Follow-up on old issues.

[Scott Lurndal]

The Auto Club (AAA) in California, Maine, New Mexico and Texas can handle tag and title.

[micky]

This was my post there, 2 years ago. It's long but it starts out very clearly. Didn't get any answers.

Here is the wiring diagram for this car's clock,

's an odg file, that LibreOffice Draw creates.

The instruments above my car radio on a 2005 Toyota Solara, but also other Solaras and probably Camrys, can't be seen in the daytime, unless the sun shines in directly through the rear window, but they are illuminated when it's dark out. The illumination is fine and they are easy to read.

I want to read them in the daytime too!

The instrument unit includes

1 Trip Monitor (MPG, Avg MPG, DTE, avg MPH, ET) 2 Clock 3 Outdoor Temp Passenger present but seat belt not on - light.

From now on I'll call this whole thing the Clock.

1 and 2 light up with ignition in ACC and ON, 3 lights up in ON, but in all of these cases, only if it's dark out. This is true when the headlight switch is in the Auto position or any other position such as Parking light, Headlight, or OFF.

Earlier I was misled because I've observed and the wiring diagram agrees that when it gets dark, a photocell signals the Body ECU which closes the Taillight relay and that sends power to the taillights and the Panel fuse, and the Panel fuse powers lights in the speedometer cluster, radio buttons, AC buttons, seat heater switches, gear shift indicator and the glove box.

I mistakenly assumed that since those lights go on at night, the Clock lights go on for the same reason. But in fact, the Clock lights go on in the dark even if the Panel fuse has been removed, and they don't go on in the daytime even if the Panel fuse has been bypassed to a source that is 12V whenever the car is running, even in the daytime, and when doing that has made all those other lights go on all the time that normally go on only at night.

So am I to believe there are two separate mechanisms for turning on lights at night? Why would they do that, and what would be the other mechanism?

If I use 2 layers of electrical tape and a dark-colored rag to cover the light sensor in the dashboard, I will trick the headlights into going on in the day time. But doing this doesn't make the Clock lights go on. But nighttime does make the clock lights go on. What makes the car think it's night if covering the light sensor didn't do that? WHAT ELSE COULD THERE BE?

So I looked in detail at the Clock. It's supplied by 5, count 'em, five, fuses. Pins 7, 15, 16, 17, 22

7 comes from the IGN fuse, 12v when engine running 15 comes from the Panel fuse, 12v when it's dark out 16 comes from the Gauge1 fuse, 12v when ignition sw. is ON 17 comes from the ECU ACC fuse, 12v when key in ACC or ON 22 comes from the Dome fuse, always 12v,

All the pins are described next. Pin 6 seems hard to understand.

Pin 6. TAU terminal on the clock. Goes to Injector No. 1 WHY? Why does it have input from the Injector. To calculate MPG, really? Even though it has input on 5 labeled Fuel and on 12 labeled Speed. So why? Certainly not to tell the clock when it's dark out.

Label Color Conn. Function

1 GND1 W-B 2 TH- B-W IG6 AC ambient temp sensor (near front bumper) 3 TH+ G-R IG6 return from 2 4 SW 1 R Steering wheel display-control, and on to ground 5 FUEL LG-R to speedo cluster, fuel gauge, used for mpg display 6 TAU L IM2 to Injector No. 1 WHY? Why does it have input from the Injector. For MPG? but it has input from 5-Fuel and 12-Speed. 7 TAUB B-R IM2 return from Injector No. 1 and also to IGN FUSE, 12v when engine running 8 TBD L-B airbag sensor, 1 9 TX-1 W-B **but doesn't appy to my car 10 TX-2 W-B same as 1 for some reason 11 PBEW L-R airbag sensor, 2 12 SPD V-W to speedometer, used I'm sure for mpg display 13 DATA G-Y IK1 WHY? to TAM A11(A) A/C Control Assembly. So does TAM mean Temperature AMbient? I guess so, since the AC page shows just this part of the clock including pins 2 and 3 (the ambient temperature sensor), and since the instrument 3 in the list at the top is the outdoor temperature. 14 P-AB V airbag sensor, 3 15 TAIL G to Panel FUSE, but light goes on at night even when Panel fuse is missing, and doesn't go on in day-time, even when Taillight relay is bypassed and Panel Fuse is energized. 16 IG R-L to Gauge1 FUSE, 12v when ign. sw. ON, powers the pass. seat belt warning light and much other stuff, only have 2006 list.) 17 ACC Gr to ECU ACC FUSE, 12v when key in ACC or ON (also headlights, fog light, speedo meter, power mirror, AUTO LIGHT CONTROL) 18 ILL- W-G to speedo cluster (combination meter) 19 TAMO LG-R to skid control ECU. What does this have to do with any of the 3 gauges in the clock? 22 B+ R from Dome FUSE, always 12v, needed to keep clock running all the time (also dome light, fob receiver, garage door opener)

