-Dm_Vinny+Apr 16, 2005 - 11:19 AM

I actually found out that I am getting +12 volts at the alternator. Before, I was just testing with a bad ground.

-madmods+Apr 16, 2005 - 11:22 AM

I never cut my ignition wires, and my door locks are aftermarket. Right now, there is only wires ran for the positive brake input, door trigger, parking lights, ignition 1, ignition 2, and starter, and they're all completely taped off.

Can anyone explain what causes voltages to start from 8-10 volts and then rise to +12.4 volts over the course of a few seconds? This effect gets worse as the ground for the multimeter is placed further away from whatever I'm testing.

-Coomer+Apr 16, 2005 - 6:43 PM
What actually are you testing to get this spike from? Any relays in there?

Take one cable off from the battery, and measure the current running trough the electrical system. (don't start try to start, your meter will melt) If the current is very low, most likely you have a corroded connection, acting as a resistor.
(resistor restricts current not voltage)
But I can't give you a answer about the voltage going up from eight to twelve volts.
The only thing I can come up with is that the current that can be drawn is so low, the voltage collapses.

OK,
I managed to get the car started and running yesterday. Now here is what still doesn't work:

Headlights and parking lights will not come on unless the car is on. The engine doesn't have to be running, the key just has to be in the on position.

The CD player won't turn on.

The clock doesn't come on.

Door open indicators, trunk light, dome lights don't work at all.

How did you manage to get the car started? Or are things just starting to magically fix themself? Weird...

-946thGenGT+Apr 17, 2005 - 7:51 PM

A couple of the wires I ran were causing too much resistance, so when I removed them, the car was able to start. Hopefully tomorrow I can figure out what's up with the rest of the stuff...probably something small again. >>

Any updates?

-Batman722+Apr 15, 2005 - 11:13 PM


-Coomer+Apr 17, 2005 - 11:35 PM

booya - update ???

Not yet. I don't have time to work on the car until the weekend most likely. School/work kills me.

OK,
So the car is worse than ever now. On Monday, it wouldn't start after work. Monday night I compression started it, and the RPMs fluctuated from 1,500-3,000, shooting back and forth. I immediately shut off the car and had it towed home, and now I'm stuck with no idea what's wrong.

The headlights and parking lights still work with the ignition on. The dome light, door open indicator, seat-belt-not-on indicator, stereo, trunk light, and clock still don't work.

What's interesting is that on one fuse, I'm getting resistance between ground and one of the sides of the fuse? Should I be getting resistance at all? To me it seems like I shouldn't, since +12v shouldn't be hitting ground, but maybe other stuff factors into resistance. Anyone know if this is normal?

sounds like the fuse connections arent good and causing too much resistance....yes the resistance with the fuse should be practically zero
use the multimeter and check the resistance from the wire on one side of the fuse to the a wire on the other side of the fuse....resistance should be very low. Current= voltage/ Resistance so your resistance should be small or everything after the fuse will have little to no voltage since the current stays the same

-stormtrupr+Apr 22, 2005 - 8:00 AM

Been there done that...I tested every fuse and all have a very low resistance.

i thought you had....i just misunderstood you last post..sorry

to meassure resistance...you dont have to have any voltage running through it....the digital multimeter will send a voltage through it for you. you shouldnt have resistance through just a wire....is you ground point ok? if so...maybe that section of the wire is bad

i'm still not positive on what exactly you mean...just tryin to help..so sorry to see a celi down and sick:(
storm

This post has been edited by stormtrupr: Apr 22, 2005 - 3:55 PM

I'm confused at what you mean resistance between ground and one side of the fuse... you should be measuring this with the battery disconnected, if so most of the fuses remain on the hot side of the connection so finding the impedance between either side of the fuse and the ground will have to go through what ever equipment is on that circuit meaning you will have a resistance.

I would check out the integrated relay and jb#1 which are both behind the drivers kick panel. All of the stuff you are talking about having trouble with are terminated there.

Here are some pdfs to help you...
component locator: http://filebox.vt.edu/users/jvernaci/elect...t%20locator.pdf

wiring diagrams:
http://filebox.vt.edu/users/jvernaci/syste...%20diagrams.pdf

All you can really do is check the voltage at say the dome light, then move back into the wire (piece it with a needle or something), move to the junction box, then the fuse until you found out what went wrong.

