Need Help With My Rav 4

[glodarus]

Hi everyone, I am driving 2007 Toyota Rav 4, 2.2 D-4D. Everything was fine until the last week when I have experienced some issue with electronics. When I turn off my car, unplug the key from the ignition, my headlights stay on even though they are off. When I try to lock the car, it would not lock the car so I have to remove one of the fuses in order to turn off the headlights as well as to lock the car. Also what happens is that sometimes my headlights are able to turn off without fuse being taken out; however, air condition is staying on for unknown reason, and I still can not lock the car afterwards. In addition to all of this, my cabin fan is not working, it does not blow any air. I checked all the fuses, and they all seem fine. I took my car to local Toyota servise, and they have told me that one of the fuse contacts was not ok, and they have cleaned that fuse and everything started working fine. However, that lasted until the next stop when it started doing the same thing again. I spoke to the service again, and they said that they will order two relays and that this will solve the problem. But, to be honest with you, I am from Montenegro, and I don't think we have good toyota service here. I took my car to the professional electrician, and he told me that there is nothing wrong with the relays on my car. I am still experiencing the same problem and during these rainy days it's difficult to drive without the fan in the cabin. Thank you in advance for your help.

[anchorman]

Welcome to the club.

It sounds like your car is picking up a stray electrical feed which is powering different devices with the ignition off. I would think your dealer is taking advice from Toyota themselves and I think they could well be right as a sticking relay would do that. I presume the car is still under warranty so would just let them go ahead and then report back if you still have a problem.

Regards

[glodarus]

Thank you very much anchorman, I will wait for those relays and see if it will solve the problem. Thank you again!

[local hero]

Hi Glodarus + welcome, Anchorman knows far more about electrics + most other things than i ever will, however the only fault i have experienced on my 07 rav was when i accidently blew a fuse, This one fuse controls everything you have mentioned + you say your dealer cleaned this fuse and all was well for a short while, you could try a new fuse + cleaning up the contacts, however your rav must still be under warranty + if this is the problem your dealer must sort it out for you Good luck... Stew

[three5]

Hi Glodarus + welcome, Anchorman knows far more about electrics + most other things than i ever will, however the only fault i have experienced on my 07 rav was when i accidently blew a fuse, This one fuse controls everything you have mentioned + you say your dealer cleaned this fuse and all was well for a short while, you could try a new fuse + cleaning up the contacts, however your rav must still be under warranty + if this is the problem your dealer must sort it out for you Good luck... Stew

Stew,

someone recently had a problem where the fuse did not "seat" correctly when fitted if I remember rightly. Could this be a similar problem? It's very easy to get the blades of the fuse between the side of the carrier and and one of the "side" contacts rather between the contacts. Don't know, but maybe.....

Symptoms are possible match for this situation as the fuse would carry the current when clean but would probably heat up the contact because of too little conductor area. Resistance would increase and the problem would re-occur?

[glodarus]

thank you local hero and three5, I have checked if the fuse is where it should be, and it looks like it is. I tried replacing the fuse, but did not solve the issue. I am expecting a call from local dealer this week when new relays arrive. Hopefully, this will solve it. For now, I am using "magic" cloth to remove the fog from my windshield. Best!

[glodarus]

Hi everyone, I just want to share with you what the actual problem was. After my car spent almost three weeks at the local toyota service, they decided to replace some electronic hardware (A/C Computer what they wrote down on the specification) for my A/C. The price for this part was 604 euros and thank to my warranty I did not have to pay for it. All the best!!

[Davrav]

Hi everyone, I just want to share with you what the actual problem was. After my car spent almost three weeks at the local toyota service, they decided to replace some electronic hardware (A/C Computer what they wrote down on the specification) for my A/C. The price for this part was 604 euros and thank to my warranty I did not have to pay for it. All the best!!

This is starting to sound familiar - the A/C ECU in my 2008 XTR was causing similar problems. First the fuse went and I replaced it but then no hot air for demisting. Local dealer checked it out and diagnosed A/C ECU [though with Anchorman's help I had already worked that out] ECU was replaced but in my case that didn't cure the problem - needed a new heater matrix too. That took three days to do as whole dash had to come out. Have never got to the bottom of what caused the issue in the first place.

Glad it is still under warranty :)

[anchorman]

If mine breaks I'm going to play my trump card. It can talk computer, comes from the Black Country and drives a silver RAV.

[shcm]

If mine breaks I'm going to play my trump card. It can talk computer, comes from the Black Country and drives a silver RAV.

