Good morning, first post from a newbie to the forum and newbie to RAV 4 ownership. The forum and car are both great!

I am trying to get more light into the boot area and have bought a small interior light assembly from Toyota and fixed it to the interior access panel for the shock absorber turret housing nut. It fits really well. I ran wires from the interior roof light to the lamp assembly and scotchlocked into the roof light blue/white wire (I thought this was the feed for the door lights?) and ran the other wire to the earthing screw for the roof light. I thought great, all done but have blown the 10 amp fuse in postion 2 in the fuse box. Have replaced the fuse but before I blow any more can anybody please tell me where I have gone wrong?

Thanks.

[quote name='Tonysim' post='731903' date='Mar 14 2008, 08:04 AM']Good morning, first post from a newbie to the forum and newbie to RAV 4 ownership. The forum and car are both great!

I am trying to get more light into the boot area and have bought a small interior light assembly from Toyota and fixed it to the interior access panel for the shock absorber turret housing nut. It fits really well. I ran wires from the interior roof light to the lamp assembly and scotchlocked into the roof light blue/white wire (I thought this was the feed for the door lights?) and ran the other wire to the earthing screw for the roof light. I thought great, all done but have blown the 10 amp fuse in postion 2 in the fuse box. Have replaced the fuse but before I blow any more can anybody please tell me where I have gone wrong?

Thanks.[/quote]
OK. And well done on posting up your first question.
Could you say what age the RAV is? I have the circuit diagrams for up to 2000, and can post up a scan of the appropriate one.
On the interior lighting system, the bulb comes before the switch, and the switch then goes to earth. There are diodes in the circuitry at various points and it might be that you have a full earth connection somehow where it shouldn't be.
Purchase of a cheap multimeter would help you identify this, but post up the model detail and we can take it from there.....

Boswell_Buyer, WOW, thanks for the quick reply.

My RAV is a 3 door XT3 from October 2004.

[quote name='Tonysim' post='731942' date='Mar 14 2008, 11:11 AM']Boswell_Buyer, WOW, thanks for the quick reply.

My RAV is a 3 door XT3 from October 2004.[/quote]
OK

In that case, my electrical diagrams cover models up to 2001. You'll appreciate that the valves etc that go into the lectrics of a 1994 model won't exist in the 10 years younger model you have !

There are a few other guys here that will keep you right though...however if you don't have a wee multi-meter, its worth getting one > useful for checking loads of things around the house as well. I found that my 'mains' electrical supply dropped down as far as 166volts at peak times around 7pm which accounted for my lights dimming around the house!! As a result, I picked up an UPS for my computer system to maintain the voltage, and put surge protection on all the TVs.

Off topic....oooops!

Shouldn't be long before some of the electrical wizards get back from their golfing!!!

[quote name='Tonysim' post='731903' date='Mar 14 2008, 10:04 AM']Good morning, first post from a newbie to the forum and newbie to RAV 4 ownership. The forum and car are both great!

I am trying to get more light into the boot area and have bought a small interior light assembly from Toyota and fixed it to the interior access panel for the shock absorber turret housing nut. It fits really well. I ran wires from the interior roof light to the lamp assembly and scotchlocked into the roof light blue/white wire (I thought this was the feed for the door lights?) and ran the other wire to the earthing screw for the roof light. I thought great, all done but have blown the 10 amp fuse in postion 2 in the fuse box. Have replaced the fuse but before I blow any more can anybody please tell me where I have gone wrong?

Thanks.[/quote]

Sorry for delay - have been working funny hours lately!

I think you have connected the feed directly to earth via the light. Can you tell me if the light has a switch on it and if so which terminals you have used?

Hi Anchorman, many thanks for replying.

The light assembly has a switch and is from a Corolla pt no 81250-05010-B2. The Toyota parts dept said it was from a Corolla boot.

The switch is on or off and has 2 terminals marked 1 & 2. Used a wire from T1 and scotchlocked it to the blue/white wire to the roof centre light and used a wire from T2 to the fixing screw earth for the roof centre light.

I didnt know if the blue/white wire or red/white wire to the roof centre light was the switched supply.

Regards - Tony

[quote name='Tonysim' post='732630' date='Mar 17 2008, 10:22 AM']Hi Anchorman, many thanks for replying.

