Parasitic Battery Drain drop down DVD

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

Joined
Nov 4, 2007
Threads
200
Messages
15,463
Location
Colorado
Website
www.youtube.com
This can't be normal?

The DVD player face plate light is on and I hear CD internals/motors with key on or off and drop down screen closed.
 
Most electronic devices may draw a little current, but should go into standby mode when not in use.
You shouldn't hear the drive motor with the key out though... that is odd.

Have you checked how many amps its drawing?
I assume it has its own fuse, so you could remove the fuse and measure the amps across those pins with a multimeter and see what its drawing.
If its hardly anything, it may not be worth worrying about.

I think normal parasitic drain is meant to be under 50Ma for the whole system, I read somewhere...
My 03 uzj100 seemed to draw about 35ma.
Obviously, when power if first connected though, the on board computers and other devices will initially draw a lot more than that though, for the first few seconds or so.
 
In your Nav screen options, Audio, I believe you can disable the rear monitor.
 
Most electronic devices may draw a little current, but should go into standby mode when not in use.
You shouldn't hear the drive motor with the key out though... that is odd.

Have you checked how many amps its drawing?
I assume it has its own fuse, so you could remove the fuse and measure the amps across those pins with a multimeter and see what its drawing.
If its hardly anything, it may not be worth worrying about.

I think normal parasitic drain is meant to be under 50Ma for the whole system, I read somewhere...
My 03 uzj100 seemed to draw about 35ma.
Obviously, when power if first connected though, the on board computers and other devices will initially draw a lot more than that though, for the first few seconds or so.
I did not measure the draw, as I was sure I'd get excessive draw by history of vehicle.

PO had stated something about parasitic draw and history indicated same. He said shop working on satellite radio messed up, and by disconnecting DVD head unit all was good so he told them to stop working on and leave unplugged.

In your Nav screen options, Audio, I believe you can disable the rear monitor.
I did try that, but did not get any change in DVD player (that is face plate light stayed on)!

I don't know if this head units just went bad, as DVD did play for a minute but would then stop and eject DVD. I'd then power off then on with remote the LED screen and sometimes it would play again for a minute. This DVD has been unused and unplugged for years and my DVD disk may not have been proper format, which may have caused some of this stop play. Or possible satellite radio is tap into power in some way as to short DVD causing power on all the time. Possible bad player and short!

Right now all I know is satellite antenna wire is going under rear upper hatch body's weather seal. I pull the rear PS panel expecting to find a plug removed from DVD and I did. I also was looking for satellite radio gear (wire, amp something) but didn't find anything that look aftermarket. I also pulled center console, nothing there either. I did find evidence some of dash molding on DS was pulled apart. I know Slee put in a AHC over-ride switch, other shop(s) looked for parasitic draw and possible Sat-Radio installer was under there. A shop indicated radio (not sat radio) was culprit recommending it go to Toyota Dealer for fix of parasitic draw. Also I found two fuses lying in glove box that looked used. I suppose fuse was being pulled before the DVD was unplugged.

Anyone know how these satellite radio are wired in and what all I should look for (wires, receiver and/or amp)?
SAT antenna.webp
002a.webp
 
Not sure if you've already seen this thread, but there's a lot of info here:

Dead Battery (3x in 2mths) - 30A BAT Fuse has 500mA draw - what next?

I had a 500ma draw from the 30A BAT fuse too - problem is that fuse goes to the radio, amp, DVD, dome lights, and probably others. I had an electrical shop diagnose on 2 separate occasions and they said it was the CD player so they disconnected it. Seemed fine for a week, but then the vehicle was dead again. I installed a priority start and left it alone. I still have a parasitic draw, but it's random. Some days, it will be dead after sitting for 12 hours and this past weekend, it sat for 5 days and fired right up without the priority start kicking in.
 
I did see that but didn't read all the way through thread, I'll go back and read. However in this case parasitic draw was stopped.

@RND1 any chance you have a Sat Radio?
 
@RND1 Have you ever notice rear DVD player light in front face staying on with key out of ignition or does it go off?
 
Last edited:
@TXSunDevil I hope you don't mind I move you electric schematic pic over here. I was looking for SAT Radio install having something to do with rear DVD player stay on with key off. Perhaps PO was wrong and this was total separate issue from SAT Radio.

From @TXSunDevil: There are two harnesses on the back of my factory radio. One goes to the DVD changer from the head unit and the other goes to the amp and is the power supply for the head unit. The Blue wire with yellow stripe labeled L-Y and the Gray wire Labeled GR are ran back to 12V on my unit. If these wires were disconnected in the dash due to the amp draw the DVD would not work.
image.webp



I did track the antenna wire going rear to front on PS along headliner under plastic molding. It then crossed over to lower center dash below head unit.

I pulled and clipped wire up to this point and left in place for now.
003.webp
005.webp



I'll need to pull molding around head unit area to see if connected or just where it's lying. Also to take a look around head unit and wiring in back of center dash. I suppose something could be unplugged or clip on back of head unit which causes DVD to stay on. But I'm now leaning toward a short in DVD system/player which separate from anything done by Sat Radio install.

I assume all plastic of center dash is held by clips, just not sure where to start prying so I don't damage plastic or clips?
 