I would also check out the relay connected up there and make sure it is working. What ever you do make sure you have proper ground on the battery or even run a wire to the batter to use as ground from the voltmeter.

I will only keep these on my filebox for a week, so people don't link to them. lemme know if you have any questions or find anything out, electrical problems are the worst.

This post has been edited by Snarfer: Apr 22, 2005 - 6:00 PM

Snarfer,
Thank you so much. I had the component locator from the CelicaTech BGB page, but I didn't have the electrical diagrams PDF, which looks to be VERY helpful. I'll have to look at it in depth at home tonight and see what I can figure out. Thanks! >>

Finally, I made some good progress tonight. I fixed all of my interior/non-engine problems. A picture is below, with an explanation at the bottom.



Basically, I guess I must've had something in that slot before. I guess it fell out or whatever...initially I figured that slot was useless(although one side was giving +12 volts), since it has a box with a slash through it on the fuse layout printed on the fuse cover.

However, that's not the case. When I pulled apart the fuse box and looked underneath, I realized that the three fuses to the left of it(20 amp radio fuse, 15 amp ECU-B fuse, and the 10 amp dome light fuse) get their constant power from the side of the empty slot that wasn't getting +12 volts. So I popped in the little connector that fits in there from the purple Celica, and now everything on the interior works again. >>

Lots of stuff revolves around the integration relay inside the car near the interior fuse box, and if the dome light fuse is blown or isn't getting power to the constant side then it messes with all kinds of stuff not even related to the dome light, such as the lights not being able to be on unless the ignition is on.

Now my stereo, clock, dome light, trunk light, door open indicators, seat belt light, and lights all work correctly. >>

What's very interesting is that there's NO mention at all in Toyota's BGB and electrical diagrams about this jumper piece of metal...I only found out what it did by pulling the fuse box apart. I wish there would've been...it would've saved me a ton of trouble.

That's the good news. Now for the bad.

I'm still having engine problems. The car still won't start.

So I tested the grounds on the block, head, tranny, and intake manifold, and they all are solidly grounded with the ignition off. However, with the ignition on, the engine/tranny give me a ground that yields +9 volts. If I move the ground probe of my multimeter to a good chassis ground(even the ground wires right where they bolt to the engine/tranny), I get +12 volts.

Also, if I place the ground probe at a solid chassis ground and then place the positive probe on the block, head, intake manifold, or tranny, I get +3 volts.

I'm thinking that I've got some sort of a +12 volt wire shorting out somewhere on the engine. Does that sound like something that would cause this?

According to this Toyota god that I just talked to, it sounds like my problem is poor ground wires going to the engine. Anyone else think this is a ground issue?

good job on finding the electrical problems Christian.

About the ground problem. Can't you just run alot of thick gauge wires all around directly to your negative side of your battery. If you do that, and the engine starts and works fine.. then that means you have a poor ground somewhere. But if it doesnt help.. then that means its another issue.

on page 28 of that electrical guide there is something labeled short pin, is that what you are talking about?

This post has been edited by Snarfer: Apr 23, 2005 - 12:48 PM

-Snarfer+Apr 23, 2005 - 10:40 AM

That might be it...not sure though.

What's important is that I just got everything figured out! It works perfectly again! >>

thx coomer, but im not a toyota god >>

This post has been edited by Consynx: Apr 23, 2005 - 10:55 PM

-Coomer+Apr 23, 2005 - 10:22 PM

all figured out ? AWESOME. Very glad to hear it.

what exactly was wrong ? are you sure you got it ?

My ground to my tranny wasn't very good. Why it wasn't a problem for so long was because my solid tranny mount provided an excellent ground. With the new rubber/urethane mount, it's no longer conductive, so I ran a wire to a bolt on the tranny with some washers. Today, I removed the washers and made it so that the ground wire hits the tranny directly, and it solved all my problems completely. >>

good to hear bro, u had us worried.

Heh, after I rebuilt my engine I didn't hook up the tranny mount for about 3 months until I saw it hanging around in the engine bay, didn't even notice anything. Good ol' toyota.

nm

This post has been edited by DamDirtyApes: Apr 24, 2005 - 9:32 PM

YES!!! Great work guys!!!!