What is this thing? (2 Viewers)

[maglor]

Im having immobiliser issues and have been working my way through the key to the ecu etc trying to fault find. Im not sure what this box is but it seems to bypass / or be inline to the key reader. ive removed it and plugged everything back in the way it should be (i think) without the box but it still doesnt work. its doing the intermittent "crank no start" with immobilser light staying on. Ive gone through all the posts i can find about that issue but there is no voltage drop across any switches relays or resitors, so im thinking maybe a bad wire somewhere behind the dash.
2001 Prado kzj95

 

[KiwiBogan]

No idea what that thing is but my only issue I've had with the immobilizer that somewhat matches what you're describing was when I had accidentally half dislodged a blade terminal connector from the right hand side of the ignition barrel which prevented the car from starting. I must have dislodged it when doing some wiring under the dash. It took me hours to problem solve as it looked like it was still connected but after running out of ideas,
I randomly wiggled the connector and realised it was a bit loose. Slid it back on to the blade terminal and my immobilizer issues were solved. Not sure if this will help but thought I'd share the story in case you're lucky and have the same problem.

 

[maglor]

Thanks Kiwi, i think ive read through some of your threads, or maybe you were commenting in the "crank no start" thread? Ive replaced the ring around the key and have tested continuity but it has always tested fine. Its a very frustrating problem as it is quite intermittent and had been good for the better part of a year but has just started playing up badly since xmas eve night when we were looking at xmas lights. ended up getting stuck and waiting on a tow truck until 2am. Not much fun.

 

[KiwiBogan]

Ahh that's a bummer! Maybe the key itself is giving a weak signal to the immobilizer? Have you got a spare key you could try? When I was researching my own immobilizer issue, I learned that it can be a very expensive job if having the system fixed/replaced as the immobilizer unit is buried in the dash, and they're not cheap to replace and reprogram. I was also under the impression it's not very likely to be one of the expensive components to fail, but more likely a faulty key fob or something else. I wonder if the next step would be to have a new key made up and try that? Might cost $150 or so but it would be great if that's all it is ?

 

[renago]

I had a similar problem , last year .
99,9 % THE car will start normaly.
But e very non AND they , no light s on cluster , no sound , nothing.
Till 23/24 New years eve it complety stopped.
I was very lucky to be in a safe campsite in Angola .
Next morning THE owner of THE campsite call ed a friend of a friend .
We took apart AND check cluster , Key set,all wires, nothing .
At last we took out THE fuse box, THE one next to THE clutch pedal.
Ignition wire gone loose behide THE fuse box !.

Home this accident of mine might give some light to THE troubled ones .