New Member - Electrical Gremlins? (1 Viewer)

[GremlinMobile]

Morning everybody. I'm excited to finally say I got myself an LX! It's a 2003, in pretty darn good condition for a northern car. There are however a few annoying issues that I need to deal with. I did a search and could not find anything that leads to what I am experiencing, so here are the symptoms that I have, and you can tell me whether or not you think they are related:

1. When I bought the car a few days ago, the passenger floor mat was soaked. No info as to why. Ceiling wasn't wet. I snaked the sunroof drain and it was clear and pouring water into it showed the water all coming out under the car, so drains should be clear.
2. The passenger front window closes on Auto Up, but after closing immediately opens back up to about half-way. I can close it if I don't do the Auto Up, and manually hold it to go up and stay up. Then it stays.
3. Driver front window - auto up does not work. In fact, the light on the window switch is blinking as though it needs to be reprogrammed. Regular up and down works. I tried holding it down for 5 seconds and then up for 5 seconds but that doesn't fix it.
4. Every time I open the door, all the door locks click LOCKED and then UNLOCKED...
5. Yesterday, I parked the car, took the key out, left it on driver seat, and got out and closed the door. An hour later I went to open the door and the alarm went off. I pressed the unlock on the keyfob to disarm it. Why would it have gone off? I didn't lock the doors, the keys were still in the car.
6. The other night, the alarm randomly started going off, though I was messing with the hood earlier that day and I figured I must not have latched it all the way so maybe the hood latch sensor triggered it that time.

Can anyone make any sense of this please?

 

[2001LC]

Morning everybody. I'm excited to finally say I got myself an LX! It's a 2003, in pretty darn good condition for a northern car. There are however a few annoying issues that I need to deal with. I did a search and could not find anything that leads to what I am experiencing, so here are the symptoms that I have, and you can tell me whether or not you think they are related:

1. When I bought the car a few days ago, the passenger floor mat was soaked. No info as to why. Ceiling wasn't wet. I snaked the sunroof drain and it was clear and pouring water into it showed the water all coming out under the car, so drains should be clear.
2. The passenger front window closes on Auto Up, but after closing immediately opens back up to about half-way. I can close it if I don't do the Auto Up, and manually hold it to go up and stay up. Then it stays.
3. Driver front window - auto up does not work. In fact, the light on the window switch is blinking as though it needs to be reprogrammed. Regular up and down works. I tried holding it down for 5 seconds and then up for 5 seconds but that doesn't fix it.
4. Every time I open the door, all the door locks click LOCKED and then UNLOCKED...
5. Yesterday, I parked the car, took the key out, left it on driver seat, and got out and closed the door. An hour later I went to open the door and the alarm went off. I pressed the unlock on the keyfob to disarm it. Why would it have gone off? I didn't lock the doors, the keys were still in the car.
6. The other night, the alarm randomly started going off, though I was messing with the hood earlier that day and I figured I must not have latched it all the way so maybe the hood latch sensor triggered it that time.

Can anyone make any sense of this please?

"passenger floor mat was soaked"

Assuming windows were closed. This "may" be a windshield leak. Leaks must be stopped first. Water runs down the A pillar, onto wiring in side panels. This can create many electrical gremlins. You need to stop leaks, before moving forward on windows, door locks and alarm issues.

See: links under heading "Windshield", in my Master Thread (in signature line) below.

 

[GerLC100]

Heyhey! Welcome.

Beside window it could also come from the roof rack bolts. Experienced this when I had my roof rack off and washing the rail/ trench that I collected water inside

 

[GremlinMobile]

"passenger floor mat was soaked"

Assuming windows were closed. This "may" be a windshield leak. Leaks must be stopped first. Water runs down the A pillar, onto wiring in side panels. This can create many electrical gremlins. You need to stop leaks, before moving forward on windows, door locks and alarm issues.

See: links under heading "Windshield", in my Master Thread (in signature line) below.

That's why the next point I mentioned was that the passenger window rolls up and then rolls back down half way in auto. I theorize that the dealer that I bought this from (not a dealer, just some re-seller) unknowingly pressed auto up, assumed the window was on its way up to close and didn't realize that it rolled back down. It was rainy that week. Perhaps they left the window half open and that's how the water got in.

 

[GremlinMobile]

Would love some more input on this issue as I’m sure all these symptoms are indicative of a diagnosis.

