Did you buy the car used? Have to checked to see where any wiring is connected to the car?

 

Yes, I bought the car used from a Toyota dealer. They made no mention of any add-ons as you would think they would have used those as selling points. Maybe they did not know?

As for me following the wiring, electrical is not my strong suit...but to me, to see something receiving power that is zip tied onto a fan power line is suspicious.

Maybe some other Highlander owners can take a peek at their engine bay and see if this same contraption exists?

peace out,
daddylogan

 

It may be a tracking device used by car dealers. I would return to where you purchased it, if possible, and ask to have it removed.
If not, you should be able to follow any wires and disconnect them.
However, I would bet you it's battery powered and there is no physical electrical connection to your car.

 

You may be onto something. When they gave me the keys to the car after the sale, one of the sets had this little black square thing attached to it. After I got the vehicle home, I emailed them and said, "hey...what it this thing attached to my keychain?" They said I needed to mail it to them as it was part of vehicle tracking (an ikon chip?). So, I mailed it back to them. I would assume if they do this with all cars on an open lot, that they would have also said...."hey, we need to remove another part from the engine bay!!!" LOL - I suppose I will investigate tomorrow and see what is up.

Thanks for the thought brother!

peace out,
daddylogan

 

Also, do you have a lien on the car?
If so, they are probably tracking it for recovery purposes if the loan goes into default.

 

No liens - I have full ownership and title and I paid in cash ;-)

See above post for the name of the chip I mailed back to them.

peace out,
daddylogan

 

You're welcome.
If you own the car outright then I would definitely return and ask to have the box removed.

 

It this it? Not sure why the link said this, but it goes to eBay for the tracker.

ikon GPS Tracker VB3824 Vehicle Asset Tracking Device w/ Harness | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for ikon GPS Tracker VB3824 Vehicle Asset Tracking Device w/ Harness at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

 

BINGO!!!! I was actually going to post just now as I found out what it is. When I bought the car, it came with a free year subscription to what is called "Toyota Cars Connect or Ikon Connect!" It is so if my car is stolen I can track it down and it also gives me notifications for service reminders and so on and so on. Here is the website:

Ikon Connect | Ikon Connect | Connected Car System

Our Connected Car technology allows car owners to monitor and protect their vehicle - from almost anywhere.

www.ikonconnect.com

I have never downloaded the app onto my phone nor used it and forgot I even had a years subscription to it. I did however just logged in online to my account and it knows exactly where my car is parked and even gives you a street view!!! So I guess it has a purpose!

Thanks to you both for a quick diagnosis!!! Cheers ;-)

peace out,
daddylogan

 

Sounds potentially like a GPS module which requires always on power. If so, could be part or cause of your parasitic draw causing your battery to go dead. If you can follow the wires, it is probably easily removable.

 

Get rid of it.

 

So older Toyotas use to use 3G cellular networks for communication. That's not an option anymore so I assume that to imitate any kind of tracking software or feature you would have to add a separate device like that.

 

Your post illustrates why I love TOYOTANATION! No matter what - you got questions - they have ANSWERS !

 

So if one of the post says its used for tracking then why would you have a flashing light so it can be seen, you found it if you stole it you could disable it, makes no sense to have a tracking device with a flashing light on it

 

Many electronic devices include LED lights for either functionality and/or troubleshooting information. Green flashing for a working unit. Yellow/amber and/or red to indicate a problem with the unit. By itself, and without familiarity of that specific device, having a flashing light of any color would not provide any hint to a would-be thief of the product's functionality.

 

I keep both the 1991 Toyota Truck and the 1998 RAV4 on a Battery Tender at all times (except while driving).

 

My 2015 XLE Highlander doesn’t have that part .

 

FYI almost all "modern cars" can be tracked by non-owner 3rd parties, see:

‘Privacy Nightmare on Wheels’: Every Car Brand Reviewed By Mozilla — Including Ford, Volkswagen and Toyota — Flunks Privacy Test

Mozilla’s latest edition of *Privacy Not Included reveals how 25 major car brands collect and share deeply personal data, including sexual activity, facial expressions, and genetic and health information.

www.mozillafoundation.org

 

Got the little sucker out tonight. Wasn't that hard as they had it wired to the battery direct and zipped tied out in the open. I read my dealer contract and I own that sucker - and I called the dealer and told them I am taking it out and if they want it they can 1) Remove it for free and 2) Put a new battery in my car for free (not buying the battery - just the install). They said "keep it and do whatever I want with it! LOL

It must have a secondary battery inside as it still has green and ornage lights that flash every so often. Maybe I should take a hammer to it or sell it on eBay to a PI to help catch a cheating husband or wife? hahahahahahaha

Anyhow...mystery solved and thanks for all who participated.

Take aways: Almost any Toyota you buy off a lot will have one, especially if financing. It will be where mine was or plugged into to your OBDII port with the unit tucked up under the dash. I bet thousands of people are driving around with these and have no idea - and the dealers WILL sell your information and data to insurance companies!

peace out,
daddylogan

 

If you're an iPhone user you can duplicate most of the functionality with an AirTag. $29 OTC and a replacement coin battery every 2-3 years.

 

You can also get them for android phones too. I always throw on in my bag when I fly.

 

I figured as much, but I'm not familiar with the Android ecosystem.