But does any of this show how the lights in the Clock are on at night and not on during the day?

(Part of the reason it's taken so long to ask this question is that some testing can only be done at night and some only in the daytime.)

---- I replied a little to my own post on that forum and hope someone who knows sees it this time.

I just now asked a different version of the question there.

[Scott Lurndal]

I've had leather seats since 1988, and they've never been too hot in the summer. Are you using a windshield sunshade?

My current car has ventilated leather seats, heated in the winter and cooled in the summer. Even then, I have seldom used either mode.

[micky]

Who wants to bother with a sunshade?

Plus it won't work when the top is down.

Once I've learned to pause above the seat and let it cool off for a while, it's comfortable and doesn't require ventilation.

But I had cloth seats in one or two cars and I like them better.

[micky]

Verry good.

[Bob F]

I definitely agree with you. Leather seats are too hot when you sit down in summer, and cold in winter. Cloth does not have the heat storing capacity of leather that causes these problems. And Leather does not breath like cloth, so you get all sweaty against them, whereas cloth does not.

[Ed P]

First step, remote start to get the AC going. Then, once you sit in the seat you touch the switch that starts the seat cooling and you feel the gentle cool air flow on the back.

[Bob F]

More unneeded gadgetry.

Unfortunately, my car has leather seats, and I deal with them, but it is always a negative mark when I buy the next car, and does remind me why I do not like them.

[Jim Joyce]

The boxes say California, but you can't trust that.

I wouldn't call it little.

[micky]

Follow-up on dripping shower. Tomorrow I have an errand right around the corner from a plumbing supply house, so I waited 3 days to turn off the water today.

I got the big propane torch ready to heat the shower faucets and set fire to my home, but using a longer thicker screwdriver for the cross bar and pushing on both ends, each of them suddenly broke loose. I think it was mostly not the longer bar but the 2nd layer of PB Blaster I put on 5 or 6 days ago.

Did I mention that for the hot water I had to chip away some of the framing, so I guess the hot washer had never been changed. OTOH, the cold water had a beveled washer in it. I think the first owner did that

40 years ago, when the house was only 4 years old or less. Or did I do it????

So like a guy whose learned a new trick, I replaced the beveled washer with a flat washer and when the water went on, the cold water flowed like I was taking a full shower. Just like Bob warned me. Here's hoping a beveled washer will fix it.

Sink -- couldn't get the nylon seat out. The wrench kept camming out. But I think I got it out some and that was enough to stop the drip.

Toilet with bad tank seal. That's fixed and I also put simple plastic brackets from Home Depot on the back of the tank so that if I lean on it, the tank can't bend towards the wall. It can still bend away from the wall. You can't even see the brackets unless you get your head up agaisnt the wall.

Only remaining project are bathtub grab bars. My tub is slippery, and the bath mat seems to be attached well and then it slips. I don't know how this would have been any easier when I was 30 years younger and 40 pounds lighter. Why didn't I think it was dangerous then?

[Ed P]

Unneeded? Yes. Wanted? Yes.

I've had many cars in 62 years of driving and on a long trip, comfort is nice to have. I've driven across the country twice, once in a '76 Vega. Last June I did a 3400 mile trip and it was nice to have good climate control, Driving assist, navigation and SiriusXM radio.

Sure, a trip to the grocery store, anything is better than walking. Twice a year though I make a trip one 2300 miles, the other 3400 miles. I like comfort.