Good morning @2001LC

Can you post a picture of your DVD player and the monitors you are talking about? I am not sure I know what style you are referring to. The DVD player has 2 12v wires. One of these should be hot all of the time and the other should be switched when the key is in the ACC position. This allows you to run into the gas station on a road trip and the movie will pick back up right where you turned the car off. It should not provide power to the lights and such. I wonder if during an install the ACC 12V and the 12V constant were wired together? The front piece pops off with the help of a panel tool. This video gives an idea.



The wiring going to the DVD player if it is the one in the console will be behind the head unit.
 
Morning @TXSunDevil I'm so glade you found me here!

Interesting what you said about DVD movie picking back up via continuous power. I'll pull the head unit area molding see if wires look like they've ever been touched.

That's a moving staring, picture good (for older none HD tech) when working, in this rear drop down screen
007.webp

Player in rear 1/4 panel molding.
002 (2).webp

This is light that says on. Picture in post #4 is back side of this behind 1/4 interior panel PS, with wire unplugged.
002 (2)a.webp


I have unplugged right now so can't run any test. But IIRC it stayed on with key off, key on and DVD screen up (off) and LCD down using remote to turn screen off. The NAV touch screen button (rear OFF) didn't seem to do anything.

I'll need to reconnect and run thought test again along with actually checking key off draw of battery at some point I suppose!
 
Last edited:
I think that is an aftermarket DVD player? Many of those overhead monitors are wired into the dome lights. There are a few different ways the monitors can be wired. I just checked the 2006 LC owners manual and the navigation supplement and they do not show that style. I am not well versed in all the options but it may not be stock? I would pull the DVD player and google the install guide. The diagram I posted was for a 2002 so I am sure there are differences. I believe there should still be 2 wires. 1 should be full time 12v and the other switched 12v. I would pull the terminal at the DVD player and check the incoming wires for hot and switched. If there are 2 wires showing 12v to ground with the key off I think that is a problem. Those wires are fed from behind the head unit on my vehicle.
 
I agree this is after market like the headrest DVD's. The company that makes the headrest type said those (I'll assume these also) are install pre-Dealer and at Dealer depending on region. He also said the screens and tech of new units far surpass these older units.

I did manage to pull center console, center dash & head unit. I found one wire had been spliced, assume for SAT Radio. I also pulled the SAT antenna which was just lying in back. I tested the spliced wire connection, it's good. So I no longer believe SAT Radio install or removal is effecting DVD. Not to say that they didn't some how cause a short, just not effecting at this time!

I'll need to reconnect DVD player and run through some more test to be 100%. But I'm 90% sure it is a parasitic draw, as PO reported and records/history confirms draw no longer issue with DVD disconnected. But SAT pulled at same time so there the 10%. I'll need to be 100%, and your knowledge of a second 12V feed has me wonder if light on DVD player is normal.

Here's wire I found spliced. Looks like they tap a factory wire then spliced back when pulling SAT radio gear:
016.webp
015.webp


Has anyone knowledge of DVD play causing a parasitic draw?
 
Last edited:
My rear DVD wasn't working when I first bought my 100, the fuse by the pass side kickplate was missing. I replaced it and everything is working but now I'm wondering why it was taken out in the first place.
 
My SAT antenna was wired down the back hatch and under the the bumper then along the truck on the right hand side underneath and penetrated somewhere up along the body through a plug. I sort of assumed then, that SAT radio antennas were a port installed item. Also, the only thing to install is the antenna, the electronics are already there from the factory in the mfd, head unit. So they probably didn't mess it up. Unless those antennas have their own amplifier. But you probably would have found that by now..
When I read those DVD current draw threads I always think there's something like a boot loop and never gets to a ready or standby state so it just drawing power and going through the motions because there's something internally wrong with the player. idk. Could be.
Aren't all rear seat entertainment items aftermarket? I didn't think there was an option for LC's, only LX's?
 
My LC has a Toyota manual for the rear DVD. I'm sure it was a port option and not from the actual factory.
 
@RND1 Have you ever notice rear DVD player light in front face staying on with key out of ignition or does it go off?

Since it's way in the back under a cover, I've never noticed, but I'll check tomorrow.
 
My rear DVD wasn't working when I first bought my 100, the fuse by the pass side kickplate was missing. I replaced it and everything is working but now I'm wondering why it was taken out in the first place.
I'm assuming the extra fuses I found were from PO pulling because of DVD. Does your DVD player light stay on with key off?

When I read those DVD current draw threads I always think there's something like a boot loop and never gets to a ready or standby state so it just drawing power and going through the motions because there's something internally wrong with the player. idk. ***
Do you have a link to these threads?

My LC has a Toyota manual for the rear DVD. I'm sure it was a port option and not from the actual factory.
I assume Owners Manual Supplement that your speaking about.
 
I'm assuming the extra fuses I found were from PO pulling because of DVD. Does your DVD player light stay on with key off?

I assume Owners Manual Supplement that your speaking about.

I'll check tomorrow, if I turn off the vehicle then restart it the DVD will start over from the beginning.

Yes that's what I meant.
 
I'll check tomorrow, if I turn off the vehicle then restart it the DVD will start over from the beginning.

Yes that's what I meant.
That is very interesting. So your player would seem to only be wired off of the ACC 12v? If it had a constant 12V it would be able to save where it left off.
 
Back
Top Bottom