What are those harneses for?

[Niky]

Corolla 1.8 TS icon tech 22reg

What are those harneses for and why aren't they plugged in? Always forget to ask the draler when there for a service.  Been driving like that since the car was new 2 years ago

[SDR]

12 hours ago, Niky said:

Corolla 1.8 TS icon tech 22reg

What are those harneses for and why aren't they plugged in? Always forget to ask the draler when there for a service.  Been driving like that since the car was new 2 years ago

I have a new 24MY with the same 1.8 engine.   I don't think that it is exactly the same but there were some changes in the 23MY facelift.   All I can see in that area is what I suspect is the wiring loom for the two electric radiator fans;   and there are no disconnected plugs.

It would seem logical that those plugs should be connected, otherwise why are they there?   If they are for the rad fans, with summer around the corner, it might be wise to get the dealer to look at it.

 

[TonyHSD]

Will be helpful someone with same engine to have a look and take a picture. Imagine those are indeed for the radiator fans, are you using AC in the car, te radiator fans should be on and off  many times while ac is ON.  

[Niky]

I've never touched those and been driving without issues - got the car since new. I remember seeing them disconnected few months back, but completely ignored them at a time. I am not worried at all, as the car is absolutely fine, everything is working as it should, and have no lights no the dash. I thought it might be an extra not included on the Icon tech, but still present in the engine bay

Will email the dealer today and see what they say

Meanwhile if someone with the same 1.8 icon tech TS would spare few minutes to take a picture and share as Tony said, will be very helpful 

Thank you guys

[Corolla Mike.]

Hi. Just checked my 22 1.8, this wiring appears to be for the twin cooling fans, see attached images. 

Has the car had any recent dealer updates or accident repairs? 

Thinking they may have disconnected during maybe the DCM recall refresh, have seen on the Yaris GR forum that the fans had been disconnected during a refresh and a instance of not reconnected. 

Would photo and email your dealer. 

Good luck 👍

[Corolla Mike.]

Should say reflash, couldn't  edit. 

[Niky]

No accident repairs, DCM was done last year as long as I am aware. I am sure I've noticed them being disconnected few months back,  but been driving ever since without any issues. Was topping up screenwash yesterday and noticed them again, so decided to investigate....

Emailed the dealer already and expecting their answer 

Will update

[SDR]

I found this in the online manual for my car.   I would guess that yours may be the same although I haven't checked.  

Start the hybrid system and turn the air conditioning system on to check that the radiator cooling fans operate and to check for coolant leaks from the radiator or hoses.

The fans operate when the air conditioning system is turned on immediately after a cold start. Confirm that the fans are operating by checking the fan sound and air flow. If it is difficult to check these, turn the air conditioning system on and off repeatedly. (The fans may not operate in freezing temperatures.)

Seems a quick and easy check to do.   I've added a photo of how it looks on my MY24 car.   The layout looks slightly different but you can see the connector (and it's plugged in).

[TonyHSD]

It’s unbelievable how careless and incompetent are dealers mechanics these days.

These fans are ultra important and it’s just luck that engine hasn’t overheated and blow its head gasket., perhaps because of the driving patterns and cold season.
Now these connectors and fan plugs might have been corroded as both been exposed. Dealer will most likely just plug them in and call it a day but you need to test them as above with AC on, and keep an eye on the fans in the future. You can also request in writing a report about this incident just in case if the fans stopped working and you need to claim for warranty repair. 
Good luck 

[Roker]

On 5/12/2024 at 11:06 AM, Niky said:

Corolla 1.8 TS icon tech 22reg

What are those harneses for and why aren't they plugged in? Always forget to ask the draler when there for a service.  Been driving like that since the car was new 2 years ago

Has to look quickly it raining out .

I cannot see any connectors on my 1.8 Corolla 2020

[Niky]

1 hour ago, TonyHSD said:

It’s unbelievable how careless and incompetent are dealers mechanics these days.

These fans are ultra important and it’s just luck that engine hasn’t overheated and blow its head gasket., perhaps because of the driving patterns and cold season.
Now these connectors and fan plugs might have been corroded as both been exposed. Dealer will most likely just plug them in and call it a day but you need to test them as above with AC on, and keep an eye on the fans in the future. You can also request in writing a report about this incident just in case if the fans stopped working and you need to claim for warranty repair. 
Good luck 

Oh come on Tony, don't freak me out now😀. 

