none starter

[j555fjr]

all week my car has been doin my head in but this morning was the final straw so i set fire to it....... only joking! 5.15am wouldnt start, so jumped it again. something is causing the batteries to drain but i didnt have a clue what untill i went through all the fuses 1 by1 and found the cause of the drain is something to do with the pass side front headlight. rain has stopped play for now but i wondered if anyone else has had the same problem? if i disconnect the bulb for the main beam ad dip the drain seems to stop, but surely even a dodgey bulb cannot drain a battery at the rate mine was, can it? with the engine not running and the lights off i was loosing about 1 volt a min. or could it be the stalk? didnt think of that till just now. jobs are mounting up on this car now, even got water running down the windscreen on the inside!!!

 

[tomrichardson]

Does the light come on at all??
Maybe something to do with the dim dip relay or light on relay

 

[frank rabbets]

I had the windscreen problem on mine. Answer is to take of the kick panels asap and check condition of the wiring and electrical parts. Clean etc as necessary. Mine were all perfect so when warm and dry, after a long good weather run with the heater on an panels still off, I soaked the lot in WD 40 overnight. I cured the leak by raking out the old horizontal windscreen/rubber joint over the bonnet. This was old dry rubber sealer in lumps. I held a vacuum hose over at the same time. I then used degreaser to clean it. Then I masked off the windscreen and windscreen seal so that a tidy joint could be formed. I then used windscreen bonding glue in a gun and pushed plenty in. Dried overnight and has been dry ever since. Didn't touch the joints over the screen or the sides.

It can be disheartening having one problem after another but the good thing with these cars is that good repairs will be pretty permanent and will last a very long time.

Frank

 

[Towpack]

Here's my experience for what it's worth:

Dodgy bulbs don't drain batteries. If power (even a small amount) is getting to the headlight bulb(s) with everything switched off there must be a fault with the headlamp on/off relay. The headlamp relays, one for on/off and one for main/dip, feed both L & R lights via seperate fuses so if power is getting to one light it should be to both if the fuses are intact. If there is corrosion across the relay contacts it could still pass enough current with the lights switched off to exert a drain on the batts but not enough to light the bulb. I had exactly this happen on the intake heater relay. Are you getting a voltage at the bulb plugs (test with a multimeter) with everything off?.

Not too sure what you mean by 'losing 1 volt a minute'.

 

[j555fjr]

i was loosing 1 volt per min from the battery when i had my multi meter on it and sat and watched it. the water coming in has just started and was at the top of the windscreen by the sun visor, im thinking drains blocked on sunroof maybe but not had chance to look, but we did have a hell of a shower of rain so i think it could be the water couldnt get away quick enough........ when i pulled the relay for the light or the fuse i was still getting battery drain it was only when i pulled the plug of the bulb it stopped. poss could be a problem with the fuse box itself but it rained so i had to leave it, ive left the bulb unplugged so i will see if it starts in the morning but i will check battery volts first.

 

[Towpack]

If the voltage from the batt is dropping by 1 volt pm then it's either a large drain or, more likely, the batt is kn*****ed.

 

[j555fjr]

ok. there has just been 2 new batteries fitted on the car and both have now been tested and came up good. last night i left the nsf headlamp bulb unplugged, went out this morning firedup first time with such vigure i thought the engine was going to pop out the bonnet! happy days just cannot go out in the dark!

 

[Cptsideways]

With that much of a drain I'd be looking for it ASAP, thats a potential fire risk.

Disconnect the batteries when not using it till its fixed

 

[j555fjr]

think its sorted!!!! cheap and nasty halfrauds relay shorted and set 12v back to head lamp relay causing it to short and get hot when on main beam. new headlamp relay needed asap but for now shes starting first time and looking good.........fingers crossed!

 

[j555fjr]

guess what? went out this morning and wont start again! been fine all week but this morning had to jump it again. something is draining the batteries and i dont know what. ive check earths are on, battery terminals are tight everything looks ok from what i can see in the dark. the only thing i did notice tonight when driving home was when i put the indicator on the volt meter went up nd down in time with the flash, also when i switched the wiper on. surely this has to be a bad earth? or could it be the stalks?

 

[adrianr]

My voltmeter does that with the indicators as well. Think that part is normal.

 

[j555fjr]

i thought they might. something is causing battery drain and i still think its something to do with the lights. went to buy a new headlight relay tonight only to be told they will only be available from toyota parts dept!

 

[adrianr]

A relay is a relay isnt it, or did i miss something.

Fellas??

anything on here to help?
http://www.vehicle-wiring-products.eu/V ... mepage.php

 

[mike54]

Check the air intake heater relay under the o/s (drivers side) battery.

 

[j555fjr]

Are they troublesome? What happens?

 

[mike54]

Mine had an inexplicable (fast) drain. I read on here that there was a recall done for that relay due to fire risk but on ringing toyota, they couldnt confirm if the recall had been done on mine. On further investigation, yep, relay was very badly corroded. Not hard to check it, just take out the battery and tray and its under there. If its buggered, the replacement is £150 from toyota. However, ebay item 160651192226
is rated to "well over 40 amps" and should be fine as a replacement. The listing doesn't say that, but I spoke to the seller who spoke to the manufacturer and that was the answer. The draw on the relay on start is 40 amps for a maximum of 2 minutes. Caveat here is I am by no means an auto electrical guy, just did some research into it and found that was the cause, and this is the potential (cheap) solution

 

[adrianr]

24v only
relay shorts out and is a potential fire hazard.
they pull current and stop things starting.

is yours a 24 valve if so have a look see under there and see. on my old 24v it was burned out so i disconnected it.

i think it was Towpack who replaced his with one from a motorbike for a fraction of price that yota wanted for a new 'un

http://www.tlocuk.co.uk/forums/viewtopi ... ater+relay

 

[j555fjr]

Mines a 12 valve. Bloody thing is doing my head in, been late for work 3 times now and late home as many! Maybe should of kept my 100. Too late now!

 

[adrianr]

Well thats that out the way then

You will find it and this wee incident be a memory soon enough.

 

[mike54]

Where are you based j5? says "up north"