Newby - 94 Camry - Headlights will not go off

[TexanF250]

I found a thread on here with this exact same problem from a couple of days ago but the person never wrote back to say how they resolved the problem.

I changed out the battery (94 Camry - I4). When I did, the headlights came on even though the headlight switch is off. I cannot get the lights to turn off. Any ideas. Obviously this has happened to at least one other forum member. I was hoping it was a somewhat common problem and there would be a known fix. Any help would be appreciated.

[Stillrunning]

Looking at my wiring diagram there does not appear to be much in the headlight circuit. Power from battery goes through 40amp fuse to headlight relay, through integration relay then to combination switch. Activating the combination switch grounds the power through the HL relay and activates the headlights. There is a timer (maybe in integration relay) that allows you to keep the HL switch on so the HLs will auto shut on/off when ignition is on/off. I would look to HL relay first to see if it is stuck on, then to more expensive integration relay. If for some reason the combination switch is defective and always grounded that could be another reason. The ground connection is a black/white wire from combination switch to ground at junction block at left kick panel. As to why it just happened when you changed battery - a mystery.

[ASG14]

It is possible you shorted out the integration relay. It;s the big box on the front of the fuse block.

[TexanF250]

I'm now having some other problems as well. Car will not even turn over. Dome light works and the headlights are stuck on. Other than that, there appears to be no power anywhere. I ran through the fuses and discovered that the 15Amp EFI fuse was blown. Replaced it and it immediately popped. Started disconnecting connections on the fuel injection system and I keep popping fuses. Not having a good time.

Jesus Christ. All I did was replace the #$%$$% battery. It ran fine before I touched it. Only problem was that you had to get a jump start to get started if it sat for more than four or five hours. The old battery would not hold 12V. The new battery is fine. Any more help woud be very much appreciated.

Questions:

1 - What is the combination switch? I am assuming you are referring to the headlight controls on the steering column but wanted to be certain.

2 - How do you check the integration relay??

3 - Any idea on the cost for the integration relay or the headlight relay??

[hill8570]

Originally Posted by TexanF250

I'm now having some other problems as well. Car will not even turn over. Dome light works and the headlights are stuck on. Other than that, there appears to be no power anywhere. I ran through the fuses and discovered that the 15Amp EFI fuse was blown. Replaced it and it immediately popped. Started disconnecting connections on the fuel injection system and I keep popping fuses. Not having a good time.

Jesus Christ. All I did was replace the #$%$$% battery. It ran fine before I touched it. Only problem was that you had to get a jump start to get started if it sat for more than four or five hours. The old battery would not hold 12V. The new battery is fine. Any more help woud be very much appreciated.

Questions:

1 - What is the combination switch? I am assuming you are referring to the headlight controls on the steering column but wanted to be certain.

2 - How do you check the integration relay??

3 - Any idea on the cost for the integration relay or the headlight relay??

Do you have the wiring diagram for the rig? It's floating around the web, usually accompanied by the service manual (someone please post the URL :-) ). For what you're spending on fuses, you could get a cheap multimeter and start looking for shorts. Way easier to do that kind of sleuthing with the wiring diagram in hand.

[ASG14]

I;m going to bet you melted some relays as well. IF you have a pick and pull junkyard near you, I'd say go there, and just pull tons of different relays and fuses, and just replace them all on your car. My friends Alternator went bad, and started putting in almost 20V at idle into the car. It melted a relay on the back of the fuse block in the car. So once the was was off, the battery would be at 8V in 10 minutes, due to the short.

The integration relay is a couple hunfred. I blew mine, got another at the junkyard. you got an I4 Camry, and I'll guess LE, which is the most common. So it wil be easy to find another.

[TexanF250]

What I have is a rather stripped Camry. Hand crank windows, etc. Not very plush.

I have a multi meter but apply it randomly does no good, [articulalry when I have no idea what the voltages are supposed to be at the varios connections. I strongly suspect they do not all read 12V.

A couple of hundred dollars for RELAY????? WTF???

