Okay finally made enough posts to start my own thread. Il try to keep this simple and to the point although I'm terrible at that. Iv owned my 96 3.4 runner for about 2 months now put 2k miles on it and iv one wheeling 4 times I ****ing love it, traded my samurai for it but wel talk more about that later.
So a week into owning it one day my parking lights (corner lights, dash lights, tailights) wouldn't turn off with the switch. I didn't care much figuged il find the short eventually I was pulling EFI fuse every night to not kill battery. Cut to a week ago, it now thinks my keys are always in the ignition(brake light, seatbelt light, oil light all on dash along with control over climate). So iv been pulling the EFI fuse to kill those lights too every night. Now it gets weird. A few days ago I pressure washed the OUTSIDE ONLY and 20 mins into driving home car died, EFI fuse blew and would blow without keys in ignition(because it thinks the keys are in the ignition) I towed it home and next day it didn't pop the fuse because whatever is shoring obviously dried out. Drove it for 2 days no issues except for original parking lights and key in ignition problems. This morning it was snowing hard and 5 mins into my drive EFI popped again. This time I also noticed that TAIL, DEFOG and the inside WIPER fuses were also blown.
Please please can you guys help me where to start narrowing down this short. SORRY FOR THE LONG POST HERES SOME PICTURES SINCE IV OWNED HER.

So you are saying you have been driving it with the lights staying on for 7 weeks?

I don't have the EWD for a 96, but in the later models the 20A EFI fuse has nothing to do with supplying power to the ignition circuits. That is accomplished through the 40A AM1 and the 30A AM2 fuses.

Can you take a picture of your engine bay fuse block with the cover off?

I wonder if Ol' Rusty has the 96 EWD! @TheDurk

Bump

Ol' Former Rusty....uhh Former Ol' Rusty....

I agree, I don't see how pulling the EFI would kill the lights.

OP, any evidence of an alarm system, either present or having been removed prior to your purchase?


OP, Next time they are stuck on, try pulling the TAIL relay instead of the EFI fuse.

Attached Images

	Power Source.pdf (40.1 KB, 89 views)
	Engine Control 5VZFE.pdf (151.7 KB, 125 views)
	Tailight.pdf (42.2 KB, 61 views)

I read somewhere to do that and it worked to kill both the parking lights staying on and the ignition thinking key was in. I did find what I think is the issue though. Green wire going to tail fuse was burnt up bad! It hit a coupl other wires and broke through to them too. I'm actually swapping my entire fuse box harness just to isolate the burnt wires. I also found that my grommet on driver side firewall was pushed all the way in allowing water to get in I Beleive that's my water issue. Seems it is almost like 2 diff issues the parking lights and ignition and then the efi popping when it's wet.

Sounds like you are on the right track. Good luck.

Sorry to thread jack but... @TheDurk I'm in a '98 3.4 but where did you get such awesome PDF material pls?

Only evidence of some aftermarket shit is some vampire clips I found in a few wires under the dash and my new fuse box harness doesn't have them so not oem

From members here that I have helped. They get them off TIS. $15 for a 2-day login.