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Old 05-10-2014, 10:42 AM   #1
Idahotom
 
Drives: 2008 5 sp. LB
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Electrical gremlin

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!
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Old 05-10-2014, 10:52 AM   #2
CTScott
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When first doing some experimentation with my own equivalent to the ScanGauge I had a CAN bus transceiver that went bad and was putting out tons of noise on the bus. It initially did it while I was driving and I saw almost exactly the same effect as what you mentioned.
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Old 05-11-2014, 11:35 AM   #3
Idahotom
 
Drives: 2008 5 sp. LB
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That begs the question: what is a CAN bus transceiver?!

No battery change out yet, I'm still clinging to the feeble hope that it may be doing some weird internal fault, besides being flat wore out, and once I install the new one sitting on the bench, the gremlins will disappear. Pretty pathetic, the good thing is I have the '99 RAV4 to drive, but what a gas hog, at mid 20's to maybe upper 20's mpg! One trip to town and back (40 miles) costs me $2.80 more then the Yaris (25 per for the 4, 45 for the Yaris, $3.50 a gallon) plus the Yaris is more fun to drive, so I will install that new battery today and otherwise poke and prod at it, and I guess if worse comes to worse, take to the stealership Monday, crap.
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Old 05-11-2014, 03:28 PM   #4
BLH
 
Drives: 2007 Yaris Sedan
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CAN Control Area Network.
Interconnects devices in the car on a data network.
The ECU and many other modules in the car send data back and fort to each other on the CAN Bus. So there are more than one CAN Buss transceivers in the car.
http://www.can-cia.org/index.php?id=can
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Old 05-15-2014, 11:37 PM   #5
Idahotom
 
Drives: 2008 5 sp. LB
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Well, for being such a dumb ass the dealership treated me pretty good. It was a 25 amp fuse, in the panel on the left under the dash. I didn't check every one, and for some reason missed it, I'll blame the owners manual a little for confusing me. $50.00 bucks, I'm happy as they told me several times it's $95.00 "to plug it in", meaning their diagnostic system. So I figured at least that, it made my day as I really missed little Zippy! It is very handy having a speedo, air, cruise, wind shield wipers, power steering etc, etc., they were all out.
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Old 05-15-2014, 11:39 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Idahotom View Post
Well, for being such a dumb ass the dealership treated me pretty good. It was a 25 amp fuse, in the panel on the left under the dash. I didn't check every one, and for some reason missed it, I'll blame the owners manual a little for confusing me. $50.00 bucks, I'm happy as they told me several times it's $95.00 "to plug it in", meaning their diagnostic system. So I figured at least that, it made my day as I really missed little Zippy! It is very handy having a speedo, air, cruise, wind shield wipers, power steering etc, etc., they were all out.
Ah, I didn't get from your initial post that they remained out. That definitely pointed to a fuse. I read it as they were going out intermittently after you jammed the OBD connector.
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Old 05-17-2014, 10:44 AM   #7
Idahotom
 
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I've been driving Toyota's of various types since 1980, and worked them HARD. This was the first time I had a need to take one to a pro shop. A minor glitch I should have found, but hell, a 50 buck service charge averaged out over 34 years isn't too bad. I could have explained the problem better too. My faith in the brand remains unchanged, pretty much bullet proof in my experience anyway, don't ask me about my Ford and Dodge pickups I've had in that same time period, for heavy hauling, both POS's compared to the Toyota's.
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Old 05-18-2014, 07:33 AM   #8
Slanoie
 
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Glad to see it's been repaired quickly, but if it can help someone, I had a scangage style accessory plugged in my OBDII connector and I had the same problem as you, after a couple of days parked, the car wouldn't start. After investigation, I found that it was the OBDII accessory draining power from the battery even when the car was parked...

Unplugged the thing and everything is fine up to now...!
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Old 05-18-2014, 10:13 AM   #9
Idahotom
 
Drives: 2008 5 sp. LB
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I need to get my clamp on digital amp probe on my NEW battery, and see what's up with that.....since I have had the Yaris (and the SG) I have noticed that if several days go by without me driving it (in the winter I drive the RAV4 a lot, have to) the old battery would go flat. I chalked it up to an old battery, in need of replacement, maybe something else is going on.
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