The light assembly has a switch and is from a Corolla pt no 81250-05010-B2. The Toyota parts dept said it was from a Corolla boot.

The switch is on or off and has 2 terminals marked 1 & 2. Used a wire from T1 and scotchlocked it to the blue/white wire to the roof centre light and used a wire from T2 to the fixing screw earth for the roof centre light.

I didnt know if the blue/white wire or red/white wire to the roof centre light was the switched supply.

Regards - Tony[/quote]
Hi Tony

The live feed to the interior light should be blue with a yellow tracer (may look like a white tracer) and the earths to the door light switches should be red with a white tracer. The Corolla boot light switch according to my diagrams is a simple make or break switch - in other words it will come on when you open the boot (via an earthing switch integrated into the boot lock) or opening the switch would be off at all times.

If there is a light in the boot already that would be the best place to pick up your feeds as it will come on with it when you open the back door and the colours are the same - red/white door earthing switch and blue/yellow feed.

I can't see what you have done wrong but assuming you have replaced the fuse I suggest that you temporarily bridge the wired accross the festoon bulb just to see that it lights up. If it does then put it back together and try it as I think you must have shorted something while you were working on it but now it should be OK.

The simplest thing is a cheap voltmeter like bothy says as you can quickly work out what is happening. If you continue to struggle pm me and I will phone you as its sometimes easier to talk these things through.

Cheers

Thanks Anchorman.

I think I need to run the wires from the Corolla light to the blue/yellow and red/white rather than pick up on the fixing screw earth. Probably won't get a chance to try this out until the weekend. Thanks for your help. Its really appreciated.

I will let you know how I get on.

Cheers - Tony

[quote name='Tonysim' post='732699' date='Mar 17 2008, 02:47 PM']Thanks Anchorman.

I think I need to run the wires from the Corolla light to the blue/yellow and red/white rather than pick up on the fixing screw earth. Probably won't get a chance to try this out until the weekend. Thanks for your help. Its really appreciated.

I will let you know how I get on.

Cheers - Tony[/quote]
Now i know your going to say this is a cheap and crappy alternative but for non techy types on my last Rav i stuck 2 osram Dot-its in the boot available in 5colours with led's and batteries and were still working 3 years later, they were £3.99 each supposedly good for 1000hrs..

[quote name='local hero' post='732805' date='Mar 17 2008, 07:21 PM'][quote name='Tonysim' post='732699' date='Mar 17 2008, 02:47 PM']Thanks Anchorman.

I think I need to run the wires from the Corolla light to the blue/yellow and red/white rather than pick up on the fixing screw earth. Probably won't get a chance to try this out until the weekend. Thanks for your help. Its really appreciated.

I will let you know how I get on.

Cheers - Tony[/quote]
Now i know your going to say this is a cheap and crappy alternative but for non techy types on my last Rav i stuck 2 osram Dot-its in the boot available in 5colours with led's and batteries and were still working 3 years later, they were £3.99 each supposedly good for 1000hrs..
[/quote]

[quote name='wulliebuzz' post='732859' date='Mar 17 2008, 09:40 PM'][quote name='local hero' post='732805' date='Mar 17 2008, 07:21 PM'][quote name='Tonysim' post='732699' date='Mar 17 2008, 02:47 PM']Thanks Anchorman.

I think I need to run the wires from the Corolla light to the blue/yellow and red/white rather than pick up on the fixing screw earth. Probably won't get a chance to try this out until the weekend. Thanks for your help. Its really appreciated.

I will let you know how I get on.

Cheers - Tony[/quote]
Now i know your going to say this is a cheap and crappy alternative but for non techy types on my last Rav i stuck 2 osram Dot-its in the boot available in 5colours with led's and batteries and were still working 3 years later, they were £3.99 each supposedly good for 1000hrs..
[/quote]
[/quote]

Why not do what I did and by a plug in rechargable torch wich fits into a cigarette lighter and plug it into the DC plug in the boot. Not only does this provide you with additional lighting but it also gives you an emergency light source.

Williebuzz, good idea but the problem is there isn't a DC plug or loom in the boot of my 3 door RAV. If there was the loom I would have made it a permanent live and powered the light with that.