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2008 RAV4 electrical problem.

7K views 9 replies 5 participants last post by  bfield3 
#1 ·
Ok...I had previously posted that I was having a starter problem with my 2008 RAV4. I was able to determine that problem was the solenoid and I got it fixed.

But now that I've got everything back together the car is starting fine but I'm having an electrical problem with the dash. In the time I was trouble shooting for the starter issue I had the battery out of the car for a couple days. I put in the new starter and finally started the car up. Once I started the car I noticed the following issues:
1. Tach doesn't work.
2. Speedometer doesn't work.
3. Some idiot lights stay on.
- airbag light.
- power steering light.
- ABS light.
- automatic transmission temp light.
- brake light.
4. The little box that goes around the gear the car is currently in also isn't working. For example when the car is in park there should be a box that goes around the P on the dash indicator. That isn't working.

The gas gauge is working and the coolant temp is working. In the picture I've attached the temp is showing low but that's because I just started the car when I took the pic.

I did notice one time when I started it there were some other lights on as well...like the 4x4 lock light. But that only happened once.

When I was trouble shooting I was under the dash moving some wires around, but I didn't really pull or push on anything excessively. I do also have a remote starter on the car that was put in about 7 years ago.

Everything was working fine until I did the starter repair and had the battery out for a couple days. Everything seems to be working fine now as except for the fact the speedo and odometer don't work and some of the idiot lights are staying on.

Any thoughts?

The attached picture was taken while the car was running.

Thanks,
Bill
 

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#3 ·
Unfortunately disconnecting the negative battery terminal for 10 mins. didn't help. I decided to take it for a short 5 mile drive to see if something needed to "self-calibrate" - wishful thinking on my part.

I noticed a couple other things while driving.
1. The engine coolant temperature actually isn't working. I thought it was but it's not.
2. My inside temperature setting is now in Celsius instead of Fahrenheit. This is the Limited model and you can set the interior temperature to your desired value. Mine was always in F and now it's showing in C.
3. The HVAC vent system is messed up. The fan works, but no matter what option I select to set the vent I want the air to blow out of, the air is always coming out of the mid-level vents. I set it for floor and it comes out the mid-level, or I set it for defrost and it comes out the mid-level.
4. Power steering seems a little tight.

I suspect all these systems are on the same bus. I'm positive I didn't do anything stupid when installing the new starter that should have caused an issue on the bus, but you never know.
 
#5 ·
Well...I guess anything's possible, especially considering my state of mind after I spent so much time fixing the starter only to find this electrical issue :smile But the way Toyota has the battery cables on this car it's not possible to get the negative cable over to the positive terminal, nor is it possible to get the positive cable on the negative terminal if I was to put the battery in backwards.

Thanks for the input though.

- Bill
 
#6 ·
What's the battery voltage with the engine running?
 
#8 ·
Good, the charging system isn't the problem. I don't know what is but didn't want to see basic checks overlooked. I tend to do that when I get too deep into a project.
 
#9 ·
You have one or more blown fuses. Check them all under the dash, and in the 2 fuse boxes under the hood.
 
#10 ·
Thanks all for the responses. I have no idea why, but today the car is working fine. It sat all night and today no issues. Since the battery was disconnected for a couple days I wonder if there is a backup battery for the computer that drained and needed to be recharged or something. I don't know. But as of today it seems to be working fine. Let's hope it's not an intermittent thing and starts acting up again later on....

Fingers crossed.

- Bill
 
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