XPost: alt.home.repair, sci.electronics.repair   
   From: NONONOmisc07@fmguy.com   
      
   I renamed the thread and moved it from its original location to the   
   bottom of the list so I wouldn't have to hunt for it so much.   
      
      
   >On Tue, 11 May 2021 22:35:56 -0400, Clare Snyder    
   >wrote:   
   >   
   >>On Tue, 11 May 2021 16:42:39 -0400, micky    
   >>wrote:   
   >>   
   >>>In alt.home.repair, on Sun, 09 May 2021 00:32:57 -0400, Clare Snyder   
   >>> wrote:   
   >>>.....   
   >>>>  No they didn't. They had full 24 volt systems including the   
   >>>>alternator on all diesel Cruisers. At least all the ones sold in   
   >>>>Canada before 2000. To operate 12 volt accessories required a buck   
   >>>>converter. I used to produce and provide a system to adapt them to tow   
   >>>>12 volt trailers.  I was also a Toyota service manager back then.   
   >>>.   
   >>>   
   >>>Maybe you can help me then.  I have a 2005 Toyota Solara and it has 3   
   >>>"meters" above the radio that, unless sunlight is shining right on them   
   >>>through the back window, I can't read in the daytime.   
   >>>   
   >>>After dark, a backlight goes on for them and they're easy to read.   
   >>>   
   >>>These are the clock, the trip info gizmo (MPG, DTE, MPH, and ET), and   
   >>>the outside temperature.   
   >>>   
   >>>Is is this the way it was designed, or is something broken?   
   >>>   
   >>>   
   >>>I've been trying to rewire things so the lights are on all the time   
   >>>whenever the car is running.   
   >>>   
   >>>   
   >>>I know this is a 2005 car and the only date you mention is 2000, but   
   >>>does any of this ring a bell?   
   >>>   
   >>>   
   >>>I have the factory wiring manual for 2005 Solaras (plus the online   
   >>>version for 2006).  It seems to refer to all three meters as the Clock   
   >>>   
   >>>It uses a photocell on the dashboard to turn the speedo cluster and   
   >>>other lights (glovebox; radio, AC, and seat heater buttons, shift   
   >>>indicator) on when it gets dark, from the Taillight relay through the   
   >>>Panel fuse (which is separate from the Taillight fuse). The wiring   
   >>>diagram seemed to confirm that the car was designed this way, because it   
   >>>shows a lightbulb labeled Clock in the saem circuit in parallel with   
   >>>   
   >>>So I found 12v that were on whenever the engine was running, at the Seat   
   >>>Heater switch, and removed the Panel fuse and shorted the 12volts at the   
   >>>switch to the Panel light wire at that switch.  And now all the lights   
   >>>go on all the time, EXCEPT the three I care about.   
   >>>   
   >>>When this didn't work, I used a heavy dark rag to cover the photocell   
   >>>and I can trick the headlights into going on during the day, but   
   >>>amazingly the Clock light isn't tricked.   
   >>>   
   >>>   
   >>>   
   >>>Any ideas what I should do next?   
   >>>   
   >>>   
   >>>Posted and mailed   
   >> I was out of the dealership by then, but a simple piece of duct tape   
   >>over the sensor will turn the head lights on constantly when the   
   >>engine is running.  That SHOULD turn on the instrument lights.   
      
   Okay, I tried that and it did turn on the headlights and taillights.   
   BUT the ones in question** didn't go on.   
      
   Yet up until the last time I drove in the dark, two nights ago, they do   
   go on at night.   I will try tonight and see if they still go on at   
   night, but how that could be different from covering the photocell I   
   don't know.   
      
      
   FWIW there are actually two photocells but I covered both of them.  When   
   I first got the car I asked on ToyotaNation or the other one what the   
   second one was for, and if I got an answer, I forget what it was.   Each   
   as a domed plastic cover but one is 1/4" high or more and the other much   
   shorter. I wonder why.   
      
      
   **(Most of the other lights are too dim to see during the daytime, but   
   they work fine already.)   
      
   > e-mail me the schematic / wiring diagram and I'll look at it   
      
   It will take a bit of time to extract the relevant pages from my 390   
   page wiring diagram. I'll work on it.   
      
   > Does it get dimmer when the headlights are on? It should.   
      
   One thing only does dim and that's the little dot/light on the dash that   
   shows what gear I'm in, and I think that's fair because the other lights   
   are powered directly from 12v.  I haven't tested when the headlights go   
   on, but instead, I removed the Panel fuse and ran a jumper from the   
   12v-when-engine-on to one of the locations the Panel fuse powers**, and   
   when I touch the jumper to that, the dot on the dash goes dimmer and   
   when I remove it it goes back to full daytime brightness. That is   
   reliable.   
      
   Sometimes!!! when I do touch the jumper that way, the "clock" lights go   
   on, but unreliably and rarely.   It will work, then 3 minutes later, it   
   doesn't.   And this testing was done at night (they weren't on to begin   
   with I used to think because the panel fuse was out, but later I think   
   they went on without the panel fuse or the hot-wire. I have to do more   
   testing tonight.   Prior testing was very confusing, so I hoped you'd   
   just know the answer already, although I suppose it's very unlikely   
   people would complain about something like this and that your service   
   department would try to rewire a car that was working according to the   
   Toyota spec.   
      
   In the daytime I've never gotten them to go on.   
      
   Do you think there's any chance, once I have the current operation   
   totally clear and written down, if I wrote to Toyota, they'd tell me why   
   it works that way, or even how to change it?  I figure they'd ignore me   
   or tell me to go to a dealer.   
      
   Most of the lights*** are powered directly from the battery when the   
   Taillight relay is closed, via the Panel fuse, and they don't dim, but   
   normally they only go on at night.  I guess going on is the opposite of   
   dimming.   
      
   **From the 12v that powers the seat heater switch to the light for the   
   seat heater switch, so the wires are only a half inch away from each   
   other.  I thought it would be such an elegant fix, except it doens't   
   work for the "clock" lights.  It does light up all the other lights   
   below***.   
      
   ***The speedo cluster, glovebox, the buttons for the radio, heater/ac,   
   seat heater switches, and the gearshift indicator on the center console.   
      
   And there is a light in the speedometer needle that changes in some way.   
   I think it lights up at night.   It's really all very nice except for my   
   one complaint.   I would have thought lots of people would complain and   
   by 2006 they would have changed it.  I have the digital version of 2006.   
   It's harder to read than on paper, but I checked to the extent I could   
   and haven't found any differences related to this.   Maybe that they   
   didn't change it would mean mine is broken, not misdesigned.   But I   
   still should be able to fix it.   
      
   I'll do more testing when it gets dark, which seems to be different from   
   having the photocells covered.   
      
   >It should   
   >DIM when the headlights are on and be brigher during the day I think.   
      
   Yes, those gear indicator dots works that way.   
      
   >Is this an orange/red light? or green?   
      
   In the speedo cluster, there's a little light for each gear.  Park is   
   green. I think the others are different.   
      
      
   2005 Toyota Solara (similar to a Camry)   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)