Appreciat the suggestions. I just want to get this thing moving and out of my drive way. I knoew it was ragged out when I bought it but it ran very well and was told it only needed a clutch. I only paid $150.00 for the thing, replaced the clutch and a few other things then drove it for a couple of months. The battery became problematic and Iwent ahead and relaced it. Once installed, al of this occurred immediately. I ahve not even been able to crank it with the new battery.

[ASG14]

Ok, do you have a Dx model.

The integration is NOT a relay as you know it. It's a big box that actually integrates the relay's.

Do me a favor, take off the Alt and bring it somewhere to be tested. There is a chance it is fried and put in way too much voltage, which in turn friend the original battery and other electronic components. thats what happened to my friend. My Alt blew in the same way, BUT I was able to catch it RIGHT when it happened.

[donbryce]

Originally Posted by hill8570

Do you have the wiring diagram for the rig? It's floating around the web, usually accompanied by the service manual (someone please post the URL :-) ).

http://www.**********s.com/camry/

[hill8570]

Originally Posted by donbryce

Wiring diagram: http://www.**********s.com/camry/

Thanks, Don!

Anywho, start with page 52 -- that's the fuse tree for the rig. Since you've already been popping fuses, you might be able to isolate down the subsystem that's yanking all the current just based on the pattern of blown fuses on the fuse tree. In a really gnarly case, it ain't so easy, but let's start out in a optimistic mode .

[TexanF250]

OK I found out what happened. Let me start by saying that I need to change my handle on here to Texas Dumb A$$. The posts on the replacement battery were reversed. OOOOPS!!!!

I've corrected that. WTF did Toyota not mark the battery cables. I suspect that there was probably a little red boot on the positive cable at some point in time but it is long gone. Further, the cables cover the marking on the battery once they are installed. Still, this is my fault. I thought I had checked this but clearly, I did not double check it.

What this did was blow the ALT 100 AMP fusible link. Problem is I can't get the thing out. It looks like it should just pull out of the fuse block but it will not budge. I've busted up the fusible link pretty good trying to get it out but I am afraid that I am going to tear somethig up if I keep going. Once the cap to the link came off, I was able to jump the contacts on it with a pair of needle nose pliers and suddenly everything came back to life so I am almost certain that this is what my current (no pun intended) problem is.

How does that thing come out?? Anyone else had a problem getting it out???

Respectfully,

TexanF250
a,k.a. - Texas Dumb A$$

[ASG14]

How the fuck? Ok, the Previous owner fucked witht he cables. the OEM cables are not long enough to be crossed to the other post.....So I will partly blame tyhe Prev owner.

As for the fuse, I think it pulls out with a shitload of force. I forgot for sure though.....

[TexanF250]

Originally Posted by ASG14

How the fuck? Ok, the Previous owner fucked witht he cables. the OEM cables are not long enough to be crossed to the other post.....So I will partly blame tyhe Prev owner.

As for the fuse, I think it pulls out with a shitload of force. I forgot for sure though.....

Not the P.O, it was me. I used a battery with the posts in the wrong position. The battery that I grabbed for a replacement has the posts reversed from what I need to have. Instead of the positive post being toward the center of the car when installed as is the case with the correct battery, the positive post was the one towards the fender. So when I hooked up the battery cables, they were reversed. OOPS!!!


Every other vehicle I've ever worked on had the cables clearly identified or you caould run them down visually to see if they went to the starter or to a groung on the frame or the engine block. These cables run right into wiring harnesses with no clear inditcation as to where they are heading of to. And why is the positive cable not RED!!!!!!?

[ASG14]

every Toyota my family has had (Many, mostly Camry's) have a red plastic cover over the (+) connector. Yours must have fallen off over the years.

The (-) wires go right to the chassis not too far from the battery if you follow it.

But eh, we all fuck up something simple at least once. I blew my integration relay hooking in LED floor lighting. Still never seen anyone else do that.

[TexanF250]

I'm just hoping I didnt' smoke the ECM.