 seconds.


Select the customer's preferred operating mode.
CHANGING FEATURE'S OPERATION MODE
Mode Programming Step Programming Completion
AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKING/UNLOCKING "ON" Close the driver's door. Turn the ignition switch to the "LOCK" position. System Response: The PIEZO BUZZER sounds once, and the exterior lights flash once.
AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKING/UNLOCKING "OFF" Close the driver's door, then open and close it one more time. Turn the ignition switch to the "LOCK" position. System Response: The PIEZO BUZZER sounds twice, and the exterior lights flash twice.

sswearin1

thanks for the replies.

I rolled my truck, so it is at the autobody shop and will be going to the 'toy doctor' (cute name for my local mechanic) to have a once over.

Hopefully, rolling the truck corrected this issue. It just seems funny that with a short that the drl's would turn themselves on after the truck turns off; conversely, there were times when the headlights did not shut off after truck was turned off and driver's side door opened. However, I know very little about electrical issues on vechiles. More reading ahead....

Also having a strange, intermittent short in the map light.

If the mechanic doesn't find anything, I'm going to do my own draw test.

I will keep everyone updated. More and more 3rd gens are going to start popping up with this issue. Extensive web searching reveals that there are a good number of folks experiencing this issue, just not that many in the yotatech community. Searching reveals no new information on ultimateyota.

Anyone else having unrelated draws with 3rd gens? May be related....

sswearin1

Actually, had the windshield replaced before this issue started, another good idea to make sure there is no water leaks.

Best way to check for leaks?

I need to comb over the FSM.

sswearin1

I'm also going to disable my DRL's.

What is the worst case with this? Should this be easy to diagnose? Could it be related to my red top, which probably does not have a full charge since it's been drained several times as a result of this draw? I'm going to have it tested at the mechanic, see if I can get $$ back under warranty and get a different battery.

trd90toyota

What we did was remove the junction block and found corrosion in the connectors.

As for the best way to check for the leak, I think if you run a garden hose on the windshield and look under the dash.

Hope this helps.

jennajack

My son is having the same issue. His lights pop on automatically when the car is off. We have had relays replaced, moonroof cleaned, and the car will be fine for a while. Then, here we go again. Each time, rain has been falling. Should we go to the Toyota dealership for an evaluation, or sell the car? Any tips would be appreciated.

jsilvrz

I have an 02 Tundra. I got out of the truck today to see the headlights still on. Long story short, something is keeping the head light relay energized. If I lift battery cable or remove head light relay they go off and stay off. If I put the truck in gear to turn on DRL, this happens every time.
Any ideas?