Brillos Builds

[brillo_76]

I'm so glad you found the short first try! What a blessing

Yes.. I always verify if a circuit is in the doors or hatch. That is the first place, I will investigate. ( Especially the driver door and hatch) Being we can unplug the doors and hatch they are fairly easy to check where the short is. 70% to 80% of that time the shorts will be in the bends of the doors and rear hatch.

The 2nd place, with tail light circuit would be if you have a trailer hitch wiring.

I was glad to find it in 5 to 10 minutes.

 

[brillo_76]

Looks like a spoke too soon. When in the rig tonight turned on the lights and my dash lights are out.. LOL.. I guess I have to investigate further. I tested it 4 or 5 times after I fixed those wires and it was working properly without blowing the fuse... However, the gremlin must still be around.

 

[2TH4IST]

I had an issue in my right tail light. Don't know if something got pinched or wire insulation split, but a new junkyard tail light harness and its working like new.

I hope you find the short quickly.

 

[brillo_76]

I had an issue in my right tail light. Don't know if something got pinched or wire insulation split, but a new junkyard tail light harness and its working like new.

I hope you find the short quickly.

Oh one way or another I will find it.. I am just kinda supersized it worked for a bit. This circuit is tied into a pile of lights. So I post my progress. Hopefully it will help someone else down road on in finding their short.

My next place to check will be the rear hatch. As I think the license plate lights are tied onto this circuit as well.

 

[brillo_76]

Interesting... The Limited 97 doesn't blow fuses if I unplug the drivers door.....However, even if the rig is completely off with all lights off the auto driver door power window button is illuminated. Even with fuse blown, So its either another circuit or something messed up. Now I am wondering because this rig used to be mud bogged if the add on alarm is dying. I don't use key-less entry. Maybe its shorting out. I am waiting for my liquid electric tape before I completely remove this system. As I want to seal the wires it as connected with. I am also hoping to label all the wires and location they were connected to have a good wiring diagram of those units. In case someone out there wants that information in trying to debug one acting up.

 

[2TH4IST]

Do our runners have a body module? that is odd that with your door unplugged the switch is illuminated.

 

[brillo_76]

Do our runners have a body module? that is odd that with your door unplugged the switch is illuminated.

Oh no with the fuse blown (tail) with the switch illuminated. The door has to be plugged in to light. I just find it odd lights off key out and the light was on.. I am wondering if it on a separate circuit or a short on the keyless entry I want to remove..

I have just been running around with the Driver door unplugged. No power windows nor power locks but so far the tail isn't blowing. Its a heat wave here of 90 plus degrees this week and very high humidity. So I been hiding in the AC instead of investigating deeper yet. Plus waiting for my liquid tape still...

 

[brillo_76]

Looks like I need to be doing body work soon. I see new rockers in my future. I am hoping the duct tape and zip ties will hold it for little while yet. Frame is very solid yet just lost the rockers on old Shit Box. Add it to the list... Plus I need to find a better photo resiezer and cropping app too. That is at least in the box now...

 

[2TH4IST]

Damn! That's wild. Ductape and zipties ftw! I've had good luck with litphoto croper and resizer app.

 

[brillo_76]

Even with the door unplugged it still will pop a fuse. So that rules out the door. Granted it took a while before it did.. Glad my liquid tape showed up..

 

[phattyduck]

Even with the door unplugged it still will pop a fuse. So that rules out the door. Granted it took a while before it did.. Glad my liquid tape showed up..

Hatch wiring then? Definitely report back when you find it.

-Charlie

 

[brillo_76]

Well I finally had time to work on the tail light circuit. I unplugged the immobilizer...Still blew fuse. Unplug the rear hatch still blew fuse. So now I am looking at the trailer hitch wiring and the converter box.... Well there it be, my wires got pitched when my bumper don't dinged. I didn't look there because it blow the fuses a few weeks later.. But that was the issue.. I do have it all tapped up now too again..

 

[brillo_76]

I am also in the process of rebooting two CV joints.. Not OEM but Napa.. I have one half done. The OEM are your best option. I have a few sets of used OEMS axles that I need to price reboot kits for them as I believe the boots are back in stock again.