Still waiting for a response from the dealer

[Niky]

It was indeed the cooling fans, thank you @SDR

I am at the dealer at the moment,they've checked it and they couldn't find any issues. Everything works fine

Extremely silly excuses from the dealer of course - they might have fallen/disconnected themselves from vibration. I would buy this if it was only one, but 2 harneses at a time....no way. 

I will be checking everything after service from now on

[SDR]

1 hour ago, Niky said:

Still waiting for a response from the dealer

Probably being checked by their lawyers first 😙

If I was a betting man, I might wager a small sum that either they will phone you, or email you and ask you to phone someone or email you and ask you to make an appointment to take the car in.

Anything to avoid putting in writing what they have (not) done. 

[SDR]

9 minutes ago, Niky said:

It was indeed the cooling fans, thank you @SDR

I am at the dealer at the moment,they've checked it and they couldn't find any issues. Everything works fine

Extremely silly excuses from the dealer of course - they might have fallen/disconnected themselves from vibration. I would buy this if it was only one, but 2 harneses at a time....no way. 

I will be checking everything after service from now on

You're welcome. 

I wouldn't buy that even if it was only one.   They are almost certainly self-locking connectors such that you need to release a tab to separate them.   If you are still at the dealers, suggest ask them to show you how to take them apart!

[Niky]

Ok, after everything is sorted....I am thinking and can't work out how is this even possible? 

1st the incompetence of whoever has been working on my car, leaving those harneses disconnected 

2nd myself noticing it few months(an year) ago,  and not doing anything about it. I might have been driving like that since March last year. I remember actually posting it in Facebook group last summer and I and other people suggested this might be an extra feature which is not included within my specs

3rd How the heck it didn't overheat? I must have done more than 20k miles if this was done during the DCM update March last year. Does the computer have any extra protection? Turning the aircon off for example, to reduce load. This has happened many times together with some clicking electrical noises -  especially when stationary. Very interesting 

4th if this have been disconnected March last year during the DCM update, how no one of the engineers didn't notice and do something on the next 2 services??? I even had the car back with them late April 2023 because of an issue with the smart parking system I had - needed an infotainment system update, as the message was showing only on the infotainment and not on the dash, and they couldn't delete it.

So on 3 occasions the Dealer failed to inspect the car properly, which is very worrying. Are they checking anything at all? Very worrying 

Will be checking everything myself after service. 

 

[TonyHSD]

Yeah, the mechanics simply were thinking about something  else when they have been working on your car.  
It’s not a thing to freak out Niky, but just to be on a safe side you did the right thing to call them and visit.
Overheating in winter will not be likely unless in stationary traffic jams for long time but then during winter you will use heating and this will take away the heat.
In summer time is when  the things can go wrong especially in slow speeds or stationary becomes this is the moment when the fans are so important, otherwise when cruising at speeds 30mph or over the air stream will cool down the radiators. You have no reasons to worry about it overheating because you never had any warnings. 👍

[SDR]

14 minutes ago, TonyHSD said:

Yeah, the mechanics simply were thinking about something  else when they have been working on your car.  
It’s not a thing to freak out Niky, but just to be on a safe side you did the right thing to call them and visit.
Overheating in winter will not be likely unless in stationary traffic jams for long time but then during winter you will use heating and this will take away the heat.
In summer time is when  the things can go wrong especially in slow speeds or stationary becomes this is the moment when the fans are so important, otherwise when cruising at speeds 30mph or over the air stream will cool down the radiators. You have no reasons to worry about it overheating because you never had any warnings. 👍

Completely agree.

At a guess, I would say that, for whatever reason, a tech was doing something in the engine compartment with the car in Ready mode.   It would probably be a standard safety procedure to disconnect the fans because they could start at any time.   Said tech forgot to reconnect the fans when they had finished. 

On subsequent visits there may not have been any need to disconnect the fans and none of the techs even looked at the connectors.   All human error. 

