1996 2.0 Immobiliser problem - savo
Hi all, newbie here, was recommended to this site by a workmate, said you would be able to sort me out :-)

My immobiliser is stuck on, does not respond to the "zapper" , have changed the battery, but still no go.

Have spoken to a helpful techie at my nearest Toyota dealer ( over 20 miles away)

My options are ( if i can somehow get car towed or transported over there)

1: Have "zapper" unit re-programmed, if still dead,

2: Have ECU in car re-programmed.

3: If above fails, have all wiring associated with immobiliser removed, but noted that they do not have wiring diagrams, so would have to be traced through.

I had idea to post zapper over for re-programming, but they need car, keys and zapper.


So my other option is to go to a local garage, doubt if they could do programming, but could strip out wiring.

Would a Toyota dealer be the only place with the necessary kit to do the re-programming, or is it possible that a mobile techie would be able to do the job ?

I am in deepest South Devon, so pretty cut off to some extent...

Any help/advice appreciated,

Ta



1996 2.0 Immobiliser problem - elekie&a/c doctor
It is very possible that this car is early enough to have the Toyota Approved alarm/immobiliser system that is not built into the vehicle electronics.(could be a re-badged Scorpion Alarm).If this is the case,then the system is easily removeable by any competent electrical tech.Check for alarm siren bolted to the back of engine bay,pass side,and control box up the back of dash behind glove box.hth
1996 2.0 Immobiliser problem - savo
elekie&a/c doctor:

Thanks for the feedback, really appreciated!

I had a look this afternoon and can see a black box bolted to back of engine bay, next to battery on passenger side, couldnt see any branding on this, but looked like it had wiring connecting to a smaller grey metallic box nearby, could see "Toyota" on this and "CHD1", couldnt make out what other labelling was, possibly just serial numbers.

When i spoke to tech at Toyota dealer couple days ago, he mentioned possibility of it being Scorpion system, which tallys with your info.

Getting it towed to a nearby garage on Sunday, so they can get started on it Monday morning hopefully.

Thanks again for info.
1996 2.0 Immobiliser problem - yokel38
Is the remote a black slightly oval, with 2 round dark grey buttons one above the other ? this system is called the 'TVSS3' sytem, this came in around 1996 ish.
If so, the chances are all that will be needed is the remote re-synchronising, this procedure is very simple and is as follows:-

1 remove the back of the remote, this contains the battery, so effectively it is disconnected.

2. with the unit apart, hold down one of the buttons for about 5-6 secs.

3. put remote back together again (ie reconnecting battery)

4. hold down one of the buttons for another 5-10 secs

5. press the other button.

6. hopefully, if all is well, the remote will now work.

Regards
Dave

1996 2.0 Immobiliser problem - yokel38
NB If it is a scorpion unit, then the company thankfully is now deceased (lots of problems sadly), my advice would be to have this system removed and another more reliable system installed.

Another system used on that vehicle was a basic TVSS system, a black squarish remote with a single white button? If this is thw one you have, let me know and i'lll dig out some info for you.
1996 2.0 Immobiliser problem - savo
Hi yokel38,

Many thanks for the feedback!

Have actually had the work done now, ie immobiliser removed, will probably leave it as it is now given the age of the car, and very little car crime ( or any other sort ! ) down here..... i know, i know, setting myself up for a fall here !!

The remote was actually black, squarish ( matchbox sort of size - not swan vestas lol ) had one black button & one red button. Only ever used the black button, think the red button was some sort of "panic" button. Concensus seems to be that it was a re-badged Scorpion job.

Cheers
1996 2.0 Immobiliser problem - roda
Apologies for tagging onto the end of this thread but I hope you can help me.

I have a 1994 (N) reg Rav 4 gx auto 2 door. Had it over a year now with no problems at all.

Yesterday it started fine in very cold weather and I drove it about a quarter of a mile and stopped for a while. ( getting the morning paper on way to wk!) Got back in the car and would not start. Starter motor didnt turn. Plenty of battery power there though. Got a mechanic to look at it and he changed the starter motor saying that all was well. ( they arent cheap are they?!)

This morning I drove to work as I did yesterday and the same thing happened again!! You turn the key and nothing is there. I called the mechanic again ( he wasnt happy!) and took another look at it. The inhibitor switch is working fine. According to him, the voltage stays high after attempting to start the car.

Eventually he tried alarming the car( factory fitted TTDS system 5000 and system 2) setting the alarm off - and disarming it and the car started first time!!

I actually havent used the alarm since I bought the car because I found it rather annoying and unreliable. The car locks with the key.