 

[GerLC100]

First I'd check where the electronic parts for your issues are. And if that fits to your water ingress and they look corroded or wet or whatever, you found the issue.

 

[GremlinMobile]

Can you guys watch this 10 second video of what’s going on with my car and see what this means?

Door locks work as they should when I press the lock and unlock buttons, but it does this twitch on the video.

 

[GremlinMobile]

I created a separate thread for this door locks video but the mods moved it here. Ok, here is me reupping it to get exposure. I'd like to share this video and get people's thoughts as to what it may indicate.

 

[whitec13]

If you have good records look to see if the windshield was replaced. I started having issues like that due to the PO having the windshield installed with incorrect rivets, allowing water to get to electrical connections in the footwell. As you said you are in the north, salt from the road will get in there and fester without you being able to see it. Pull the A-pillar covers off from the interior and look around for wetness or active drips. Good luck!

 

[GremlinMobile]

I'll wait for the next rain and see what happens. I still suspect it's no coincidence that the window auto opens itself half way on the passenger side and that's the side that got soaked. The windshield does make a whistling noise on the passenger side when I'm driving fast so that kind of makes me wonder.

But the driver side door locks clicking every time I shut the door is strange..That's what I'm trying to get input on here.

 

[FrankieJoe14]

I have the same lock issue with the double unlocking as you have. It prevents you from programming your keys for keyless entry so for the entire 6 year ownership of my truck I've had to manually unlock the truck twice to open all locks so the alarm doesn't go off.

I have changed both front door lock actuators, replaced the door lock sensors on the back of the lock cylinders, and the door check buttons that tell the truck a door is closed. Haven't fixed it yet.
There is some possibility that the wires in the door loom that go from the body into the door have some broken wires, but I haven't gotten into that as the loom for the 2001 is discontinued and I'm not about to spend the $300 to test if the ones from the newer trucks work.

You can see that loom thread here Drivers Door Lock Cylinder Sensor - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/drivers-door-lock-cylinder-sensor.1075381/

I wish you luck my friend. Ill let you know if I ever figure it out.

 

[Mike NXP]

Morning everybody. I'm excited to finally say I got myself an LX! It's a 2003, in pretty darn good condition for a northern car. There are however a few annoying issues that I need to deal with. I did a search and could not find anything that leads to what I am experiencing, so here are the symptoms that I have, and you can tell me whether or not you think they are related:

1. When I bought the car a few days ago, the passenger floor mat was soaked. No info as to why. Ceiling wasn't wet. I snaked the sunroof drain and it was clear and pouring water into it showed the water all coming out under the car, so drains should be clear.
2. The passenger front window closes on Auto Up, but after closing immediately opens back up to about half-way. I can close it if I don't do the Auto Up, and manually hold it to go up and stay up. Then it stays.
3. Driver front window - auto up does not work. In fact, the light on the window switch is blinking as though it needs to be reprogrammed. Regular up and down works. I tried holding it down for 5 seconds and then up for 5 seconds but that doesn't fix it.
4. Every time I open the door, all the door locks click LOCKED and then UNLOCKED...
5. Yesterday, I parked the car, took the key out, left it on driver seat, and got out and closed the door. An hour later I went to open the door and the alarm went off. I pressed the unlock on the keyfob to disarm it. Why would it have gone off? I didn't lock the doors, the keys were still in the car.
6. The other night, the alarm randomly started going off, though I was messing with the hood earlier that day and I figured I must not have latched it all the way so maybe the hood latch sensor triggered it that time.

Can anyone make any sense of this please?

Drive it back to the person you bought it from and slap em upside the head while insisting on getting your money back. Did previous owner disclose any of these issues? I get it's sold as-is but WTF

 

[Patron100LC]

Drive it back to the person you bought it from and slap em upside the head while insisting on getting your money back. Did previous owner disclose any of these issues? I get it's sold as-is but WTF

The only thing he'll get is a night stay with the sheriff if he did that.

It's a used car, a seller doesn't have to disclose Nothing, if he got it from a private, the car, it's goods and faults, are his. If a dealer, it depends on where, but in most cases, the moment your name is on a signed bill of sale, and the car is burning gas, it's yours!

Imagine if the seller came to him to complain he gave the buyer too good of a deal and he wants it back.. Nope.

