LJ73 Sudden loss of almost everything electrical? (1 Viewer)

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Aug 3, 2021
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Sweden (south)
So, I was going to take out the land cruiser as usual, flip the ignition all light and preheat came on but then it all died as I turned over to start.
Naturally I though I’d left a light on and drained the battery. Put it on a starter battery but no go. Then I realized nothing had power even with a fresh battery, stereo, lights, fans… nothing would come on.

So it’s a fuse I thought. Now I’ve replaced every fuse I can find. Still nothing, except I can turn on the headlights. No parking lights work.

Now I have compete loss of any electrical except half/full beam and I have no idea why.

Anyone got a helpful tip?
 
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So, I was going to take out the land cruiser as usual, flip the ignition all light and preheat came on but then it all died as I turned over to start.
Naturally I though I’d left a light on and drained the battery. Put it on a starter battery but no go. Then I realized nothing had power even with a fresh battery, stereo, lights, fans… nothing would come on.

So it’s a fuse I thought. Now I’ve replaced every fuse I can find. Still nothing, except I can turn on the headlights. No parking lights work.

Now I have compete loss of any electrical except half/full beam and I have no idea why.

Anyone got a helpful tip?
Well. Ignore this. Some French muppet who previously owned this vehicle didn’t learn how to connect cables and tried to fix a completely worn out connector and wire with some electrical tape.
 
4B9EBDFF-7877-43BC-9636-D5DC81ED211E.jpeg
I am also guessing this isn’t correct. Whoever did electrical work on this car was an absolute idiot.

A nice long screw that held the steering wheel plastic cover had gone through the wire and worked it’s vibration magic for some time.
 
Your first finding appears to be the fusible link, isn't it?
And when looking at the color of the copper residues, it appears it had been like close to glowing before.
If so, some of the conductors may be corrupted in the isolated part, too, weakening the entire link.
I recommend replacing the entire unit.
Fusible link cable is coded by color. Just get some of same color and put a peace of same length.

When I got my BJ73, I went over all wires I could possibly get access to and checked them. I even took out the glove box and some other elements from the dash to get behind it. Special attention to any tape I found, and some speciall inspection on any additional equipment that was installed by the PO (radio, towhook electric...).
I found about 3 connections were cable was just drilled together and taped, 1 bad soldering, 4 non-isolated connectors on relays and 1 cable being of too little diameter for the load. There were also several places that were soldered or were inappropriate connectors had been used and that were just taped. Riped it all out and made proper connections and insulation using heat shrink tuning.
I also checked the main ground cables on the chassis and starter. They were all due for replacement.
I strongly recommend this exercise to any new owner of an po vehicle.
And I got myself a fire extinguisher (just in case ...)
Have fun, be safe
Ralf
 
Tha is for the tip
Fusible link cable is coded by color. Just get some of same color and put a peace of same length.

Indeed it its. I cut the whole thing off and replaced with new cables. I don't see the need for a connector 5 cm from the battery when you can just as easily take it straight off the battery if needed.

I figured out what happened though, the cables from the battery were thin (.75mm) going to the glow plug and starter relay which has 1.5 and 4mm respectively after the connector. The screw touching the ignition switch just barely shorted the whole circuit every time I fired it up and this lead to the weakest part of the link (the .75mm cable) to finally burn.

This I figured out after black smoke coming out of my steering column when replacing the cables ;)

I'm getting a fire extinguisher, or two.
 
Uups.
Please accept my appologies if I got anything wrong or I tell stuff you know..
I cut the whole thing off and replaced with new cables. I don't see the need for a connector 5 cm from the battery...
These short cables between the battery + and a screw connector, wraped with fabric hose, are fusable links. There should be 3, if I remember correct.
Those fusable links (special cables with defined, limited capacity) are fusing the main circuits from the battery to the fuse box or even to the starter, which has no other fuse.
They are intended to be the weakest point in that lines, and they are placed that close to the battery on purpose: To reduce the non-fused line to almost zero. The connector usually connects the fusable links to the ordinary harness.
...when you can just as easily take it straight off the battery if needed.
Taking power directly from the battery, without any fuse close to it, is a not so smart idea. If that piece of cable rubs or tears and causes a short curcuit, 3 fire extinguishers may not be enough.
Always put fuses, as close to the battery as possible.
Looking from the others side:
If the PO has connected significant additinal load to the connector behind the fusible link, or even a short circuit was csused there temporary, as you say, this may have caused overload to the fusable links, causing them to constantly overheating and eventually departing. But that's their intention!

Again. My appologies if I got you wrong or told things you know.
 
Last edited:
Uups.
Please accept my appologies if I got anything wrong or I tell stuff you know..

These short cables between the battery + and a screw connector, wraped with fabric hose, are fusable links. There should be 3, if I remember correct.
Those fusable links (special cables with defined, limited capacity) are fusing the main circuits from the battery to the fuse box or even to the starter, which has no other fuse.
They are intended to be the weakest point in that lines, and they are placed that close to the battery on purpose: To reduce the non-fused line to almost zero. The connector usually connects the fusable links to the ordinary harness.

Taking power directly from the battery, without any fuse close to it, is a not so smart idea. If that piece of cable rubs or tears and causes a short curcuit, 3 fire extinguishers may not be enough.
Always put fuses, as close to the battery as possible.
Looking from the others side:
If the PO has connected significant additinal load to the connector behind the fusible link, this may have caused overload to the fusable links, causing them to constantly overheating and eventually departing.

Again. My appologies if I got you wrong or told things you know.

So the lines themselves are supposed to act as fuses? I see. I have never encountered this on any other vehicle I've owned before.
This explains why I couldn't find a starter fuse in the engine bay.

They seem to have been replaced with plastic covered versions, or perhaps they have always been like this. One of them clearly has been repaired by soldering it to a flat connector.

Well, I'll probably have to replace them with inline boat-style fuses then as fusable links have stopped being sold here (Sweden) due to being a fire hazard. <- This explains why I haven't encountered them before, they have been banned for a long time here.

You don't happen to know the rated amps/limited capacity for these links or where I can find that info?

Thanks for the info!
Learning new things every day.
 
Well, I'll probably have to replace them with inline boat-style fuses then as fusable links have stopped being sold here (Sweden) due to being a fire hazard. <- This explains why I haven't encountered them before, they have been banned for a long time here.

And by banned I mean wired fusable links. I can get flat style metal links (as in image) that goes into a box in the shop here, but I need to figure out the resistance loads to get the right ones for replacement.

2442539.jpg
 
Exactly. Those cables act as fuses.
You don't happen to know the rated amps/limited capacity for these links or where I can find that info?
No. Sorry. Maybe the wirering diagrams in the manual tell. I know the fusable links are depicted there. All I know is, the amperage is colorcoded. So you need the right color and original length. I also only learned this when I got my truck. I happened to find those on amazon when I tried to find some info on this.
Anyway. Using a more modern fusing is also fine, unless you put one at all and do it properly.
 
The fusible link assembly is listed in the parts diagrams at partsouq.com and is available. Maybe it's an idea to order it from Toyota dealership or elsewhere.
I don't know your exact vehicle spec, so please look up the parts no yourself to make sure it's correct.
 
The fusible link assembly is listed in the parts diagrams at partsouq.com and is available. Maybe it's an idea to order it from Toyota dealership or elsewhere.
I don't know your exact vehicle spec, so please look up the parts no yourself to make sure it's correct.
Thanks, looking into it now, it seems discontinued for my model on all the sites I'm looking at.
 

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