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Electrical - No A/C, Power windows, turn signals, wipers

20K views 25 replies 5 participants last post by  Rickl 
#1 · (Edited)
[Fixed] Electrical - No A/C, Power windows, turn signals, wipers

2000 model manual rav 4.

Car starts and runs fine. I had removed the stereo recently and the car had been sitting for almost 3 months because the key would not disengage the security. Guy came out and said the car must of been in lockout mode. So car runs now but yeah, basically no electronics work. Visually, I cannot see any broken fuses, I took the cover of the positive terminal fuse link and nothing is broken. Do you need the stereo to be connected to complete a circuit or something?

Thanks in advance

EDIT FIXED:
It was the 100A ALT Fuse in the engine bay fuse box. It's the biggest black relay out of all of them.
 
#3 ·
If the taillights and radio are also failed I would suspect that the 100A ALT fuse is blown.

If only the 4 things you listed are failed, then have a look at the 40A AM1 fuse.

The ALT fuse is located in the fusible link block near the battery. I cannot locate the location of the AM1 fuse, but I suspect it is located in one of the boxes under the hood based on its size.
 
#4 ·
...Visually, I cannot see any broken fuses....
I never trust sight checking. Always use a 12V test light and check both terminals.
 
#5 ·
The horn works, the radio is totally out of the car. I have a sneaking suspicion that a stereo needs to be connected? I dunno. I opened up the box connected to the positive terminal and there was some really big thick metal fuses but none were broken. No fuses that I can find are broken. Not sure where the AM1 fuse is tho.
 
#7 ·
It's weird because if i put hazards on, the dash blinkers blink, the outside lights blink. But the signal indicator wont activate, windows dont work. So frustrating, no fuses appear to be blown. Lighter does not work. The stereo is not connected, does this matter?
 
#9 ·
Fixed. It was the 100A ALT. Should of consulted the owners manual, didn't realize it had fuse diagrams in it! How bad of an idea is it just to run some wires to complete the circuit until the replacement part arrives?
Or you could have read Rickl's post.
And consulting owners manuals are an absolute last resort. Smart guys like you & me :roll: have more fun just jumping in and tearing things apart.

But at this point at least you haven't pulled my trick - that being breaking something that wasn't broke.
SO READ AND APPLY THIS: DO NOT BYPASS THE 100A FUSE!!!
It took something BIG to blow it and until you know what if you bypass it you WILL very likely start causing BIG damage possibly accompanied by lots of smoke.:egad:
 
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#10 ·
I had removed the stereo recently and the car had been sitting for almost 3 months because the key would not disengage the security. Guy came out and said the car must of been in lockout mode......... Do you need the stereo to be connected to complete a circuit or something?
Most likely the problem occurred when you removed the stereo. However there are smaller fuses that protect the stereo wiring which should have blown before the 100A ALT fuse. Because of this you cannot eliminate the possibility that there is another reason why the 100A fuse blew.

So I would not bypass this fuse under any circumstances. Another thing to keep in mind is that even though your RAV4 starts and runs, I do not recommend driving it because your battery is not being charged with that fuse blown. Your RAV4 could shut down in the middle of the road while driving it.

And to answer your original question, you do not need to have a stereo installed for the power windows, turn signals, or wipers to operate.

It is also very unusual to hear that your immobilizer system had to be reset. This process is almost always only used if the owner has lost all his keys. So as I said above, you may have some additional problems and bypassing the fuse is not recommended.
 
#13 ·
It may help to explain what a fuse is. Basically it acts like a bobby bin, or some people might describe it as a jumper wire, when it is inserted into a circuit.

The difference between a fuse and a bobby pin, is that the fuse is designed to melt and break apart when the current travelling through it reaches a predetermined amount, such as 100 AMPS. When the fuse melts, no further current can travel through the circuit and damage the other components in the circuit.

So it looks like your fuse is either already melted , or it was not installed properly. Did you test your fuse with a meter before installing it? if it tested good before you installed it, then there is some problem with your RAV that is blowing fuses.

If you didn't test the fuse prior to installation, then I suggest you remove the fuse, verify if it is good by using a meter. If it is good, then carefully reinstall it. If it tests bad, then purchase a replacement and verify it is good before you install it this time. If the replacement fails then you have a more serious problem.

