Electrical gremlin

[Idahotom]

All was well, then the other day I got in and immediately noticed the power steering was out, that the speedo was inactive, the low tire pressure light was on, also the airbag light, and the turn signals and the ScanGauge were not working. All fuses checked out OK. I am going to try a simplistic approach at first: a new battery. Yes I realize that is probably not it, but I have needed a new one for quite a while, the old one is so shot that if I don't drive it at least every couple days, 3 at most, it is too dead to start. And, it is possible the battery is failing in some unusual fashion, maybe shorting out internally, whatever, I needed a new one and will at least eliminate one of the potential problem areas. Squeaky clean and tight battery terminal connections of course.

Now here's the catch, the day all this started, I THINK I remember snagging the ScanGauge plug with the toe of my boot when I got in, (done this before) and I reached down to make sure it was still plugged in, and it was loose, closer examination showed it was still fully engaged into the Yaris socket, but that the socket itself was loose. So, I took that little hatch cover off to get a better look, fearing I might have trashed the socket, broken it mechanically. All I found was that the socket, normally firmly held in place by little plastic ridges in the lower dash assembly, was popped out of there but NOT otherwise damaged electrically speaking. So, as of now I am going on the assumption that this electrical problem is unrelated to the ScanGauge/socket getting kicked around, though it seems like a hell of a coincidence? Not like I stomped on it or anything anyway, just grazed it and it eyeballs fine.

If the battery doesn't fix it (doubtful) I may be reduced to taking to the dealer 95 bucks as you walk in the door, then the fun really starts......I NEVER go to a dealer, but I have a feeling it will need to be plugged into their proprietary diagnostic computer, I think so anyway. Something minor, a relay or something maybe, caused this, nothing is really broke, it's just that nothing works!