KE70 - Headlights not working from relay.

[MissKE70X]

Probably going to sound like a d**khead trying to explain this issue 😂
So I’ve got a 84 KE70 brought not that long ago. 
Headlights had started to have a 10- 30 second delay after turning them on from the blinker/wand thingo.

Suspected it was a faulty relay, replaced it - Worked for 2 days. Went to leave a friends house last night, headlights didn’t turn on at all. Parker lights work tho.

Open the relay box behind the battery and hit the relay and lights turned on again. 

This afternoon I wanted to double check if they were working, didn’t. Had to turn the car on, hit the relay again and somewhat they turned on after a few hits. Turn the car off lights turned off while the lights are still switched on, on the wand. Switched to reds/Parker’s and again I had to hit the lights numerous times till they stay on.

Any clue what could be going on? 
I’ve checked all fuses - not blown. 

Attached a photo of the relay, still trying to figure out wiring as the old owner has just piggy backed everything. 

Thank you!

[Banjo]

Electrical faults are always hard to trouble-shoot; but more so, when they are intermittent.

 

Fuse blown very unlikely, but could possibly be the socket into which the fuse is lodged.

 

More than likely, it is the relay, so I would see if there is another identical relay used in your KE70, & swap them, & see if the fault disappears.

 

If previous owner has "been at the wiring", or done mods, that could easily be an issue.  Might have an additional/extra wire wrapped around another, without being soldered or used with a terminal.

 

Altezzaclub, knows all things about KE70 wiring arrangements, & there is probably a wiring diagram on this forum somewhere, you can acess, to trouble shoot, with reference thereto.

 

Cheers Banjo

Edited April 19, 2023 by Banjo

[altezzaclub]

Buy a reverse-current kit off Ebay and fit it... Toyota has power from the relay to the bulbs and back to the dipswitch, this burns out the column switch eventually. The kit uses one relay between the 'on' switch and the dip switch, and this works a second relay between battery and light bulbs. Much brighter lights. Check out-

https://www.rollaclub.com/board/topic/42407-the-girls-ke70/

Saying that, I've had your problem recently with the Ebay kit I've just described, turned out to be a dirty connection on the relay earth. It has been in there quite a lot of years now.

Otherwise, replace that stock relay and see if it fixes it. One-finger typing as I await the second half-hour on the ph to Telstra, they've given up playing their ad for the Telstra app and are just playing an endless music loop... T'was 45minutes last time, I swear they punish people who refuse to use the web. Fking pathetic company!

[Banjo]

When trouble shooting electrical issues, in olde Corollas; the problem is often compounded, when You turn to the wiring diagram at the back of a manual; whether it be a Toyota factory "Yellow Bible" manual, or an aftermarket ones, like Haynes, InterEurope, or Gregorys.

 

Generally, a mass of wiring lines, running all over the page, which are very hard to trace, & has your eyes straining, after a few minutes.

 

 

Commonly, you are only interested in  one part/section of the car's wiring, related to your issue at harnd, (say head-lights); but you get confused when it is swamped by the complete wiring diagram.

 

Some wiring diagrams, depict various items, with a shape that is easily recognised. (eg: battery, headlight, or alternator) but many wiring diagrams, simply depict, the various items, as little rectangles or circles; (as above), with a number next to it, for which you have to look up the "KEY" or "LEGEND", to find out what it actually is.

 

The simplest way, is to photo copy the wiring diagram, from the manual, then high-light with a texta pen, just the wires & electrical components, that you have an issue with. Altezzaclub, has often placed wiring diagrams, here in that format, & that certainly assists.

 

However, even if you just isolate the wiring diagram for your area of interest, the little rectangular boxes with a "KEY" number next to them, & 2,3,4, 5, or 6 wires attached to it; give you no idea, as to what is going on inside the retangle.  This is especially a problem, if the rectangle represents a switch, or a relay.  A classic example would be the "hazzard switch", LEGEND 41, which is a little rectangle depiction with 6 off wires going into it.  (good luck with that one)

I was looking at a problem at the weekend, that I came across; whilst comverting all the lighting in my KE-30, to all LED lamps.  I  had previously also added to the complexity, by adding relays; so that lighting & dip switches, which originally carried heavier currents (especially in the case of the head lights), would often burn out the switch contacts.

 

The conversion of lighting to LEDs, overcomes this problem altogether, as the same, or greater light levels, are produced, with much lower currents..

 

So I sat down, & drew a circuit of my KE-30 "Lighting Only" wiring diagram, & depicted within the relays & switches, just how they work, which greatly assists, whilst chasing lighting issues.

 

 

I've even put the wiring "colour codes' to assist.  However, please don't blame me, if some of the colours are incorrect. Even on the factory wiring diagram, you'll find wires that are labelled one colour at one end, & another colour at the other end.  I remember well, several years ago, when completely rewiring the engine bay of my KE-30, that when I unwrapped the factory cable loom, I found badly crimped factory wiring, where the wire changed colour, inside the harness/loom.  (Must have run out of that colour wire ?)

 

I have depicted the Light switch & Dipper/Dimmer switch, as two seperate items, only for understanding; as to what goes on inside them. They are in fact, one unit.  One of the issues with this switch is that; +ve 12 Volts power, is switched to the headlights, with a relay; but the switching, of the same high currents, betweeen low & high beam; is accomplished with  fairly small switch contacts in the lighting switch itself, which switches to the ground/negative side of the supply.

 

 

This, often burns the contacts in the switch, & requires a replacement switch. (Been there, done that !)

 

https://www.rollaclub.com/board/topic/65882-after-market-ke-light-column-switch/#comments

 

This problem can be overcome by either fitting LED head light bulbs; or fitting two relays between the Dimmer/Dipper switch & the head lights, which Altezzaclub has described on here previously.

 

In the Light switch section, there are 3 positions.

 

1.  OFF    2.  TAIL    3. HEADLIGHTS + TAIL

 

The Dipper switch is a little morre complicated, as you may want to flash the head lights high beam during daylight hours, when the lights are not on; so the dipper switch also has to turn on the Headlight relay, as well as select the high beam, when you pull back, on the spring loaded dipper switch.

 

Hope someone, somewhere is helped by the above wiring diagram.

 

Cheers Banjo.

 

  

 

 

 

 

Edited April 26, 2023 by Banjo