Self Inflicted Electrical Problem

[Worlds End Stu]

I discovered the car had been fitted with the wrong Battery so treated it to a new one.

Just fitted it and tried to start the car. Engine turned over but nothing happened.

Looked a bit closer and discovered the new Battery has the + and - terminals reversed from the old Battery.

Schoolboy error I just fitted the new battery the same way as the old without checking. IDIOT !

Visually checked fuses and found one of the 15 amp fuses had blown.

Replaced this and car starts but now I have no central locking, alarm, lights, CD player, etc.

Sounds like it might be another fuse so I guess i'm going to have to sort my multimeter out :-(

Any ideas where to start looking?

Cheers!

[Karma Supra]

Check the Dome fuse. Remember sometimes fises fauil but look OK at a first glance.

[Big Kev]

Check the Dome fuse. Remember sometimes fises fauil but look OK at a first glance.

Purely for my eddification, what's a "dome fuse" and where is it on a Rav...?

Big Kev

[bothwell_buyer]

Check the Dome fuse. Remember sometimes fises fauil but look OK at a first glance.

Purely for my eddification, what's a "dome fuse" and where is it on a Rav...?

Big Kev

Found under the dome ?

[anchorman]

The dome is what Toyota used to refer to as the interior light.

[jedi134]

So there's a fuse under the interior light? Is that what your saying anchorman?

[anchorman]

No I'm saying the dome fuse protects the interior light. It will probably protect the horn as well.

[Worlds End Stu]

Ah, yes, well.......

I got the multimeter out today and a torch, turned out the torch was the most useful bit.

Turns out there's something called the "ALT 100A" fuse tucked away at the bottom of the fuse box and this had blown.

This appeared to be a recessed blue plastic fuse case with a clear plastic cover which appeared to plug into the fuse box.

I thought "easy, looks like I just need to pull the fuse cartridge out and then either replace the entire bit or just the fuse wire"

As usual the Haynes manual offered no advice so I just went at it with some needle nose pliers and pulled it out.

The actual metal fuse bit of it which had blown remained in the fuse box like it was part and parcel of the fuse box.

So i'm now left with 2 ends of a blown fuse which appear to be integral to the fuse tray located in the bit labelled "ALT 100A" and and empty blue plastic case and a bit of the fuse wire which had blown off when it failed.

How the hell am I supposed to fix this?

Is it screwed in from behind and I need to unscrew or unclip the whole fusebox to get to it?

Photos included of the remaining fuse bits in the fuse box and the blue plastic case "resting" in the fuse lid. Just underneath it a small bit of the blown fuse wire.

[jedi134]

Dont those legs that are left in the fuse holder just pull out?

[Worlds End Stu]

Dont those legs that are left in the fuse holder just pull out?

They didn't seem to want to shift. Thought I better ask advice before I got violent with it. :)

[jedi134]

Do you have another fuse to put in there, It looks like the alternator fuse.

[hedleyf]

Its bolted in from underneath,

[jedi134]

Its bolted in from underneath,

Good point as it has got a 100Amp rating

[hedleyf]

Its not a easy job, the inner part of the fuse box can be unclipped and raised from the outer casing, there are tags around the inner part by what I remember, also a few cables and bits, it requires a bit of force, once underneath it you will see the two small bolts that hold it on. I will suspect that some other small fuses will also have blown you will need to also check these out, normally two or three, these being a lower amp blow before the ALT fuse, as you state this is the fuse that protects the alternator,Good luck.

[Worlds End Stu]

Its not a easy job, the inner part of the fuse box can be unclipped and raised from the outer casing, there are tags around the inner part by what I remember, also a few cables and bits, it requires a bit of force, once underneath it you will see the two small bolts that hold it on. I will suspect that some other small fuses will also have blown you will need to also check these out, normally two or three, these being a lower amp blow before the ALT fuse, as you state this is the fuse that protects the alternator,Good luck.

Thanks for the info, the Haynes manual is of absolutely no use for this.

[ormi]

the dome fuse is the plip locking, radio, int light and poss power plug when the car is new this has to be fitted on its pdi its mostly left out to stop the batt going flat when sitting at the compound

[anchorman]

With these things, if I haven't done one before, I go and get the replacement part and that invariably tells you have the old one is fitted.

[Worlds End Stu]

What a pain in the bum.

I think the 100A ALT fuse is unnecessarily awkward to change.

Finally got it all sorted.

What had me stumped was the radio was still dead. As far as I was aware i'd checked every fuse in the engine bay and in the cabin. There had to be another fuse somewehere. Got the radio out and was looking for a fuse hidden somewhere. Nothing...

By chance I found the radio owners manual lurking in the corner of the garage and it revealed the radio has a blade fuse on the rear of the unit.

This however is hidden by the connector block when it's in place and I hadn't disconnected the wires when I originally pulled it out to check.

D'oh!

All is well with the RAV again. I've learnt a valuable lesson from this..... Now bring on the snow :-)

[pmb]

Where did you get the Battery from? As I've said in the past the Halfords online info is wrong. Been in there today and the reference book is also wrong for the petrol model. They suggest a 053 when I think it should be a 057. Terminals are the other way round.