Rav4 99 changed engine NEED advice urgently as nothing happening

[PierreLaPierre]

Hello all members

Right I will try to be brief ...

Had a 99 black Toyota Rav4 manual that was written off but an errant truck driver whilst on holiday in France

So far so good ... well not really. Managed to survive that.

Car was written off and had only covered 53000 miles. So I bought another Rav 1999 a Giant model with 100k miles and drove back down to France and the idea was to swap the engine/gearbox from the wreck into this one.

Garage has done it (not Toyota but appears competent enough) but nohting is even sparking up on the dashboard.

Now... garage has swapped out the entire wiring loom from black Rav4 that was wrecked. he was worried about compatibility with the new one I'd bought because that came with air con but he told me he had found the blanked- out connections for that. So far so good.

Now he hasn't changed either the 'old' ignition barrel or used the 'old' key. I suggested to the garage that the keys are coded and may be that. he didn't think that.

Anyway the wiring loom on the black written off rav is slightly different to the one he took out when he removed the engine from my new one.

Hopefully you are all following me - so the Rav4 that I bought now has engine and wiring loom from old written-off one. But no sign of life.

Please can someone advise as the French mechanic is getting irate with me as if it's all my fault. 

Thank you and have a great weekend.    

 

[FROSTYBALLS]

Hello Peter - welcome to Toyota Owners Club.

Topic moved to the Rav4 club.

[Cyker]

Does it crank? If it cranks but doesn't fire, I'd put my money on the immobilizer being the cause.

I'm not sure how you'd transfer all that over tho' - You'd need the old ECU and the old key transponders at the least and this assumes the immobilizer antenna is compatible in the new car!

If the dash doesn't come on at all, it's probably something more fundamental; I'd see if there is even any electricity going to where it should!
 

[PierreLaPierre]

thanks Cyker.

The garage isn't using the key which went with the engine and I'm sure they are 'coded' for the immobiliser. Yes I reckon he should be using this engine's key to talk to the ECU. Someone else (Toyota dealership today) mentioned three things must be compatible - the key the ECU and the immobiliser 'ring' as he called it. Not sure what that looks like but still have the old wreck almost intact without engine/gearbox. I have one remote fob which goes with the 'new' car and when I press the button it opens and locks the car like it should. I'm thinking the remote fob just operates the doors etc. but it surely also activates the alarm because when I forget to open the car with the fob and just the key the alarm would go off. 

Your last point is a good one - maybe no electricity getting to where it should though the fob test seemed to operate the central locking and indicators. Thank you again. 

[Cyker]

The immobilizer ring is literally a circle of wire acting as an antenna that surrounds the top of the ignition barrel - It's normally connected to the ECU via the terrifying wiring loom.

If he's using the old engine and ECU but trying to start it with the new key and it cranks but doesn't start, this is very likely the problem.

 

You can try to test-kludge it by using the new key to fire the ignition, but holding the body of the old one as close to the ignition barrel as you can; That might be enough for the antenna ring to pick up the old key's transponder and disable the immobilizer. If that works, it'd be worth swapping all the locks and barrels over and using the old keys.

 

If the new key still unlocks the doors tho' it sounds like the new ECU is installed which may be why the old engine won't work!

 

 

[PierreLaPierre]

Thank you again.

It's the existing fob and key from the 'new' Rav4 which I can get the central locking to open/close and set the indicators off. 

From what you've just said I'm worried and reassured. Basically the garage needs to take the ignition barrel from the wreck and fit it to my new Rav with wreck's engine. Trouble is will then have to use the old key as well which fits that barrel but that key won't open the doors etc. Though fob does work to do that. Apparently nothing turns over whatsoever and nothing on dash. 

[PierreLaPierre]

Cyker thank you - just re-read your post and had missed your words about the locks. 

Tha garage tells me nothing coming up on dash - if it were just the immobiliser issue alone then I believe the car would turn over but not fire up ? Is that right? So in that case there's a more fundamental issue of electricity to the car/dash to sort out then we can look at anything involving ECU and ignition/keys.

Your words here are very much appreciated.

[PierreLaPierre]

To Cyker

Just to let you know all is well. Saturday the mechanic went through and double-checked all the connections on the wiring loom and looks like he found a small 'oversight' or something. Anyway the dash is all good and she fires up and sounds good. Still haven't run her yet as there is an abs light on and the horn doesn't work. The diagnostic connection under the bonnet is a type that doesn't fit his universal diagnostics so he was taking it to a specialist today. 

 

Getting there...maybe tomorrow...

thanks again  

[Cyker]

Glad you've had some good progress!

 

And thanks so much for posting an update - So many people come here, ask for advice, but never come back to say how they got on and drives me crazy!