Rx400h indicator relay location

[Jollyjacktarjack]

Evening folks,

can anyone tell me of the indicator relay location please?

grateful if you tell me what trim I need to remove to get too?

thanks

jack

[Herbie]

Lay on your back in the driver's footwell and look up towards the dashboard, it's way up in there.

I don't think you need to remove any trim, just have the slim arms of a kid and the dexterity of an artist 

[Jollyjacktarjack]

Thanks Herbie, is it possible to remove without taking any trim out please?

jack

[Herbie]

Just now, Jollyjacktarjack said:

Thanks Herbie, is it possible to remove without taking any trim out please?

Jack

Just edited my post to include that info jack.

[Jollyjacktarjack]

Haha, thanks, unfortunately I have neither!!! 

[Jollyjacktarjack]

Ok, as predicted, no chance I can reach up there!!!

Does anyone have info on trim removal to reach this relay please? 

TIA

JJTJ

[Jollyjacktarjack]

Ok folks I can get to the relay (sort of) by removing a piece of trim below the steering column. Can anyone tell me how the relay attaches to the mounting bracket please? Is it clipped on and how much effort is needed to remove?? 

Also got a problem with the towing lights not working , is this connected perhaps??

[Jollyjacktarjack]

Thanks in advance...!

[Jollyjacktarjack]

Update - so I’ve changed the relay and the issue is still there. The front indicators work, the rear one’s don’t! All the hazards front and back work fine.
Any ideas please folks?

 

[Richard Fixter]

If you have towing electrics you will have a little emulator box which stops the car thinking there is a blown bulb when trailer attached. could it be this that is causing the problem. 

[Jollyjacktarjack]

Ah, thanks. So I also have a problem in that my towing lights don’t work either...

So where is the emulator box located please? 
thanks
JJTJ

 

[steve2006]

As this is normally retrofitted it could be anywhere.

However the boot/trunk area is where you need to start looking, removing the trim from around the rear of the light clusters should reveal the additional wiring. From there follow the wiring back to the black box emulator.

Another way is to follow the multi core wiring from the trailer socket which will also lead to the controller.

[Jollyjacktarjack]

Steve2006, I forgot to mention this is a factory fitted Lexus tow bar (well it says Lexus on it so assume it was?)

So any idea of where the emulator box is because I assume it must be in the same place on all RX400Hs please?

Any ideas please folks?

 

[Herbie]

1 hour ago, Jollyjacktarjack said:

Steve2006, I forgot to mention this is a factory fitted Lexus tow bar (well it says Lexus on it so assume it was?)

So any idea of where the emulator box is because I assume it must be in the same place on all RX400Hs please?

Any ideas please folks?

 

I don't know for sure but probably dealer fitted rather than factory, so can be considered to be retrofitted as Steve says and I think the only thing you could do would be his suggestion of tracing the wiring back to the emulator - but not necessarily by pulling unnecessary things apart if you're lucky.

Do you know anyone who works for BT/Openreach?

I used to be a faultsman jointer, doing maintenance on the underground cables. Since a telephone line is a pair of wires, our cables are sized by how many pairs they contain, with the smallest being 5-pair and the largest being 4,800 pairs. To clear a fault on any given line we have to be able to pick out one individual pair of wires from the rest of them, so we use a signal generator to inject a signal onto the pair of wires and then go looking for it using an amplifier. The pair of wires where the tone can be heard the loudest is the pair that you're looking for.

I have no idea whatsoever if this method would work on cars, which is why I asked if you knew anyone on BT/Openreach so that you could borrow theirs before spending any money, but I've just found this one for just under £15 so not too much money wasted if you have to buy it and the experiment fails.

EDIT

Doh! Forget it. I've just realised after typing all this out that it won't really help you. Yes, if it works it'll show you the cable route, but it still won't show you exactly where the emulator is located. I suppose the best it'll do would be to show you the route and then if you see any obvious 'patches' or places where the carpet/covering has been disturbed you could look there.

[Jollyjacktarjack]

Ok thanks anyway Herbie! 

[steve2006]

I would start by calling your local or original selling dealer, the tow bar is more likely to be dealer installed than factory. If you don’t know who the original selling dealer was it should be stamped in the service book or PDI paperwork.

[Brian26]

I have had a tow bar and electrics fitted to all my RXs, from a 400h through two 450h's and the towing relay has always been in the left hand rear corner. If memory serves me just remove the bit of trim that allows access to the rear lamp clusters and look for a box around 2"X1.5"X around 3/4" with a lot of wires coming in and out of it. One of them may have several wires together and will go toward the middle of the bumper that will be the one going to the towing socket(s). The others will be usually spliced into the original wires for the lights indicators etc. My latest was fitted by my local dealer (or I suspect a local to them tow bar fitter) and is branded as a Lexus tow bar, the relay is in just the same place as all the others.

Hope this helps. Bri

[Jollyjacktarjack]

Bri,

It does thanks. So I have removed the trim as you suggest and have found two boxes  and assume it’s the black one? (What’s the red one for??)
(I did disconnect both in turn and the ‘Hyper flashing’ remains...Those in line fuses were good too)

So I guess I need to source a black replacement please?

Thanks 

JJTJ

[Herbie]

Your photos are too small to see what's written on the boxes jack, so unless Brian knows off the top of his head, we may need better photos to advise you.

[Brian26]

Sorry I can't help you there  as I was only going of memory and I don't remember a red box at all! Once again sorry but maybe a decent auto electrician should be able to point you in the right direction. After all I think these relays are fairly 'generic'. As I have in the past fitted my own tow bars and electrics and they all look at least pretty much the same. I notice both of them seem to say VOLTA on them so a google search may be worth a try. On second thoughts I have just done one and Volta seenms to supply charging points for electric vehicles. So maybe one of them is the relay to supply your'e  fridge when towing? Don'y know if this helps you at all though.

Bri

[Jollyjacktarjack]

Ah ok,

red is 8545 1217

black is 8545 1200 

TIA

JJTJ

[Jollyjacktarjack]

Ok thanks Bri

[Jollyjacktarjack]

And Herbie for your posts

[Jollyjacktarjack]

Update folks...

I admitted defeat and took the vehicle to a tow bar specialist. He found a loose power cable going to the ‘emulator’ boxes. £40 well spent to fix...hmm well maybe not but I have Indicators and trailer lights now. Thanks again for all the suggestions!