Really needs some help guys...

I REALLY need to pick your brain for a few minutes. I have a 2007 Tundra SR5 (double cab) 4x4. A few years ago my starter went out without any warning. Disconnected both battery cables. Pulled the manifold, replaced the starter. Put everythingback together. Reconnected the battery (and I need to mention 3 things that may help you help me here....1, my driver door was open when I went to reconnect the battery...2, for some inexplicable reason I connected the negative cable first, THEN the positive cable, and 3, EVERYTHING electrical on this truck worked flawlessly UNTIL I changed the starter). Now, when I reconnected the positive cable, I saw a bright flash inside the cab of the truck. Didnt think anything of it initially. Truck started up and ran fine. Reset my clock time, and went about finishing my errands....Now here is where I first started noticing problems.

Interior (overhead, footwell courtesy lights) are ALL now inoperative. The one in fron t of the center console was still working until recently). I cant remember what other lights were affected at that time. The rear cargo light was working.)
Clock resets to 1:00 EVERY time the key is cycled off.

Fast forward 2-3 years. I finally manage to find a used "junction block" for this truck. I remove the original one from my truck, examine it, (no signs of scorching, no burnt smell, etc.). I install the used one. Now, I have a whole NEW set of problems in ADDITION to the ones I already have.....

Now, cargo light is inoperative.
4WD is inoperable
L lowbeam headlight will not come on (all wires for headlight bulb connector all show to be grounded, no pinched wires umder the dash, all fuses are functioning properly.).

I have tried to check anything nand everything I can find to check. Any ideas? I dont recall leaving any wires off of the starter and I dont remember leaving any grounds loose or breaking any...

 

There's fuses to prevent stuff from burning up so I would assume that if you created a surge all the fuses would blow. Not sure why you replaced the junction block.

 

The only way this adds up to me (7 year diesel tech here) is that the key was on when you connected the starter. It wouldn’t make sense otherwise to me. I’m assuming you’re wise enough to check all the fuses, but if you haven’t do that. Double check the tightness of your connections, on the junction and the starter. Take some sand paper or a wire brush and clean the contacts on everything. The bright flash was probably the some light bulbs blowing, that’s all that would make sense to me. You can pull that apart and switch in some nice leds, but take a test light and see if the sockets are getting power. It’s not likely to me that the bulbs would blow without the fuse going, unless for example someone has a fuse of the wrong amperage rating in that socket for the dome/courtesy lights. If you don’t know there an additional fuse panel in the kicker panel, driver’s side. There’s a plastic finger nut behind the park brake pedal remove that and the threshold plastic at the door seal, there’s some plastic clips that hold it down, check all those fuses for me, along with the ground wires going up to a 10mm bolt to the right of the fuse panel. It’s a possibility the switch for the dome/courtesy failed with an amperage spike. I’ve been trying to think and all I can come up with was hooking up the starter caused a sudden pulse of amperage to hit the system, with key off and door open the only think that would be affected would be the component on at that moment, being the lights. It makes no sense that the fuse wouldn’t protect that circuit but weirder things have happened. Try checking/ replacing relays with a known good relay just to see if something start to work.


As for the 4wd it odd it happened right after you did the junction. The only thing I can direct you to do there is again check the connections are tight and hooked up where they go properly.


This sounds like a pretty weird and complex issue. Check back in and let me know what you find

 

Ok, apparently I had left some things out about this issue. The flash occurred when I reconnected the battery positive cable (for some odd reason I connected the negative cable first, something I never do). The key was off but the doors were open. Absolutely no electrical issues UNTIL this happened. I have checked every single fuse I can find (under the dash, and in the engine compartment. Even replaced every fuse remotely related to the lights and the clock). I haven't messed with any grounds (everything worked just fine until the starter swap, so a ground issue external to the junction block is unlikely). The junction block is the ONLY common denominator I can find that can explain ALL of these issues. The used one I bought and tried didn't correct anything, only made it worse. As I said, I now have 4wd issues as well, and I no longer have a cargo light or a L lowbeam headlight either. Checked the headlight connector and it's showing a ground on both sides of the connector with the lowbeams on. I have purchased a toughbook with the current techstream software that I am going to try to see if it will help me troubleshoot this further. My SnapOn scanner doesn't show any BCM fault codes, but then again I don't know if it can access those.

 

Have you actually checked the bulbs themselves?

