Fuse block corrosion causing parasitic battery drain. 99 LC (1 Viewer)

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Joined
Sep 25, 2016
Threads
2
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60
Location
Minnesota
Hello,

Im desperate for some answers so my first post will have to be a tech question.

I recently purchased a really clean 99 LC with 130K miles. The vehicle is exceptionally well cared for with Toyota dealer service records up till 126K. Including timing belt, water pump and all other maintenance recommended from Toyota. Everything on the LC works the way it should and the vehicle drives and handles like it is new. The underside is as clean as the top (unusual for MN).

It has one issue, at some point the driver side under dash fuse panel/junction block got wet and it now has some light corrosion. Toyota tracked the issue to a small leak on the corner of a replacement windshield. It was fixed and the vehicle shows no rust or other damage due to water that I can tell. I checked other connectors throughout the vehicle and pulled up the drivers carpet to check the floor pan. Looks like new.

The previous owner had the vehicle to the Toyota Dealer and Toyota diagnosed the problem as when the vehicle is locked something stays active and puts a parasitic drain on the battery. Toyota recommended replacing the junction block and any of the connectors which had corrosion. Apparently the previous owner decided they wanted out and did not want to pay the dealer to fix it. They traded it at another dealer that weekend and I bought it soon after.

The dealer I bought from is willing to buy the vehicle back. I have till Monday to decide.

I have been searching for parts and for answers all night. If that junction block/fuse block can be swapped for a non corroded one I am very tempted to keep this cruiser as it is exceptionally clean. I have no problem doing the work myself and it looks like everything is plugs no splicing. I pulled apart each of the plugs and found very little if any corrosion. I plan to pull out the cover on the junction box tomorrow (today) and check internally for corrosion. What does have some corrosion is the fuse block connected to the junction on the drivers kick panel.

Long story short is this cruiser worth fixing and keeping? Or are parts to hard or expensive to find to be worth the constant dead battery?

Thanks for any help!!!! Not how I wanted my first post to go as I was excited to start my build thread!
 
Really depends on YOUR electrical skills. If it was me, I would ask the dealer for the parts, and replace it my selves.
Another factor: How long time since the windscreen was replaced? if it is long time ago, there could be corrosion where the water entered under the windscreen/sealing.
 
I am not familiar with this problem. Just another thought here, how much is to have dealer fix it? And ask how many years warranty comes with that fix. Depending on the price, it may worth having the dealer fix it and have the warranty. 6 months down the road, if it does not work again, that warranty may comes handy. Obviously if it is several thousand dollars, maybe it is better going to a junk yard, buy a used part, and install it yourself. I don't know how much you are in on this car, but if the vehicle is cheap enough for its condition, I would be willing to risk it. But you also need to consider if this will be your dd - it may not work if this is your only car.
 
I dont believe this to be a common problem with LCs, just a specific problem to this vehicle due to a windscreen leak. Toyota has all service records for this vehicle, including 5 visits since march for this issue. Toyota found the leaking windshield and it is recorded as being repaired by the dealer. All the records concerning this issue are from between march of this year and about a week ago when it was traded at another dealer.

Toyota initially said it would be way to expensive and Im sure it would be on dealer repair time. Their next step was to replace the junction/fuse block, and cut and splice on new ends for the harness. Replacing the box looks simple enough if I can find the parts and they dont need special dealer programming. I unplugged all the wiring harness plugs going into and inspected them and only found a slight trace of corrosion on a few plugs. No heavy corrosion, just a trace of white dust on the plugs. Where I did find heavier corrosion was on the fuse block and fuses in the drivers kick panel. I cleaned them the best I could and from what I can see this part would also be simple enough to replace if it is available and does not need programming.

Does anybody know the proper term for the white box with all the harness going to behind the drivers kick panel under the dash. The fuse block is connected to it. Toyota called it a "Smart Box" in their description of the problem. I found one for a 2006 LC on ebay listed as a Junction box. Im having trouble trying to find a part and what the interchange years are.

This is not my DD, it will be a hobby/off road vehicle. I cant find anything close for the price and condition it is exceptionally clean, especially for a MN vehicle.
 
I agree; see if seller will buy part for you.

I believe this is what your looking for 82733-60041 - Toyota Parts Deal.
You'll need to check part numbers for different years. I saw two for just the 2001 land cruiser. One With TILT & TELESCOPIC STEERING) for $700. 2001 Toyota Land Cruiser Switch & Relay & Computer

If price was right and you enjoying working on a rust free rig. keep it. :)

One area of rust that has been covered here in mud is around/under windshield. This is more wide spread IMHO then previous thought. One way too get a better idea of what your looking at is to remove LH & RH inside (interior) windshield moldings. You'll be able to see inner side of A pillar. You could even pull upper interior molding, but this looks more in-depth (I've not done)
040.JPG


IMHO this small amount of rust color is from improperly installed windshield. They drilled new holes and used screws to attach windshield exterior side molding.
Windshield DS.jpg


If water was indeed entering DS from windshield you should see some signs along pillars. If rust has gotten bad you may need new metal wielded in.

Hard to believe a 100 in your area is rust free. The undercarriage needs to be degreased and pressure washed to uncover all area for a really good inspection. Also look in DS & PS front doors while open, in gap that expose inner fender.

Good luck.
 
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There is really nothing to de-grease. This LC is very clean. Rockers, door bottoms, floor pans, tailgate seams are all clean. I have been looking for a LC for awhile and jumped on this one when I found it. Maybe too soon. I hate to let it for a issue that could be solved.

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I believe the part listed above is the part I am looking for, although not sure if a 2001 will swap with a 99. I called a Toyota dealer and found the part and they can order it for me for a 99. Although even they are unsure of the Tilt or Telescopic difference even with the VIN. My LC has just up down tilt, not telescopic. The dealer was going to call Toyota on Monday to confirm before they ordered.
 
