Hi.
I recently brought a couple of Estima, both diesel. One is a 4WD, both the same year, so most of the parts are interchangeable. They need some repair to get them warranted, and re - registered as both have been off the road for over 2 years.
I've had both motors going and given them a good driving test of around 50 km, and by the soundz of things, everything runs ok. The 2WD which I am working on was almost ready for the pre-registration check, and while I was test driving it, I smelt a burning plastic smell then the smell went away and stopped, and again everything started regularly and seemingly ok
I parked it up and went away for the weekend, and when I got back the battery was dead. I recharged it, then put it in the car, and tried to start it. It tried to start, then stopped trying, and the glow plug relay made a clicking sound, which when I tested, proved that the on and off switch was constantly switching alternate-over (on & off) (though it isn't broken, as I used the relay out of the 4WD to test and both work... so the problem is something else). The ignition lights no longer switch on, and I found out that the whole car takes on a positive charge instead of the norm --earth. I'm theorising that somewhere along the wiring circuitry, one of the positive wires has fused to the chassis or something that is causing it to earth. so naturally when the battery is hooked up as per normal, a short is created and the juice of the battery by-passes all the circuits and discharges; just like hooking a wire across your battery from the positive terminal to the negative terminal (I'm also theorising that it must be one of the main {white} wire lines that has fused as the amount of by-passing current is huge).
A symptom that there is a short like the one I've described is that the negative lead that connects to the battery heats up.
So, I have a circuit tester, but I can't use it the normal way as the entire car has a positive charge. So I've had to develop a unique way to eliminate the likely causes, using the other car to test the parts as well. i.e. leave only the positive battery terminal connected, disconnect where I suspect the fault lies and then with my tester, which is earthed on the battery itself and then touch anything that is normally earth on the car to see if the light switches on. everything I've tested so far aluminates the light.
I can't find a circuit diagram for the estima, let alone a workshop manual. And I've been everywhere I can think of, and used all the google tricks too.
I've started investigating likely shorts, and have tested all the easily accessed places and all the obvious likely candidates, slowly going through the lot and eliminating them as causes one by one. Short of going through the entire wiring to isolate the problem, I was hoping that someone here may have a circuit diagram, or know where I can get one? Or may have suggestions as to where I might find the fault?
I’m also thinking that the fault may lie in the glow plug area, but I don’t know where that circuitry is, or where the glow plug is located. If anyone could help me please? If worst comes to worst, I’m going to have to remove the plastic cover and go through the entire circuit, and trace back all the main feed lines. There’s one more test I can make which can eliminate about two 3rds of the entire circuit, or one 3rd depending on the results.
P.S. I've tested the entire control box, there's no problem there.
any help is welcomed, thanks,
Cheers,
Another do it yourselfer