Back to the issue.. water intrusion from windshield or roof rack bolts. I got it too. Just need time to search for it. Many threads about it.

 

[GremlinMobile]

I have the same lock issue with the double unlocking as you have. It prevents you from programming your keys for keyless entry so for the entire 6 year ownership of my truck I've had to manually unlock the truck twice to open all locks so the alarm doesn't go off.

I have changed both front door lock actuators, replaced the door lock sensors on the back of the lock cylinders, and the door check buttons that tell the truck a door is closed. Haven't fixed it yet.
There is some possibility that the wires in the door loom that go from the body into the door have some broken wires, but I haven't gotten into that as the loom for the 2001 is discontinued and I'm not about to spend the $300 to test if the ones from the newer trucks work.

You can see that loom thread here Drivers Door Lock Cylinder Sensor - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/drivers-door-lock-cylinder-sensor.1075381/

I wish you luck my friend. Ill let you know if I ever figure it out.

Just so I understand this - so your truck never registers the fact that the driver's door is closed, and that's where your problems originate?

 

[FrankieJoe14]

Just so I understand this - so your truck never registers the fact that the driver's door is closed, and that's where your problems originate?

It registers its closed on the dash and the dome light, both those go out when the door is closed.

But I guess to some computer or relay somewhere, no it does not.

If I ONLY unlock the drivers door and open the door, the alarm will go off. I have to unlock all doors by turning the key twice in the door to avoid the alarm.

 

[GremlinMobile]

Wow that sounds very similar to my situation. Except the seller gave me one key that still works with the remote buttons. It has the Lexus logo on the back of it so I assume it's original. I noticed the other day that I went to open the door that I never locked and the alarm started going off. So I guess that means that I hadn't unlocked all the doors, and only the drivers door was physically unlocked, though not registered as unlocked by the computers. And therefore when I went to open it, it thought it was being broken into...This is crazy confusing. What's more confusing is that you replaced your sensors and locks and still didn't fix the problem...

 

[FrankieJoe14]

Dont lose that key. You won't be able to program the keyless entry to another.

 

[GremlinMobile]

Wanted to update everyone on my situation. I replaced my door lock actuator by following the thread that's on here somewhere. The problem with the locks clicking like in the video I posted above remained. The passenger side window would auto roll up and then come back down half way and the drivers side couldn't get programmed to go in auto at all. The switch was the cause of a parasitic draw as well.

I bought a new master door switch from switch doctors and the passenger window now goes up and stays up. The doors don't click click anymore either. The only problem right now is that the drivers side window still can't get programmed to go up and down in auto. The button light just blinks. I haven't noticed any issues with parasitic battery drain yet, but it's looking good already.

The only weird thing I noticed was that in-between switching out the door switches, when my car was unlocked (only drivers door unlocked), when I had the master switch disconnected, I shut the door, walked away, and then when I came back over to open the door, the alarm started going off. Somehow, without me locking the car, it assumed it needs to be locked. And when I was able to open the door, it thought it's getting broken into. Not sure what this behavior is indicative of, especially at a time when the master switch wasn't even connected at all. Any ideas?

 

[FrankieJoe14]

hmm so replacing your master door switch stopped the locks from double locking?? ill have to order that bad boy.

I'm not 100%, but I'm pretty sure the alarm will auto arm after 1 minute of being left alone. You can test this by closing the door and watching the security light below the radio. It sounds normal to me though.

 

[GremlinMobile]

hmm so replacing your master door switch stopped the locks from double locking?? ill have to order that bad boy.

I'm not 100%, but I'm pretty sure the alarm will auto arm after 1 minute of being left alone. You can test this by closing the door and watching the security light below the radio. It sounds normal to me though.

I'm still not 100% on the whole thing yet, I think I need more time to observe how this beast behaves, so don't order it quite yet. Though it was just 50$ for the switch.

I can't tell the rhyme or reason but the double clicking to open still seems to happen on occasion. The auto up and down on the drivers side window still can't get programmed. But I definitely haven't had it sound the alarm on me when I open the door to an unlocked car. So it's definitely better than it was but I need more time to feel warm and cozy about her. For now, I'm driving around with the hood latch sensor and all 3 horns disconnected. Don't want to be woken up by the alarm again.

Down side to driving with all the horns disconnected is you can't honk at bad drivers anymore..you just sit there fuming red as a tomato waiting for them to realize the light turned green.