How do you fix wiring problems in a Toyota Celica?

Answer 1

AnswerWhat is not working? Not knowing what your issue is, it's hard to say.

First step: Check all your fuses! (driver's side kick panel, passenger side kick, two boxes inside engine bay. You also may have fuses on your positive battery terminal connection AND fuseable link wires coming from the terminal.

Pro mechanics always look first at the battery and grounds!!!! Most often, that is the place.

Check all your grounding points. look at the ones coming from negative battery terminal to frame and auxiliary motor ground(s) (little piece of wire bolted onto engine and then to frame.) I even added an extra one myself to be sure after almost completely melting one that had a plastic connector clip in the middle between two pieces of wire. The car "searches" for a ground if the main one isn't making good contact and will overheat the little guy.

Also check for any place where there may be collision repair. Sometimes the damage affected the wires in the area and the repair may have damaged the wire. Or, the repaired wire isn't wrapped or shrink-tubing wrapped and is corroded from moisture getting in.

Blower not working?= blower fuse or motor.

Climate control panel? = on the late eighties models (and maybe beyond) you will find solder joints on the wire harness connector in back have cracked loose (not visibly) from vibration, causing heater/cool air lever to short (or some other control to as well). All you need there is to re-melt the solder points carefully where the circuit board connectors go into the circuit board (don't heat them too much- just enough to melt the solder. The dealers would just replace the control panel at $400. a pop. Not necessary. Stereo Amplifiers will do that too! Cars vibrate. Deal with it.

Tail lights? In the eighties models, there were wire terminals attached to the light "pods" (where the bulbs were housed) with screws through the terminal ends INTO PLASTIC POSTS. Guess what happens when screws get hot from electrical current? They loosen with all the vibration and then the light doesn't have good contact and dims...setting off the tail-light failure sensor. SOLUTION= take out screw and apply loc-tite inside the plastic post so when the screw goes back in tight, it stays tight. Don't apply loc-tite to the screw itself, as it may get on the contacts and block the current.

If you touch the top alternator wire post (the one with the nut on it) and accidentally hit a ground with your wrench, it will blow the high amp fuse (80 amp on my two cars) and it is damn hard to find the long-eared fuse block at just any parts place. I found a Ford block, but the tabs had ridges and were too short to fit the battery terminal block connector. Went to Toyota in the end.

Another spot to check can be the master connector from the wiring harness in the engine bay to the connector coming from the passenger firewall (inside vehicle wire harness). I had it overheat from a bad blower motor (maybe someone put too big of fuses in the holder?) and it carboned up the connection on the inside being so loose. Now I have to tap the connector occasionally when the blower stops working. The only cure there is a new engine harness= $$$$$$$$$$.

Best advice? Buy the Toyota wiring manual (a companion to the big service manual) at your Toyota dealer. MUCH BETTER THAN HAYNES OR CHILTON! It will show you the wiring layout and what goes to where in the car w/color code. ALSO....go to a friendly salvage yard (where you can pick your own parts) and gather all the fuses and relays you can from similar year models! They won't usually care or charge you for those kind of electrical parts (as they can't guarantee them due to the outside weather). I haven't bought maybe one fuse EVER for my cars. If you have a bad relay, circuit breaker or fuse you can look at the numbers and match them and swap them to see what happens!

Also notice that Toyota fills connectors with dialectric grease...it blocks moisture from the contacts when the connectors are filled.

Good luck...clarify your question if you need more advice!

AnswerWhat is not working? Not knowing what your issue is, it's hard to say.

First step: Check all your fuses! (driver's side kick panel, passenger side kick, two boxes inside engine bay. You also may have fuses on your positive battery terminal connection AND fuseable link wires coming from the terminal.

Pro mechanics always look first at the battery and grounds!!!! Most often, that is the place.

Check all your grounding points. look at the ones coming from negative battery terminal to frame and auxiliary motor ground(s) (little piece of wire bolted onto engine and then to frame.) I even added an extra one myself to be sure after almost completely melting one that had a plastic connector clip in the middle between two pieces of wire. The car "searches" for a ground if the main one isn't making good contact and will overheat the little guy.

Also check for any place where there may be collision repair. Sometimes the damage affected the wires in the area and the repair may have damaged the wire. Or, the repaired wire isn't wrapped or shrink-tubing wrapped and is corroded from moisture getting in.

Blower not working?= blower fuse or motor.

Climate control panel? = on the late eighties models (and maybe beyond) you will find solder joints on the wire harness connector in back have cracked loose (not visibly) from vibration, causing heater/cool air lever to short (or some other control to as well). All you need there is to re-melt the solder points carefully where the circuit board connectors go into the circuit board (don't heat them too much- just enough to melt the solder. The dealers would just replace the control panel at $400. a pop. Not necessary. Stereo Amplifiers will do that too! Cars vibrate. Deal with it.

Tail lights? In the eighties models, there were wire terminals attached to the light "pods" (where the bulbs were housed) with screws through the terminal ends INTO PLASTIC POSTS. Guess what happens when screws get hot from electrical current? They loosen with all the vibration and then the light doesn't have good contact and dims...setting off the tail-light failure sensor. SOLUTION= take out screw and apply loc-tite inside the plastic post so when the screw goes back in tight, it stays tight. Don't apply loc-tite to the screw itself, as it may get on the contacts and block the current.

If you touch the top alternator wire post (the one with the nut on it) and accidentally hit a ground with your wrench, it will blow the high amp fuse (80 amp on my two cars) and it is damn hard to find the long-eared fuse block at just any parts place. I found a Ford block, but the tabs had ridges and were too short to fit the battery terminal block connector. Went to Toyota in the end.

Another spot to check can be the master connector from the wiring harness in the engine bay to the connector coming from the passenger firewall (inside vehicle wire harness). I had it overheat from a bad blower motor (maybe someone put too big of fuses in the holder?) and it carboned up the connection on the inside being so loose. Now I have to tap the connector occasionally when the blower stops working. The only cure there is a new engine harness= $$$$$$$$$$.

Best advice? Buy the Toyota wiring manual (a companion to the big service manual) at your Toyota dealer. MUCH BETTER THAN HAYNES OR CHILTON! It will show you the wiring layout and what goes to where in the car w/color code. ALSO....go to a friendly salvage yard (where you can pick your own parts) and gather all the fuses and relays you can from similar year models! They won't usually care or charge you for those kind of electrical parts (as they can't guarantee them due to the outside weather). I haven't bought maybe one fuse EVER for my cars. If you have a bad relay, circuit breaker or fuse you can look at the numbers and match them and swap them to see what happens!

Also notice that Toyota fills connectors with dialectric grease...it blocks moisture from the contacts when the connectors are filled.

Good luck...clarify your question if you need more advice!