Do not drive around with the bobby pin since you could cause further damage to your RAV.
 
#14 ·
And while you are right there at the 100 amp fuse with the meter, check the 50 amp heater fuse next door, it might be part of the ac problem.
 
#15 ·
It's a relay not a fuse... slightly different right? The 100A ALT Relay in the engine bay fuse box. I thought the old one was dead, because when I used a bobby pin to short-circuit it, everything worked, I replaced the relay with a brand new one, still doesn't work... still only works when I use the bobby pin. The new one couldn't be dead as well, I'm trying to understand what else is in play for this relay to work? Why does it work for the most part, minus aircon, when bobby pinned but not with a replacement relay?
 
#16 ·
It's a relay not a fuse... slightly different right?
Yes, there are some small differences between them, so it's important that you use the correct term when describing them.

The 100A ALT Relay in the engine bay fuse box. I thought the old one was dead, because when I used a bobby pin to short-circuit it, everything worked,
The relays are not normally labelled with their current ratings. Also I am not aware of an ALT-Relay being in your RAV4. Are you sure you are not reading the label on the fuse?. Perhaps the label for this "relay" is on the other side of the relay (perhaps E/G MAIN)

I pulled out the fuse box in the cabin and it has some relays on the back. Anyone have a diagram as to what relay does what? Anyway I can test these relays without putting a new one in and seeing if it works?
Okay, so... I replaced the 100A ALT relay and it's still not working? If I short it with a bobby pin, everything works. Any ideas?
Did you find the diagrams you were looking for, or did you just start shorting out relay contacts randomly?

In post #8 you said
Fixed. It was the 100A ALT.
Did replacing the fuse fix the problem at that time and now it has re-appeared, or was the problem not fixed when you posted that information in post #8? Or did you replace the relay back in post #8?.
 
#18 ·
The image you posted indicates that fuse #32 is a type C fuse and it is labelled "ALT" and has a capacity of 100 amps. There is no mention of a relay.

So the device you call a relay only has 2 contacts? Please go back to my post #13 for instructions.

 
#21 ·
Your last picture is indeed a relay, but it is not the 100 amp ALT fuse that goes in position 32 of the fuse box. Perhaps it plugs into a relay position that is adjacent to the ALT label on the fuse box (as I suggested in post #16).

A type-c fuse in held in position by bolts which must be removed from the bottom of the fuse block.
 
#24 ·
Maybe it would be best if you provided a picture of the fuse block which indicates which relay you are speaking about, and another picture showing which of the 5 contacts you are shorting out with the bobby pin. It would also be interesting to find out why you picked those terminals.
 
#26 ·
Someone suggested it was the 100 ALT A fuse ......The wire i did is in red
Without knowing the numbers on the relay socket, I am taking a guess that what you are doing is bypassing a blown fuse and providing power to your accessories through the HTR fuse. I am limited in providing help to you because I don't have a wiring diagram for the 2000 RAV4. I can only make suggestions based on the 1999 diagrams which are probably very similar. That is what I based my statement on in post #3, I said
If the taillights and radio are also failed I would suspect that the 100A ALT fuse is blown.If only the 4 things you listed are failed, then have a look at the 40A AM1 fuse.
So although you originally said the problem was fixed when you replaced the 100A ALT fuse, it now appears that you never replaced the fuse, nor was the problem ever fixed. Until you at least check the 100A ALT fuse there is no sense looking for other problems. Or if the the taillights are working then check the 40A AM1 fuse as suggested. It is shown as a 10A fuse in position #24 in your picture from your 2000 manual.

You blower motor is not operating because it needs a HTR RELAY plugged in to complete the circuit.

Plugging bobby pins into random connectors was extremely risky, and something that no experienced person would ever do.

The procedure to change the 100A ALT fuse requires removing the fuse box to get at the bolts underneath. This must be done with the battery disconnected. Without following the proper procedures, severe damage to your RAV could occur as well as damage to yourself and any combustible structures that may be located nearby.

I don't want to sound cruel, but for your own safety, perhaps you should leave this job to someone with a better knowledge of electrical circuits. I would not want to see you damage your RAV or yourself based on something I have suggested.
 
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