2004 Highlander w/ unknown issue! Please Read.

H82BW8N · #1 (**permalink**) 07-21-2008, 10:32 PM

Hey Guys,

So I've got this problem that started about two years and then mysteriously went away soon after it started. Today, it came back! So what's going on you ask? This two-fold problem starts like this... 1)My wife loses power to start her car. 2) All the idiot lights (VSC,

Check Engine,

TRAC OFF,

etc) come on and do NOT turn off. The first time this happened the idiots lights stayed on for a few days. Then back to normal. Today, all the idiot lights came on again after the highlander was jump started. Note: The first time this happened the car was not jump started but was acting like it wasn't going to turn over. My wife drove the car home and parked it. When I went it to move it to the garage, all the lights were normal again. What gives?

I've got the standard V6 model. Has anyone experienced this? I've tried doing a search in the forums but kept getting different topics.

Thank you.

bepperb · #2 (**permalink**) 07-22-2008, 08:18 AM

Was there any similarity in the times it happened, like both times it was raining hard, or both times it was driven through a deep puddle? Sounds like it could be water getting someplace it shouldn't.

My advice would be to drop the 50~80 bucks on a code reader, and the next time it happens get right on it. Or take it right to Autozone/pep boys/checker...whatever. I'm hoping it will throw a code.

The other thing I might have checked, which you can do now and probably for free, is the battery/alternator combo. Maybe we have an overvoltage/undervoltage or bad ground situation going on?

H82BW8N · #3 (**permalink**) 07-22-2008, 10:16 PM

We had the battery and alternator checked at sears. Both were fine. As a matter of fact the battery is relatively new. Alternator tested ok. No rain. No puddles. Code reader? I just might have to do that. I appreciate the info.

cerivera · #4 (**permalink**) 07-23-2008, 02:56 PM

I would check the ground, had a similar issue with a different car, turned out the negative terminal cable had a slight crack(the part that attaches to the battery terminal), replaced it and hasnt happened again.

Good luck

edwardh1 · #5 (**permalink**) 07-28-2008, 07:03 AM

car ever wrecked?
and the battery ground cable has TWO ends check both

snow986 · #6 (**permalink**) 07-28-2008, 08:00 PM

Definitely sounds like an ecu issue... either your ecu is disabling the car because it thinks there is a problem or your ecu is just getting fishy. You should get a code reader or have discount auto or autozone read the code next time it happens. It will definitely give a code.

H82BW8N · #7 (**permalink**) 08-02-2008, 12:20 AM

Car was never involved in an accident! What is a ECU? What's the other end to the other ground? You mentioned that I have two?

SC-highlander-01 · #8 (**permalink**) 08-02-2008, 08:05 AM

I had a chevy truck that had a simular problem. Turned out to be the cable that runs from the battery to the computer. I replaced the cable end at the battery and the problem went away. My battery and alt. both checked out good too. The computer wasn't getting enough power from the battery, at starting. Once I drove a few miles and the computer could run all the system checks, everything went back to normal.