Also, I cant seem to replicate parasitic drain the dealer has detailed in its system. I shut down the car, locked the doors and put my meter between the negative terminal and the negative cable. It showed between .29 and .35ma. Less then the dealer spec .50ma. I left the vehicle overnight and went to start it this morning and it barely started. Battery was pretty low. Toyota had noted they were getting 1.5 amp draw when the vehicle was off with the doors locked.
 
For your part of the Country, looks good.

The link I gave you was just set to my 2001. Set it for your 1999 and compare part #'s to the 2006 you're looking at. Different parts numbers may or may not work, so I stick with match.

Keep in mind you must have a good battery fully charged with clean & greased terminals (dry is not good).

Also make sure headlights are turned to off, they have a parasitic drain in AUTO.
 
For your part of the Country, looks good.

The link I gave you was just set to my 2001. Set it for your 1999 and compare part #'s to the 2006 you're looking at. Different parts numbers may or may not work, so I stick with match.

Keep in mind you must have a good battery fully charged with clean & greased terminals (dry is not good).

Also make sure headlights are turned to off, they have a parasitic drain in AUTO.
No parasitic drain with my headlights in auto...
 
I found the correct part on that site for a 99. $700. Still tempted to keep it and try to fix it or see if my dealer will work with me anymore on the price. When I showed them the info from the Toyota dealer they called that dealer and then said they would buy my cruiser back and send it to an auction instead of fix it.

The battery tested good at Autozone when I first had the issue. It is a newer Toyota brand battery. 4/16 date. Toyota also tested the battery and found it good before realizing it was the same vehicle from the previous owner. I have charged the battery or driven the vehicle long enough to provide a full charge after each morning according to my meter.

I had no idea about the headlight switch in auto mode. I will have it off from now on.
 
Slow your row, i assume the windshield was just replaced right before you bought it.
Wait for it to dry out, i had the exact same problem, had my windshield replaced, truck dried out. No more problem.
Go out to the truck in the dark, do NOT open any doors. Look through the glass, the rear HVAC fan light will be on, the gauges will be live, the odometer will be on, the ignition will think the key is in, the steering wheel will be in the position you set it at, if you open a rear door the key in chime will chime.
Once the fuse box dries, that will be good.
BUT, the other issue is the underhood fuse box, open the hood, close all doors, you'll hear the relays going bonkers and you'll hear the HVAC fan running.
Driving in the rain, automatic carwash with underbody flush...water gets into that fuse box, i found the seal on the lid to mine was shrunken and dried out.
I sprayed it with silicone, it swelled, i put it back.
To keep the battery from draining turn off the climate control and rear climate control before turning the engine off.
As long as you drive it everyday this will keep the battery from draining until it dries out.
I also had the alarm go off at random until my truck dried.
I didnt have the option of returning the truck, but mine is also a one owner, and I am guessing it was traded in for the same reason as yours.
 
Also, I didnt lock my truck and carried my battery charger and extension cord with me and plugged her in at night and while at work until she dried.
I also replaced the battery and alternator just in case.
 
According to Toyota they replaced the windshield about 3 weeks ago in the process of finding the previous owners problem. They said the previous owner had had it replaced sometime last year from rock chip turning into a crack. They apparently did not seal it correctly in the driver side corner. It has rained here almost every day for the last week and I have driven it in a couple downpours, I also ran a garden hose all over the roof and windscreen and have been unable to find any water anywhere inside or under the dash.

While I agree it is possible it might dry out I'm tempted to believe Toyota might be on to something saying to replace the relay junction box due to the corrosion that I have found on the inside kick panel fuse block.
 
The windshield leaking is common on these trucks. Ive researched the hell out of it trying to figure out what was wrong with my truck.
It took a week for my truck to dry out.
 
I will pull off the a pillar trim and inspect the metal. Thanks for the heads up, after doing a bit of looking it seems that is a pretty common issue. Im suprised I cant find more people with the electrical problem.
 
No parasitic drain with my headlights in auto...
You know me and detail... I've assumed the last sentence hass do to light sensor having closed circuit drawing small amount of power.
013a.jpg
 
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You know me and detail... I've assumed the last sentence hass do to light sensor having closed circuit drawing small amount of power.
View attachment 1327463
Hmm now looking at my manual mine says the same. I park my rig for long intervals every now and then (on auto setting) and have always read strong on crank after the fact (measured with scanguage). I guess this could be an issue if you have a berderline weak battery. I'm curious now as to why that is, maybe I need to go digging around lighting schematics...

If the circuit is anything like the auto lights circuit was on my 4R, it completely de-energizes when the door is opened. Now you got my brain working :rolleyes:

Hopefully OPs problem can be resolved with a thorough drying out. I hate chasing electric gremlins.
 
I wouldnt expect the fuse block itself to cause your draw due to corrosion. It would more likely be a relay. You could take apart any relays in that area to see if they're corroded internally causing them to stick on. All that being said, corrosion in the fuse block could cause heat from resistance and potentially cause a fire. I would look for a used one. Might be a lot cheaper.
 
Also. You should rule out a bad battery before chasing an intermittent draw that may or may not exist. Your slow crank could just be that.
 
If you've chased down all the parasitic draws and still are having the problem, you can simply install a Priority Start for less than $100 and enjoy your new found LC: https://www.amazon.com/Priority-12-...93783&sr=8-2&keywords=battery+drain+protector

I was chasing a parasitic draw and it's now mostly gone, but I still keep the Priority Start installed and it saved me this weekend when the truck sat for 3 days it was dead. Unlocked the door with the key, pressed on the brake and she fired right up. Just have to reset the clock. I don't worry about being stranded anymore.
 

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