95 4Runner electrical question

[Tennessee Jed]

Have been having intermittent odd problems starting the car. This morning, the battery was dead, and it's only a year old. Battery and alternator tested good. Jumped off, no problem, held charge all day no problem.

Then, this afternoon, again it wouldn't start - dead silence, no crank or anything - this was a warm start, the car had been shut off maybe 5 minutes. I happened to look down near my knee and noticed that there was a flashing red light near what I would assume was something like an OBD code reader. As I noticed it, the blinking stopped, and then the car started. Drove home. Played with the wires, and there's a short there because I can make the blinking stop and start by jiggling the wires. I left them in the blinking position, and it's been blinking steadily now or about 20 minutes. Also, now there is no problem starting the car - blinking or not, it starts every time. Very strange (to me.)

Looking in Chiltons, I believe this is a light that, when the pins are jumped in the diagnostic box under the hood, will blink out the code for you, but this is just a steady constant blink.

What the heck is going on? Is that what drained the battery? Is that in fact the code reader? What do i do to repair this problem.

Many many thanks.

 

[Rix86]

sounds like an aftermarket alarm

 

[Tennessee Jed]

Thanks - I'll see if that's it. I went back out and it wouldn't start, but jiggling the wires made it so that I could start it again.

 

[hardontoyotas]

i agree with the aftermarket alarm.

 

[Jukelemon]

I would agree with alarm.

The codes are indicated via a light on the dash not anything else i.e. it would be a silly mod to hook up another light to blink along with the dash.

Sounds like a kill switch of some sort.

 

[Tennessee Jed]

Here is a photo of the little guy. I can short the wires and cause it to not start, and also cause the red light to blink. It's the small black thing with wires going to it, to the left of the E brake.

This looks factory to me - could it be an aftermarket gizmo of some kind? The truck didn't come with an owner's manual and I haven't been able to find one.

Thanks for any help on this.

 

[KLF]

There's no way the factory would leave wires hanging down like that. That's some aftermarket theft protection doohickey. I generally don't trust them, I'd tear it out.

 

[black95]

trace back where those wires go. most likely it is an aftermarket alarm with a kill switch relay. They would have cut into a wire in your factory wiring harness somewhere and run it through a relay so the alarm could prevent the truck from starting.

These alarms are rarely effective and can be removed by anyone with a brain,

I'm with KLF, I would have it removed if you don't know how to do it yourself.

 

[Tennessee Jed]

trace back where those wires go. most likely it is an aftermarket alarm with a kill switch relay. They would have cut into a wire in your factory wiring harness somewhere and run it through a relay so the alarm could prevent the truck from starting.

These alarms are rarely effective and can be removed by anyone with a brain,

I'm with KLF, I would have it removed if you don't know how to do it yourself.

It is in fact a "Bolt" brand aftermarket theft prevention device. Once I spent 5 minutes looking at it obviously it wasn't factory - that was a dumb thought. So I took the dash down and it goes into a black box with about a 10 wires going into it. I unplugged the cable you see from this box, and the car started fine. Went back out later, and the car wouldn't start at all. Plugged it back in, the car started. The black box under the dash is sealed, and I don't know how to break into it, so I'm stumped at this point. Off to the shop we go.

Thanks for the help and advice.

 

[hardontoyotas]

follow the wires after the box and remove them