 

[brillo_76]

Well Shit Box (1997 limited) got a oil change and tire rotation. So it was sitting in the garage for a week or 2 and when I went to move it the battery was about die and it didn't start. So I grabbed my capacitor jump box. Charged it up and hit the button still wouldn't start.. Was turning over but not firing. I thought to myself this is so odd.. 0 issues starting for a few years after the rebuild. So I grabbed my obd2 reader. Verified I had rpm. This ruled out the crack sensor as I could smell some gas. So i know the ecu was firing the injectors. Then I know this rig used to be mud bogged. Luckily my parts 1 was the same exact rig. I kept the immobilizer computer from it and plugged it in. By this time the battery was on a charger and had enough juice for a few second starting session. So I hit the starter and she sputtered... After a few seconds of trying to start she fired up and started to run.. Burning up the extra gas and cleared out and I let it run for an hour. Then I pulled it back in and trickle charged the battery until its charged fully. I am suspecting my battery is about done as it unknown how old it is as it came with a 4 runner when i bought it.

 

[poleclimber63]

Interesting

I had a similar problem in 22', I hadn't driven mine for almost a month (on vac), I went to start it and it turned over slowly... Measured the voltage at 10.8v, after charging the voltage dropped, so I bought a new battery. After I installed it, it took a little time to catch (smelled gas), but it started, sputtered a bit then smoothed out. After running it for a while, it was fine.
I just changed the oil and filter, wire wheeled a few spots underneath, above the spare, wire wheeled the diff, hit it with a rust treatment, and top coated with Rustoleum... Every year that goes by (coming up on 12 yrs of ownership), a little surface rust appears... But I'm staying on top of it.

 

[brillo_76]

I had a similar problem in 22', I hadn't driven mine for almost a month (on vac), I went to start it and it turned over slowly... Measured the voltage at 10.8v, after charging the voltage dropped, so I bought a new battery. After I installed it, it took a little time to catch (smelled gas), but it started, sputtered a bit then smoothed out. After running it for a while, it was fine.
I just changed the oil and filter, wire wheeled a few spots underneath, above the spare, wire wheeled the diff, hit it with a rust treatment, and top coated with Rustoleum... Every year that goes by (coming up on 12 yrs of ownership), a little surface rust appears... But I'm staying on top of it.

10.8V sounds like you lost a cell in your battery. I have had 2 batteries do that instantly without warning over the years. Mostly 10.8v will not even turn over at all. I can't say I have seen a battery drop voltage when charging. I seen them not go up..

Mostly what I will do is just use trickle chargers to bring batteries up to float. Sometimes they will come up. Other times the when lead sulfate crystals build up on the plates. It over.. New battery time.

 

[brillo_76]

Well Shit box (1997 limited ) got a good Fluid film treatment last weekend. Just in time before the snow hit. I am really surprised how well it held up from last year. It seems to work a lot better if you melt it down to complete liquid then put it in a wool wax gun and spray it heavy then cool it down by letting it sit in a garage for a day under 50 degree or even below freezing as it will solidify the film and make it a lot harder to wash off. I melt it down with a hot plate and a cheap pot. Then pour it into the quart container and spray it on while its complete liquid. Then it solidifies better. Granted if you really wanted it to creep around its best to do it in the summer so it moves around. Then coat it again in late fall when its cold it seems. Now this rig needs some new rockers and some body work but its frame is decent. So a year or 2 ago we put a pile of film in the inside of the frame then silicone the frame holes shut. That seemed to really super slow down the oxidation level down that is isnt really rusting much more then it already was.

 

[brillo_76]

Wow, looks like I haven't did any updates on the thread for a while. I have since then snagged 2 complete frames.. I am currently repairing a rear axle housing so it no longer leaks with a dorman back plate weld in cover and just fluid filmed the 2nd roller frame chassis for storage. I have to upload photos later of these.

 

[Speedy]

Glad to see you still plugging a long. Mine's doing great, no real updates just driving. I am planning to take it to a local car show Saturday night.

 

[brillo_76]

Alright, you only redo axle housing that are not extremely rotted or brackets cracking from rust etc. That would just be a waste of resources and time. This housing only had 2 pinholes in the back plate it was off a 2001. So it was a great candidate for a replacement back plate. Dorman makes a very decent significantly replacement back plate. So I figured, why not redo one as I have a 1998 5 speed winter 5 speed that housing was not only thin on the back plate but the side was rotting through as well.