Wiring experts: plz help identify short circuit

[Rickl]

Originally Posted by Dr. Dyno

And thanks Rick for all the "walking thru" you did.

Well I needed you once in a while to confirm that my suggestions made any sense.

Originally Posted by six50joe

Rick and DD you have my deepest gratitude for helping me along the way over the past month

Your welcome. I think Fred and myself both enjoy the challenge of looking at a schematic and determining the cause of the problem. It was a little more difficult in your case because we couldn't just run out to the garage and look at our own RAV4s.

I'm glad it's working for you, but I'm confused that a "single" blue/yellow wire could cause both dome lights to stop working. According to the schematic, there are 4 blue/yellow wires entering the connector. If one had become broken it would cause one of the following problems......

1. the interior light wouldn't work
2. the personal light wouldn't work
3. the dashboard warning light wouldn't work
4. all 3 of the above.

I'm just saying!

[six50joe]

Rick, I agree with your observation. I was surprised myself that both lights came on when I connected a wire from the cig lighter to the end of that BLU/YEL wire; I would have only expected one based on the two separate wires running up the windshield pillar. I haven't actually tested the switch on vs. open door conditions, so if anything unexpected happens there I'll report it when I do the fix over the weekend.

[six50joe]

About 10 minutes with a soldering iron and a small piece of wire to extend the broken pin connector into the plug was all it took, no splicing. My wife just about cried when she realized how much she missed being able to see things in the car at night. Thanks again folks!

[Rickl]

Originally Posted by six50joe

About 10 minutes with a soldering iron and a small piece of wire to extend the broken pin connector into the plug was all it took, no splicing. My wife just about cried when she realized how much she missed being able to see things in the car at night. Thanks again folks!

Joe, I'm glad to hear that you have seen the light, and more importantly that your wife is happy. Happy wife, happy life.

Keep your eyes open for any downloadable wiring manuals for your model RAV4, just in case any future problems arise.

[Dr. Dyno]

Originally Posted by six50joe

In addition to solving two electrical problems with your help, I feel like I've learned quite a bit along the way, including all the functions in the multimeter that had been sitting in my closet for 10 years, and an understanding of the fundamentals of automotive electrics. I'll have greater confidence in a month if I install bluetooth stereo and backup monitor upgrades to a 2006-2010 Sienna LE we plan to buy next month.

For me that's the best part, what you learned. Getting a problem fixed was just the catalyst that took it from book-learning to practice. That it resulted in your personal satisfaction and more importantly your lady's is the "icing."

Reminds me of a "push start only" thread a year ago where the starter on a MT 4.1 quit working. I tried to help a the guy trace it out and we did make some progress but even over the phone he kept reverting to his ideas that we'd already worked past. I had it down to one wire, even had the colors identified. All he needed was a jumper past a bad connector, but he kept replacing parts he thought were bad so I never did hear if he did what I said or it's still push start only.