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Can someone take a look at this relay photo? (Flashers)

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by 134HP Bard Womyn Magnet, Oct 22, 2021.

  1. 134HP Bard Womyn Magnet

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    2014 Prius here that I purchased used with 147k on it. I noticed the turn signals work but the flashers do not. Got under the dash upside down (ow) and poked blindly up and found the relay, then took some shots. Take a look.

    1) Is that apparently snipped yellow wire a possible cause of the flashers not working?
    2) I've cruised the forums - does anyone know the proper config of wires into that relay connector? Looking at my crappy photos, looks like 2 yellow (one snipped) and one green.
    3) In terms of fixing it - it feels like there is little to no slack on that cable with the connector that slides into the relay. Any other way to access it? Clearly if I have to re-splice and tape (or solder) those wires I'm going to need more dexterity than just working blind and going by feel, which seems to work for just replacing the relay.

    Thank you for any insights. BTW mentioned this in the tech forum but was before I got additional insight with photos, going to see if I can delete that thread.
     

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  2. 134HP Bard Womyn Magnet

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    Hmmm...looking at Unkertech video on YT, looks like there are more cables going in there! Yikes. If anyone has a WD or insight into why this looks the way it does, would be great.

    PS: Mod(s): I have been reading tech posts on this forum, but please move thread to technical forum if I've posted in the wrong spot. Sorry about that.
     

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  3. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    I would strip a little on each end and add a jumper.

    A wide shot is helpful to get an idea of what area you are in.

    Better descriptive language helps as well (left side, right side, next to the big xyz).

    Not sure what WD means.

    Does flasher mean your four way emergency flasher? If so have you checked the switch?

    When trying to get help on a forum, clarity of communication is paramount.
     
  4. 134HP Bard Womyn Magnet

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    Thanks @rjparker for the help. I'm in NYC, left-hand drive car. Photo: I am pointing camera up under the dash looking up at the flasher relay (bottom view, the wired portion is the flasher relay connector that plugs into the relay from below). Relay and inserted connecter essentially way up into dash above the brake pedal. I can't quite figure out how to link to other posts but there are other photos/vids of this relay, usually in the context of people replacing them to resolve hyperflash issue after they install LEDs.

    WD = wiring diagram.

    New observation: pressing panic button on key fob does nothing. Maybe a bad sign that before I pressed it I said to myself "This will do nothing" - I'm starting to wonder if/intuit that maybe this car had the hazards-blinking-proportional-to-speed issue (documented in several posts) and someone went in and hacked some things apart. Gah.
     
  5. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    When you lock the car with a fob do the hazard lights flash? If so the wiring to those lights is probably good. I would still jump that cut wire.

    The hazard switch is a single pole normally open input to the flasher assy. When activated it pulls to ground.

    It appears the hatchback may have a flasher relay that my v wagon does not.

    478718C9-4CA7-4CBB-84FB-616B5633EBC8.jpeg
     

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    #5 rjparker, Oct 23, 2021
    Last edited: Oct 23, 2021
  6. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    Based on this thread about hazard lights, someone likely did cut the wire because of a fault elsewhere, perhaps in the body or skid control ecu. Also see this one with a possible workaround in post ten and beyond if your issue is the same.
     
    #6 rjparker, Oct 23, 2021
    Last edited: Oct 23, 2021
  7. 134HP Bard Womyn Magnet

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    Thanks again for the reply.

    No, they don't flash. Just a beep. Noticing that was what actually made me test the hazards in the first place. (I've only owned the used car ~1 week and the mechanic that did the pre-purchase inspection missed all of this, which is a bummer, since I probably can't pass inspection sans working hazards in NY state).

    > I don't know if you are looking at a "flasher relay". It could be the combination meter board assy.

    OK. What I think I'm looking at I've seen called (perhaps erroneously) flasher relay and/or turn signal relay, but just to be clear...see post 11 of this thread, it's this thing: LED Turn Signal Relay/Flasher | PriusChat

    I'm pretty confident of that because if I turn on a turn signal and reach up to touch the part, you can feel the relay click quite clearly coming from that part.