I think that your 22 model has an engine coolant temperature gauge?  Assuming that it has been working all this time, you would have been given plenty of warning if the engine was overheating.  Not just the gauge but probably warning lights and text warnings as well.   No warnings, no worries.

[Rhymes with Paris]

Yeah, still a good idea to check,or in my case get someone a bit younger and bendy to check mechanics work.

Not a car, but I bought a brand new Kawasaki bike in 2002, and the simple first oil change was by the dealer.

The belly pan under the filter and drain plug had not been removed (4 bolts,5 minutes) and it was full of oil.

Not a good thing, oil all over the underside of the bike, and on the rear tyre.

So gave up on the dealer, and got a mobile chappy to do the next one,had to stop him starting the engine after him carefully draining the oil, and fitting a new filter.

Trouble was he forgot to put new the oil back in.

 

[SDR]

7 minutes ago, Rhymes with Paris said:

 

Not a good thing, oil all over the underside of the bike, and on the rear tyre.

So gave up on the dealer, and got a mobile chappy to do the next one,had to stop him starting the engine after him carefully draining the oil, and fitting a new filter.

Trouble was he forgot to put new the oil back in.

 

The second trying to kill the engine, the first trying to kill you.   Nice...

[Niky]

20 minutes ago, SDR said:

I think that your 22 model has an engine coolant temperature gauge?  Assuming that it has been working all this time, you would have been given plenty of warning if the engine was overheating.  Not just the gauge but probably warning lights and text warnings as well.   No warnings, no worries

Yeah, I am pretty good with cars and always keep an eye on the dash. Never had a light on, or issue with the temperature. Also I used to be a musician and have very good hearing, so no strange new noise remains unheard, all rattles too(unfortunately)

 

@Rhymes with Paris Can't really complain from the dealer so far, apart of this issue. Can't give them any credit, though.  

Looking after 2 vans Nissan NV400 at work- their dealers are tragic. Been to 3 different and always had problems with them. As soon as they see a business vehicles they open the calculator and keep adding ££.  Once was charged for an aircon service - well both vans don't have aircons. I am also 1000% sure last service they didn't change the oil at all on one of them. They expect no one will check as it is a business vehicle

[Niky]

Just sent a little feedback to the dealer, couldn't stay quiet. Tried to be as nice as possible, but telling them I am not happy. Let's see what they say😀

Apologies if there are people here who work in this dealership. Won't mention names and the branch.

One more time a big thank you to all of you who helped with ideas, comments, etc... Good stuff, guys

 

"Good morning

Just thinking and trying to understand what just happened.....

This is very concerning and I am very disappointed how this was handled. 
Luckily there is no damages to the car

Concerned, because one of your mechanics have left those harneses disconnected. I do understand mistakes do happen, and that's fine. Good there is no damages to the car

Also concerned because the first thing I heard from "X" over the phone yesterday was "We don't know what is it! Would you bring the car over, please?" 
Really? You don't know your cars well? What does this speak about you as a Toyota dealer? I probably shouldn't trust you servicing my car if you can not recognise the cooling fan harneses from a picture of probably the most common Toyota engine

Disappointed, because obviously I've been lied over the phone. "We don't know what is it!" 
By the time I heard this I already knew what the issue is and had plugged the cooling fans in. 
I would expect one of your mechanics to talk me through how to connect those harneses before I drive away, to avoid potentially overheating the engine. 
But no, someone decided to take the risk and not telling me anything...

Also disappointed because, I was told those harneses have most likely fallen/disconnected themselves from vibration, because (most likely) the mechanic didn't push them well back in place.  
Another lie!!!! 
First - I tried to disconnected them to see how easy it is? Well it is not easy st all
Second- there is no way 2 different harneses to disconnect themselves together - impossible!
It is clear those have been left unplugged - one more time I do understand mistake do happen, and I am fine with that. The car is running well, never had lights on the dash, never had the temperature gauge rising, never had a reason to look under the hood, unless topping up windscreen liquid and checking the oil level every 5k miles.

I wonder why wouldn't someone just say the truth, tell me how to plug the harneses in ( I did it myself before "X" called me anyway ) and simply apologize? Probably say, you will investigate and will make sure this will never happen again.

Anyway, thank you for washing my car, and taking it in for a check up the very same day. I do appreciate it 

Thank you"