So, anyone else experience anything like this?

I had a dryer that would not cycle the heating element, so it overcooked. The relay contacts had corroded over time due to the high current in the contacts, and eventually the contacts fused. Relays are electromechanical devices, as is the car's On/Off button, so are subject to wear and failure. But since the car turns off, the power switch appears to be working.

I'd first try to locate the relay that handles accessory power, and simply remove it. That will certainly prevent the radio from operating. Then either examine it for signs of malfunction (ohmmeter and visual), or just replace it. Might try swapping it with another relay such as for the daytime running lights or headlights or something like that just to see if that fixes the radio issue, assuming the relays are the same type.

I realize that the relay theory does not fit well with the radio turning off then back on, but in years of repair, I have found that trying the simple stuff first can often prove useful.

 

As far as I know the radio or head unit is not a heavy current draw so there is no relay. There should be a fuse but doubtful it is the fuse that is causing this mystery. The head unit has two power lines to it. One is hot at all times to keep alive the memory. The other actually powers the rest of the head unit. Both should be fused circuits. If we assume that wring is okay then it has to be the head unit being internal failure. Replacing the head unit should fix this. However, ... If we assume there is a fault in the wiring then changing the head unit will not solve this mystery. It can be verified by checking the wiring.

Oh, some radios tend to have three power inputs. One is Ignition, two is the radio and the third is the accessory power. Ignition and accessory is controlled by the key?? Anyway, good luck to you.

 

As far as I know the radio or head unit is not a heavy current draw so there is no relay.

The issue of the relay is not based on the current draw of the radio. It's based on the current load of the accessory circuit, which usually includes the cigarette lighter.

 

I don't know whether this is true of the Toyota radio or not. I did have a car where the radio was electronically powered on and off (at least the amplifier portion was). This electronic power on/off failed and left the amplifier powered on all the time resulting in a dead battery after a day or so. I had to remove the radio fuse to prevent the battery from running down. A similar issue could be happening with the radio in this case.

 

No doubt it would help to have the electrical manual for this car to see exactly what is in the power chain. I have not purchased that yet.

 

No doubt it would help to have the electrical manual for this car to see exactly what is in the power chain. I have not purchased that yet.

There is no electrical manual for the 5th generation RAV4. However, you can get wiring diagrams for sections of the electrical system from TIS (Toyota information system).

A few weeks ago I noticed that the infotainment system would stay on when the car was turned off.

Just to be sure, are you sure the car is really off and not just in accessory mode. You must apply the brake pedal and hold when you push the start button for the car to go truly off. If you don't press the brake pedal, the car will go to accessory mode, not truly off.

Since you have a Prime, it has some modes that are not available on just the normal hybrid, for example "Room Mode". The car is off (can't drive it), but the A/C and radio work while it sits. Could you possibly inadvertently be in Room Mode?

 

Just to be sure, are you sure the car is really off and not just in accessory mode. You must apply the brake pedal and hold when you push the start button for the car to go truly off. If you don't press the brake pedal, the car will go to accessory mode, not truly off.

Since you have a Prime, it has some modes that are not available on just the normal hybrid, for example "Room Mode". The car is off (can't drive it), but the A/C and radio work while it sits. Could you possibly inadvertently be in Room Mode?

Yes, I am sure the car is fully off when the radio comes back on. There is nothing indicating that Room Mode has been activated. Everything goes off, like it should, and the radio stays on.

Also, there are no aftermarket accessories (GPS, car starter, camera, etc.) that are drawing power.

 

Tap on the relay with pliers. Sometimes it sticks. Unplug devices from USB and cigarette liters

 

Is your car out of warranty? If not take it to dealer and demand they fix it.

 

Its a 2023 SE with 8600 miles, still well within warranty. It was at the dealer for 5 days last week, was told it was fixed. Picked it up and when I got home the same thing happened. I got it back to the dealer on Sunday and it is still there. As of yesterday they didn't have a clue.

 

When someone showed me my 2013 Infiniti they showed me that the radio stayed for for 30 seconds after you shut it off. I loved this feature because I always wanted to finish listening to something without the car being on. With plug-ins this is no longer an issue. My Prime came with 4-5 really nice red charging cables. The front USB plug is also the radio interface, so maybe avoid using that one. I keep a USB stick with MP3's in mine with a 90 degree angle adapter so it doesn't use up space in the compartment.

I want to add that a radio just isn't a radio. Since the early 2000's radios are integrated to do a lot more than play music. If you pulled a radio out of Honda it would disable the ignition (and radio) as a safety feature. It doesn't sound like you tried leaving all cables unplugged. Cheap cables and device do really mess up car (fragile) wiring systems. I put in a custom USB-C charging port in a 2020 Toyota, directly wired to the battery, and the LED indicator ran the battery down. That just didn't even seem possible or likely. It was a cheap and poorly designed plug and I couldn't find a better (more expensive) one anywhere.

I wonder if Carista and the bluetooth reader could help you identify the issue. My 2012 Camry did the same thing if I didn't close a door or trunk all the way, even when I unplugged the (old) light bulbs. I STILL think Toyota should have the ability to prevent full battery drain, especially on a prime.

 

what did they replace when they took your car in for service ? did they replace the radio ? maybe the power switch for the radio is jankey.

 

Hey Guy,

I have had my RAV Prime XSE 2024 since March. Never had that problem...BUT there are lots of menus I am still finding. There is a whole "Sleep" Menu that I think has an "Accessary Run" sub menu - it's mainly for keep AC on while RAV is off. That menu shows up every time I park my car.

 

Model, year?

 

Gravel Guy, I had a mechanical saga with my car on the day it was delivered. The left turn signal wouldn’t shut off…sometimes. Of course they basically told me I was crazy. Long story short, after leaving my car with them 3 times, the maintenance manager finally called the Toyota engineers l, they ordered a new steering column, and the dealership fixed the problem. Suggest perhaps it’s time for you to talk to someone higher up at the dealership and insist they talk to Toyota engineers. After all the money you spent on your new car, should you be stressing out about this? Someone at Toyota has to know what the fix is. Good luck to you.

 

The relay, however is in what is called the "Junction Box" by Toyota, which is the large electronic box directly behind the fuse panel under the dash and right next to the "Main Body ECU". The relays in the Junction Box are not accessible, and I think they may be electronic relays, not the mechanical relays we are used to.

Thanks. Would love to see what's inside that there thing.
Would this be the correct model for our Primes? Part #82730-0C690.

I think this Car Nut video tells us a lot about what's inside that mysterious junction box. It shows the JB from a 2023 Tacoma, so it's the same vintage as our Rav4s, and it physically resembles ours.

The mechanic confirms there is no detailed electrical diagram of the unit provided by Toyota, as it is apparently treated as a non-serviceable component. Nonetheless he opened it to see how it failed (it was somehow overloaded and cooked a PCB trace). Inside is an array of ~10 relays, soldered to the PCB. So while they electrically operate the same as the various other relays in the car, they are not socketed for replacement.

 

Right after I wrote the previous post I pulled out the phone charging cord and the problem stopped!!!!

 

It wasn't the phone charging cord. Rather, it was an external battery pak (for a cell phone) that was plugged into a 12v cigarette adapter for the purposes of charging the pak. There must have been current back-feeding the Infotainment system causing it to remain on after the car was off.

In addition, it was also screwing up my key fob or should I say the receiver in the car that receives the signal from the fod. I could not lock or unlock my car when that battery pak was plugged in - with it unplugged, it now works fine as well.