Does the anti theft system disable the starter motor? If so - can I turn it off. to check whether the alarm/immobiliser is the cause
1996 2.0 Immobiliser problem - yokel38
The system 5000 wasn't strictly speaking 'factory fitted', rather it was fitted after the vehicle was shipped to Blighty. These alarms were manufactured by a (now defunct) company called 'Scorpion', and imo crap. Yes the alarm does indeed inhibit the starter. My honest advice would be to get an auto electrician to remove the alarm system, obviously by it's very nature this is not the simplest of tasks, and access to the wiring diagrams etc will be needed. A specialist in auto alarms would be the my choice. Spares for these alarm system are vitually impossible to come by as scorpion dissappeared years ago, although your toyota dealer should still be able to assist with the wiring diagrams etc.
Regards
1996 2.0 Immobiliser problem - roda
Thanks so much for the information. Interesting that it is linked to the starter motor!
I bought the car a couple of years ago - and i do recall the seller saying that you can disable it. - somewhere behind the battery?? I do have a key that i believe would do this - it is small, round and with a notch on it. I now need to find out where to use it!

Thanks again
1996 2.0 Immobiliser problem - jc2
If I remember rightly,that switch,if you find it,only disables the alarm and not the whole system.
1996 2.0 Immobiliser problem - roda
Thanks for that - and yes you are right! it only disables the alarm. Does anyone have any idea how to disable the whole system?
1996 2.0 Immobiliser problem - roda
Hello again and thank you for your help so far.
I disabled the alarm part of the immobiliser using the small key and thought that all was well, until today when the car decided not to turn over again. Enabling and disabling the immobiliser has had no effect at all.

My OH has had a look but cannot find any wiring related to this alarm either below the steering wheel or glovebox.

We are now at a loss as to how to disable this alarm system - can anyone help?
1996 2.0 Immobiliser problem - HELP! - flog
Just bought Rav4 p reg 1997 - literally just bought 5 minutes ago and on test drive and when bought it tonight turned the key and no probs. Back on my drive turned it off and then went to restart 5 minutes later and nothing, literally nothing, no lights on the dash, no turn over, no nuffin'!!
Because I have such a LARGE NOTHINGNESS I'm guessing it has to do with the immobiliser. I do not have a click match box thing, just 2 keys. Anyone out there please tell me what to do!! Beers on me if you can get it working. Not too worried about the immobiliser, would prefer to get rid if this happens - its only a 300 quid run around but at the moment not a lot of running is being done.....HELP!
1996 2.0 Immobiliser problem - HELP! - wicksy42
Try this it worked for me when my immobiliser developed a fault.
Disconnect the battery either terminal will do, locate the alarm cable should be behind the glove box ( it is a square white connection block with 4 terminals 3 are round and one is square ) , put key in ignition and turn it to the point just before ignition, reconnect battery then turn key fully as in normal start, it should turn over as normal, unfortunately when you switch the engine off you will have to repeat this process each time but it will work,, i fitted a cut off switch under the dash to isolate the battery each time i start it, good luck , wicksy
1996 2.0 Immobiliser problem - HELP! - wicksy42

Woop woop, now managed to remove the alarm system from my 1994 rav4 from all the info on different forums, the internet is a truely wonderful thing, email me for details

deltazoid42@hotmail.com

1996 2.0 Immobiliser problem - HELP! - wicksy42

Woop woop, now managed to remove the alarm system from my 1994 rav4 from all the info on different forums, the internet is a truely wonderful thing, email me for details

deltazoid42@hotmail.com

In response to the many emails on how to remove the immobiliser here it is, dont let them nasty dealerships rip you off by drawing in long breaths and tutting...IT CAN BE DONE

Firstly are you sure it is the immobiliser that is the problem, could also be low battery amps, starter motor or starter relay, if you are sure you want the immobiliser removing then proceed, you will need some wire snips some connector blocks a phillips screwdriver small flat screwdriver and small adjustable spanner, firstly remove the live battery terminal, now you need to locate the alarm control unit and wiring which is situated behind the glove box to the left hand side, unscrew the box from its securing point, you will have a mass of black wires, locate the connector block in the engine that supplies the alarm sounder and disconnect it if not already done so, remove the kick panel in right hand side drivers footwell and trace where the black wires splice into and reconnect the original wires with a connector block, remove the panel under the steering wheel trace where the black wires splice into the ignition switch and reconnect original wires with connector block, in the same place there is a white terminal block with a thicker red wire soldered onto a bared wire which runs into a couple of 7.5 amp fuses, snip this off, tape up the ends on this wire and secure behind panel in a safe place, the black box and all the black wires can all be pulled out, there will be 2 wires that go to the sensors fitted to the left and right pillars you can either pull them out or snip them in place, the alarm box should now come away, replace panels etc, replace battery terminal, now the good bit the car should start normally, i did it myself though a good auto electrician should easily be able to do this in a n hour, the alarm will have been fitted by scorpion alarms when the car arrived in this country and is only spliced in so can be reversed. good luck with this it worked for me.

1996 2.0 Immobiliser problem - Ravster97

Dave!

THANK YOU SO MUCH for this post!

Woke up this morning to find we couldn't unlock our 1997 Rav 4 with the remote.

Tried all the obvious things (battery replacement), opening the car with the key (setting the alarm off), determining that I could at least drive the car to the garage, so long as I got in and out through the driver's window (Dukes Of Hazzard style).

Then one last hopeful check, found your post and tried it.

WORKED FIRST TIME!

THANKS AGAIN, you've saved our Easter Holiday trips.

Ravster97