[micky]

Do you do all the driving yourself? My trip to Pennsylvania last month was 1000 miles and I got tired one one of the legs. was glad to be home, but I'm expecting to want more next spring. (I want to go to Indiana to have a really good malted milk.)

[Ralph Mowery]

I do not use a sun shade. Should not need one. If needed it should be automatic from the factory.

[Ed P]

The one trip is 1130 miles to see my friend in Ocean City NJ. I do anywhere from 800 to as much as 930 miles the first day, finish the next morning. She lives in PA but we usually stay at the beach house in NJ. If I can get past DC at night, next day is easier. I just want to get to my destination, all the tourist things in between was done years ago.

The other trip is similar, but after spending 10 days with my friend in NY, I go to CT to visit old friends there, then to see my sister in NC, then home. I'll spend three days in CT, the head to NC.That is about

860 miles and I will stop one night on the way.

I stop along the way every 90 minutes or so. Put the seat back, close my eyes and rest for a few minutes and it really perks you up. Water, beef jerky, cheese crackers until I stop for the night.

Coming home down 95, I see the sign Welcome to Florida and I have 4 hours to go.

[micky]

The beveled washer appears to have fixed it. I wonder who put the first one in, me or the previous owner. (I'm glad that 20 years ago I bought that bag of assorted washers.)

I remembered to look in the wall to make sure it's not leaking before I put the tubes and escutcheons back on.

I could barely turn the seat, and the seat wrench kept camming out. I guess I got it one full turn at most. What would that be 1 mm? I considered drilling it out (but I'm not sure I could find a seat for an Eljer faucet), sot I just gave up and reassembled it, and now the flat washer reaches the seat, I guess, and it's not dripping.

[Clare Snyder]

Thr only cloth seats I've had in decades were the original "tweed" seats in the TranSport - which I replaced with leather, and the seats in my current '96 Ranger and the old Taurus. The Taurus velour was nasty for giving static shocks - as was the TranSport. Never that problem with leather so far. The seats on the Ranger have stood up surprisingly well (but were covered forthe first 16 years and 307000Km

[Clare Snyder]

most DRLs don't turn on dash lights OR TAIL LIGHTS. Automatic headlights do. (when it gets dark) On some Matrix models the headlights and tail lights come on when you put the car in gear.

[Jim Joyce]

I don't know when Toyota started putting a diagnostic utility in their vehicles, but it might have been in the late 1990s, so your 2005 surely has some form of it. I just don't know how to access it. A shop would know, but you're trying to do it yourself.

Here's a link to a short discussion of how to enter diag mode on a 2008 4Runner. The three links to pdf docs are interesting because they list what's being tested, and among the many sensors are the "solar sensors", which are the ones that indicate day/night. Seems like those could apply to your situation.

Note that they call it diagnostic mode, and any trouble codes are called DTCs, or Diagnostic Trouble Codes. Those terms might help you to find info applicable to your vehicle, or they might help you to ask better questions on the Toyota forums. AFAIK, OBD-II doesn't include cabin sensor info, but I could be wrong.

<snip>

I don't think it will. After entering the diag mode on my 2002 Highlander, when all of the tests have finished the radio display would show one or more 2-digit numeric codes. 00 is all good, while other codes indicate specific problems. I think my codes were 11 and 21, with one of them being the primary solar sensor, (makes sense, since I ran the tests at night that first time), and the other being the in-cabin temp sensor.

That was a Ford dealer and they had taken the Highlander in trade before I bought it, so if I give them the benefit of the doubt they may not have known how to enter diag mode, and if true, they wouldn't have known that the sensor was disconnected.

<snip>

For my Highlander, which is long gone now, I bought an All-Data manual on Ebay, which was almost certainly pirated but it told me that there was a diag mode, how to enter it, and how to read its results. Most shops probably have All-Data manuals or online subscriptions, so if you have a buddy you can probably get help there.

Or, I could be way off base with this. The diag mode could be a dead end, but it would be interesting info to have.

<snip>

[micky]

I havent' had static shocks since grade school iirc until I bought new sneakers and at the supermarket from the floor tile, I'd get sparks almost 1/4" long touching the shelves etc. But not prior sneakers.

[Xeno]

Plastic crap sneakers!