LX470 Tailgate and Dash cluster short?? (1 Viewer)

[savvy]

Anyone else have an issue with the rear wiring harness (at tailgate) causing the dash cluster to light up?
After opening and shutting tailgate, strange symptoms occur.
Initially, whenever the brake was depressed, the reverse light lit up and the outside mirrors moved as if in reverse.
Opening and shutting tailgate solved problem.
Then later, opening and shutting tailgate resulted in the same above symptoms, including VSC TRAC and VSC OFF lighting up.
Again, opening and closing a couple of times resulted in normal dash.
Lexus of Concord (California) could not determine problem.
Now, no reverse symptoms, but VSC TRAC and VSC OFF, as well as Skid and CEL come on and NO SPEEDOMETER.
OBDII shows speed sensor fault.
Clearing codes only results in throwing code 20 secs after.
Speed sensor outputs test normal by indy garage, but fail to show input at back of cluster.
Anybody experience anything like this before?

 

[saucebox]

Had a short in the reverse wire (I think it was that) once that also nuked the speedo—they share a fuse in the passenger side footwell.

If open/shut causes problems, it's likely you have a blown fuse and a wire short that will blow that fuse again in the future.

 

[ClassyJalopy]

Had a short in the reverse wire (I think it was that) once that also nuked the speedo—they share a fuse in the passenger side footwell.

If open/shut causes problems, it's likely you have a blown fuse and a wire short that will blow that fuse again in the future.

Yep, pretty much nailed it. Your reverse lamps share the fuse with dash guauges because Toyota thought that was a great idea!

 

[savvy]

THANK YOU!!
I will check that out.

 

[savvy]

Fuses are all good, however.....
there are a number of exposed and severed wires in the harness between where the wires exit body grommet and enter tailgate grommet.
Not much room to navigate.
Anyone had the pleasure of repairing these?

 

[ClassyJalopy]

Fuses are all good, however.....
there are a number of exposed and severed wires in the harness between where the wires exit body grommet and enter tailgate grommet.
Not much room to navigate.
Anyone had the pleasure of repairing these?

No, but as someone who had to repair quite a few pieces of wiring harness under the hood, I would advise buying a few spools of different colors and these type of self soldering connectors and just replace a section of harness:
Amazon product ASIN B073RMRCC3and then cover it with ribbed conduit wrapped in to some silicon tape will just about make it bullet proof.

 

[saucebox]

Fuses are all good, however.....
there are a number of exposed and severed wires in the harness between where the wires exit body grommet and enter tailgate grommet.
Not much room to navigate.
Anyone had the pleasure of repairing these?

Yes, but it's a little less bad with a tailgate storage panel. You're in for a challenge.

I think if I were in your boat, I'd follow @ClassyJalopy's advice and then create 6" extensions for each of the abraded wires so I had a little more room to work. IDK if that's the right plan—I hate tiny wiring projects in super tight situations.

 

[savvy]

I'm away from my car for a few days and would like to order various spools of wire.
Does anyone know the gauge of wire used in the loom going from body to tailgate?
Cheers!

 

[ClassyJalopy]

Pretty sure they are 16G wires, but you can get 14 gauge because they are mo-betta!
Here's a handy chart I got from interwebs

 

[baddelman]

i had a broken wire coming out of the tailgate that caused the exact same issues you describe and once wire was repaired all is back to normal. it was throwing speed sensor code also