    The lack of horn honking (or indeed any action) when I hit the panic button on the key fob - does that indicate anything else to you that might be related to this issue? I'd prefer to solve one problem at a time but thought maybe it's a clue. I realize a lot of this is guesswork without being able to look at my car.

    Thanks again.
     
  8. 134HP Bard Womyn Magnet

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    Just saw your 2nd post, my gut is saying that too...wonder if I'll be wiring a jumper as per this post:
    Hazard lights gone crazy | Page 2 | PriusChat

    Although the horn aspect is confusing. Damn it. And I have that tendency to want to figure the issue out rather than put a band-aid on it, but I guess a band-aid will get the car to pass inspection without (as far as I can tell, reading the threads) introducing any safety issues besides the flashers not automatically going off in a skid or crash.
     
  9. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    Most likely you would have to change the brake or body ecu to fix it right. At first I was looking at my v wiring and control which appears to have changed by 2012 in this area. There is little doubt the wire was cut on purpose to eliminate unwanted flashing, possibly due to a fault in the skid/brake control ecu. Connecting that wire with a jumper will verify. I would absolutely do that first, maybe the problem will go away long enough for inspection. There are two more links in the previous post possibly with a more elegant hack. The big problem may be tearing apart the dash.
     
    #9 rjparker, Oct 23, 2021
    Last edited: Oct 23, 2021
  10. 134HP Bard Womyn Magnet

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    Connecting that wire with a jumper (third time) will verify

    We're simultaneously editing our posts; I'm not glossing over your advice. Don't see yr other posts until a browser refresh.

    Since you have a V and not the hatch, you may not realize access to that component with the requisite dexterity to strip/jump (meaning two hands) borders on impossible, at least for my sized frame. I imagine this is why most relay replacements are done by feel and leave the old relay in place and the new LED-compatible one dangling from the multicore cable connector. Otherwise jumping that connection would have been the first thing I tried, and also is why I ask in my OP if anyone has a better way in that doesn't involve taking the entire dash apart, but maybe a portion. I'm new to the car so maybe there's no other way to get to it...from underneath or taking apart a load of stuff.

    I 100% agree with your hypothesis that the cut was intentional as a band-aid to solve ECU issues peppered through the forums.
     
  11. 134HP Bard Womyn Magnet

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    This is comical, I answer and then refresh the browser and you've already addressed stuff in a post that happened while I was answering! Good to get realtime responses though. Thanks for this advice...gonna see what I can do and I'll follow up if I have any progress.

    Anyone else (hatch owners) have any tips on access to that component, please chime in.
     
    #11 134HP Bard Womyn Magnet, Oct 23, 2021
    Last edited: Oct 23, 2021
  12. 134HP Bard Womyn Magnet

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    Just an update: basically did this (post #27). Purchased a new relay ($10 on Amazon and ready for LEDs if I so choose) with the rationale that I could just hang the new one off the plug and leave OEM one unmolested if I screwed up.

    First I pried apart the new relay, desoldered pin 8, put in a jumper wire, drilled a hole in the housing and and ran the wire through, then reassembled. Went out to the car and unplugged connector to OEM relay and plugged into newly modified one (all by feel since I can't physically see the parts). Tested turn indicators; worked. So I took the other end of the cable, pressed it against a screw holding the door panel (for ground) and lo and behold: hazard lights!

    Going to read up on taking apart the dash and thread it through and splice to the hazard button. Will get the car through inspection and I'll revisit for deeper debug if I ever have the willpower.
    I'd like to fix this "properly" but I suspect it means either new ECUs and/or wiring harness, and everything else seems to be working fine.
     
    #12 134HP Bard Womyn Magnet, Oct 25, 2021
    Last edited: Oct 25, 2021
  13. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    Any port in a storm and Alls well that ends up with an inspection.