Strange electrical issue - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

'88ROLLAGTS · 11-05-2006, 12:29 PM

Today I was heading to the local parts store to get some bulbs for my instrument cluster. I used the fancy search feature here on ToyotaNation to obtain the number for these bulbs

Before I left I decided to pull out my dome light bulbs and get a number for them since they dont work either. I pulled them and realized that they were good. so I checked the fuses thinking to myself ...what an idiot, here Ive been complaining of not having a dome light for two months and it was just a fuse... The fuse is GOOD. So Im like WTF. maybe the bulb just looks good but it actually has bolwn.

I get some new 194's for the gages (rear side markers and front park lights), and some BP12100 for the dome light. (not too sure of the # for the light on the sunroof control. It doesnt work either and the bulb is good too.)

I installed a 12100 in the dome light while sitting at a red light. Nothing. It still doesnt work. So I get home and check the fuses again. ALL OF THEM. not a single fuse on the entire car is bad. Now Im getting flustered.

I didnt get the chance to pull my dash apart and change those because my GF called and said that she blew up her car.

Now im f'ing excited!! Another DEAD MR2!! So I go to pick her up when on my way I realized that my sterio doesnt work!!! AHHHH!!! Whatever. I pick up the GF and listen to her talk about everything but what she plans to do about her dead car and why she keeps blowing them up.

While shes talking I look in my mirror and see this strange headlight.. its a rectangular shape and brighter than shit. Just then I realize that its my dome light.

So at the risk of our relationship I inturupt her.. and point it out. I look back at my speed and notice that my gauge lights all work now too. I check my sterio... Nothing.

Any ideas as to what might be causing this to happen??

89yotarollagts · 11-05-2006, 04:03 PM

check the fuses under the hood i had the exact same problem one of your 10amp (red) fuses are blown..

'88ROLLAGTS · 11-05-2006, 04:12 PM

I checked all of them already under the hood and in the car.

I even bought one of those niffty little puller/tester things from autozoneofcrap and tested evey one of them.

89yotarollagts · 11-05-2006, 04:40 PM

dunno what to tell you then, should be a 10amp fuse (marked "DOME" on the cover ! This is the same circuit as the gauges,clock,parking lights,etc if that aint it i dunno what to tell you.

'88ROLLAGTS · 11-05-2006, 05:44 PM

Yep I checked it and even put a new fuse in it just for shits and gigglels.

The thing is the dome light works now... for some weird reason it just started to work while I was driving. same thing with the gauge light that was out (tach side).

The only other "dome" light I cant get to work is the one on the sunroof control thingy.

Now my sterio doesnt work either. It was able to take/eject the disc but now has nothing at all.

Have you ever driven down a 5 mile straight stretch at 30 MPH because its sprinkeling and making the road damp WITH NO TUNES ?????

If I didnt know any better I'd forget that I live in Oregon.

punter · 11-05-2006, 06:10 PM

Did you install the stereo yourself?
What did you use for an earth?

'88ROLLAGTS · 11-05-2006, 06:26 PM

yes I did. I got a harness adapter thing from a sterio store. I assume this runs it off the stock ground. you think It could be a grounding issue? It seems strange that happened along with the weird light issue...

punter · 11-05-2006, 07:05 PM

There is a black wire in there that people often mistake for a ground. It'll mess with your lights if you use it.

But an adaptor will use the correct wires so it won't be that.

Check you have voltage at the fuses and just trace the problem that way. Shouldn't be hard to find if you concentrate on one circut.

'88ROLLAGTS · 11-05-2006, 07:10 PM

How does one trace with voltage? I am fairly electrically inclined but I dont really understand how to trace a problem.

punter · 11-05-2006, 07:20 PM

Obvioulsy you don't have voltage at the bulbs, (otherwise they would work). So check at the fuse, if it does then the problem is in between the two. If you don't then its between the Battery and the fusebox. etc. etc.

Fairly simple.

'88ROLLAGTS · 11-05-2006, 07:23 PM

Ill give this a shot. Thanks

'88ROLLAGTS · 11-06-2006, 05:34 PM

well I got the sterio to work today. Heres what I did...

Pulled the trim around the sterio.
pulled out the sterio
disconected wire harness (which was connected well)
tested with volt meter (had +1 vlt, turned key had +12vlts)
conected harness clip

WORKS!!

while driving to work the damn thing stopped agian so I followed exactly what I did before and it works again.
I checked all the connections completly and I cannot find a reason for this.

Oh yeah... now the tach light went out again

GT 20 valve · 11-08-2006, 05:58 AM

when you were checkin your fuses,did you just pull them out and look at them...or did you use a voltmeter?sometimes when your checking fuses,they can look ok,but have a hairline split that isnt visible to the eye.the best way to ceck a fuse is to get a voltmeter with a bleepin continuity tester on it,and check that there is connection from one side of the fuse to the other.I must confess,i didnt read every1s input here,so you may already have tried this

89yotarollagts · 11-08-2006, 12:44 PM

well that could explain why he gets irregular power

'88ROLLAGTS · 11-08-2006, 07:21 PM

I bought a tester (came with replacement fuses) that has a green light on it showing when its good. I checked all the fuses with that and found that all are good. Still have yet to get at it with the volt meter and trace the problem out.

today the tach light started working again...