%42%75%74%20%6F%6E%6C%79%20%73%65%65%73%20%72%65%64%20%6C%69%67%68%74%73%20%61%74%20%74%68%65%20%6C%61%73%74%20%6D%69%6E%75%74%65

Hint

Are you sure you don't want me to take it apart for you right now, just to make sure it's OK?

Look I have my collection of small tellies ready, just for that :

If it ain't broke don't fix it

If it ain't broke, mess with it anyway

[abraxas]

If it ain't broke don't fix it

If it ain't broke, mess with it anyway

:D You know the old Engineering maxim schm: "If it ain't broke... it doesn't have enough features yet!"

[local hero]

If mine breaks I'm going to play my trump card. It can talk computer, comes from the Black Country and drives a silver RAV.

%42%75%74%20%6F%6E%6C%79%20%73%65%65%73%20%72%65%64%20%6C%69%67%68%74%73%20%61%74%20%74%68%65%20%6C%61%73%74%20%6D%69%6E%75%74%65

Can't kid me, thats the FTSE 100 figures for the last 3 yrs

:

WTF not seen this much equipment since my Hernia operation 2 yrs ago, are you setting up as a Gynaecologist, if so do you need an assistant?

[anchorman]

My man...........

I taught him everything he knows. His final test was the glowing cauldron and the rice paper.

Nice kit Grasshopper. Like I said, if mine breaks I'll see if you were listening :P

[shcm]

:D You know the old Engineering maxim schm: "If it ain't broke... it doesn't have enough features yet!"

Thanks, I'd forgotten that one. :). At times, at work, it is too much near the truth!

WTF not seen this much equipment since my Hernia operation 2 yrs ago, are you setting up as a Gynaecologist, if so do you need an assistant?

Stolen from the web (American english needed):

A gynaecologist had a burning desire to change careers and become a mechanic. So she found out from her local tech college what was involved, signed up for evening classes and attended diligently, learning all she could. When time for the practical exam approached, she prepared carefully for weeks, and completed the exam with tremendous skill.

When the results came back, she was surprised to find that she had obtained a mark of 150%. Fearing an error, she called the instructor, saying "I don't want to appear ungrateful for such an outstanding result, but I wondered if there had been an error which needed adjusting."

The instructor said, "During the exam, you took the engine a part perfectly, which was worth 50% of the total mark. You put the engine back together again perfectly, which is also worth 50% of the mark. I gave you an extra 50% because you did all of it THROUGH the muffler...

I taught him everything he knows. His final test was the glowing cauldron and the rice paper.

Yeah, and the blinkin' branding I got off the cauldron, wasn't the image of a dragon and a tiger, but of a sheep and a bottle of mineral water. where's me tin Whistle?

[glodarus]

Back to you again with the same issue. Sadly, just yesterday, after my car has been "fixed" for about 2 days, it started raining again. My back windshield was foggy so I press the back windshield heater button. What happened is a problem similar to one when regular desktop computer freezes, when you move mouse around and click on buttons but they dont respond. In this case, I pushed the rest of the buttons on my heater a/c board, but they don't respond, like it's dead. So I had to turn off the engine and start it back again, and it starts working, however, each time i press defroster button, it "FREEZES" all the heater and a/c commands. I called the service again and they said that I should bring the car tomorrow to check it back again.

Davrav, you mentioned how you needed a new "heater matrix". I apologize if I am asking absurd question but is that something they do in service, or you did it by yourself.

:(

[Davrav]

Davrav, you mentioned how you needed a new "heater matrix". I apologize if I am asking absurd question but is that something they do in service, or you did it by yourself.

:(

Hi Glodarus,

As I understand it the heater matrix is basically a heat exchanger, a bit like a radiator, that converts heat from the engine for cabin heating purpose. It is located behind the dashboard which all has to come out for access. It took my Toyota dealer three days to get it all out, change the matrix and put it all back [and yes, I now have an annoying intermittent click between some trim somewhere that I need to get sorted out].

I most certainly wouldn't attempt the job myself. My problem was no heat at all and the original diagnosis was Air con amplifier [ECU] fault but replacing that on it's own did not cure the problem.

You can run a check yourself. Anchorman kindly posted this for me.

http://toyotaownersclub.com/forums/index.p...ost&id=5122

This might also be helpful, also from Anchorman:

http://toyotaownersclub.com/forums/index.p...ost&id=5140

Yours sounds like a fault in the control panel to me but I am certainly no expert.

Good luck tomorrow