The only thing that makes any sense for that flash is that you burned out a bulb...or maybe multiple bulbs.

 

I have tried to remove the upper console bulbs, but haven't been able to get the bulb out of the socket. I have checked the lower courtesy bulbs )under the dash). No power. Both sides of the socket show to be grounded.

 

I agree that the flash may have blown some of the bulbs. However, that doesn't explain the clock resetting to 1:00 every time the key is turned off, or the fact that other bulb sockets suddenly have no power. The courtesy light in front of the center console box was working but stopped recently. The door switch was working because the cargo light would come on when the door was opened if the switch in the dash was set for that.

 

A quick suggestion. Your problems seem to be related to common circuits. If you haven’t, get a wiring diagram and look for common circuits. An easy way to troubleshoot is swap relays from a known good circuit (like for like swap) and see if the problem moves with the relay.

I’d also do as others suggest and swap all your bulbs (since you saw a flash it seems it might have been a bulb in your overhead console - if it’s difficult to remove use some tape to get a grip on it... videos on YouTube on how to do this). God luck

 

I have tried tracing the problem in wiring diagrams, the common denominator seems to be the junction block. The affected circuits have different fuses/grounds, none of which have been touched. I have even tried swapping the relays as well. Replaced every fuse that could be somehow connected to the affected circuits. Hoping the techstream software will help narrow down the culprit since I can manually override a lot of the relays and switches. And since using the factory service manual to troubleshoot this issue REQUIRES a techstream device to have bi-directional controls....well hoping that will help narrow down the culprit!!!

 

Well I got into my truck (2010 CM) yesterday and noticed my cab lights didn't work and my clock reset to 1:00 as well. Everything else works fine. I haven't done any electrical work in months and all was well until yesterday. Can a fuse blow for no reason like that? I haven't had enough free daylight to check the fuse panels yet.

 

Yes, they can blow without warning. It's actually pretty rare for that to happen, but I have seen it happen. Usually in those type situations you can replace the defective fuse and it may go years without ever blowing again.

 

If someone can point me toward the wiring diagrams online somewhere We can review them and maybe we can come up with some things to try?

 

Well, I have the wiring diagrams from Mitchell, as well as the factory service manuals and a factory wiring diagram book.

 

When i tore the circuit board in the overhead of my cab the fuse blew as well under the steering wheel.
Reset the clock every time until i fixed the circuit board (fabric) so it wasn't grounding anymore.

I wonder if this happened to you?
Might explain the clock reset issue. (circuit not getting power unless the truck is running).

Good luck,
when i installed my heated seats i installed the relay incorrectly, was feeding my seat power continously to my relay. Dam thing worked with the truck on as well as the trigger wire was hot.
Anyway that killed my battery. Doubt you did that.

Good luck.

 

Check this thread...

https://www.tundras.com/threads/electrical-diagrams.15081/

 

I never touched the overhead console, so doubt that I could have torn anything up there.

 

Not so much that but a break in that circuit caused my clock to reset with truck off as it blew the fuse.

 

Have you ever had a dealer installed or aftermarket alarm or remote start? I’ve seen some ‘creative’ wiring solutions with those, including hidden fuses in the dash near the steering wheel.

 

Having read up to your last post, I have to ask if you are willing to or can you still replace the original "junction block". The reason being, pretty much everything you mentioned in quote above is run by the 10amp DOME fuse(#27 in FSM for DC). In fact if you have the FSM as a pdf and do a search for the word DOME, once you get to the Troubleshooting section, the DOME fuse comes up to check for many if not all of the items mentioned in first post.

 

BubbaW,
I zm sorry for the late reply, I just saw your response. I have checked and even replaced EVERY fuse I can find related to this issue. Including the Dome light fuse. I am going to try using a pair of hemostats with some 7/64" vaccuum tubing on the tips to see if i can get the overhead console bulbs out. Someone else mentioned a circuit board under the overhead console panel??? I am wondering now if the electrical surge may have damaged that board??? I am going to pull the overhead console piece doen to see if i can find that board. That may be causing the entire lighting issue....
Oh, and the headlight issue was actually just a blown bulb....it was simply coincidence that it blew RIGHT after I hooked up this used junction block...

Triharder,
Did you replace the circuit board you are referring too? Do you happen to remember the exact location of it? How did it get torn? And do you by chance remember what it cost to replace it?