nightmoon

Thanks folks, i've sourced the part locally (new) $45. And their mechanics will install for $31. Not worth my time and hassle to do it myself. BTW the mechanic says there aren't any rivits but small plastic trim retainers that just pop out. Sharon

my husband's ES300, 2003 model passenger side front wheel well liner has come loose and pieces have broken off. he had to cut the dangling bits off so it wouldn't hit the wheel while driving. it needs to be replaced. i am trying to source the part for him. I would go to a U Pull It junkyard for the part but I fear there are rivets holding it on in some places that we don't know how to remove without damaging it. As an aside, even if we are able to source a part (new or used) getting it put on may present a problem, but one thing at a time. First, to source the part, second to get it installed. Does anyone have any suggestions? Or know the part number I'm looking for. Thanks for your suggestions. (I myself, and a member of this forum, have a Lexus RX300) Sharon

Thanks again, what can i say? You're just awesome. I jury rigged the paperclip. Now waiting for Husband to get home to give me a jump to go to my meeting and it's POURING cats and dogs... darn it. Time will tell if this will get me where i need to go. Or at least keeping me from going into dead battery mode. Heres one thing that i noticed. On the picture you posted of the lock and hardware, and times to install, the part i thought i needed to order isn't there. Here's a picture off Toyodiy.com http://www.toyodiy.com/parts/p_U_200001_LE...9.html?hl=69350 of the back door, lock and handle. These are the parts that are in your picture. The part I thought i needed is listed under electricl/anti-theft section, to wit: http://www.toyodiy.com/parts/p_U_200001_LE...GKA_8424.3.html It is part 84903-48010. I'll check back later. Thanks for letting me know if you find something. Regards, NM

That's awesome, Thanks! I hate to do this, but a couple more questions if you don't mind. It' will take a week or so to get the part shipped. I don't want to be 'down' that long with the battery constantly running dead every couple of days. So do you think it will hurt if I jury rig (i.e. duct tape) the paper clip into the plastic housing to keep it 'fooled' into thinking it's closed all the time, until i get the part and get it to the mechanic? Lastly would you consider scanning and attaching the page where it says .2 to .5 hours to install that particular part? Thanks so much. Regards, NM

You're the man CDULUK! Thank You! The paperclip test shut off the dashboard light. Unfortunately the car is as dead as a doornail. But not so dead I couldn't see the dashboard door open warning light go off. My husband jumped it last night while I was making dinner and it was my intention to drive it around for 20 or 30 minutes afterward, but he thought he'd do me a favor and drive it around for me. I later found out he only drove it twice around the block which didn't charge squat. I have a board meeting to go to this evening and it will take 30 minutes to get there. I'll get a jump before I go and it'll be ok sitting for a short couple of hours and tomorrow I'll make my next move. I probably need to get the part ordered. It's only a $25 part from Irontoad.com. Next I need to either figure how to get into the latching mechanism to replace the part. There must be a way in or they wouldn't sell the part separately, don't you think? Does this make sense to you? OR I need to take these results to my mechanic and let him put the part in for me. I dont' usually take my own parts to my mechanic but i think in this case he'll understand especially after I did all the leg work diagnosing the problem. Just for fun, I read somewhere a long time ago, (Readers Digest?) taking your own parts to the mechanic was akin to taking your own eggs into a restaurant and asking "sunny side up, please"! Your advice, as usual, is greatly appreciated, especially if you can tell me how to get into that lock. NM

How the heck to you find out about all this stuff? I mean after the battery is out, it's kinda easy to see the stuff that's been reset to default mode, but you know, stand on your head and tap your heals together while singing the third line of star spangled banner to reset it to desired settings... how you find this out is just amazing!!

Hands down, wipe out the interior with Muurphy's Oil Soap. Leather seats and all. Just not the windows. You'll really like it. Smells like new car to me.

OK. Thanks everyone for your patience and your help. Especially, you, CDULUK. Per instructions I removed the interior lower (carpet covered) panel in the rear hatch door. I followed the only wire coming from the lock itself to a junction just inside the panel. (see figure 1). Arrow on the wire points toward the lock mechanism. Figure 2 pictures the lock assembly unbolted, the red arrow points to the other end of the wire from figure 1 going into the lock assembly itself. Figure 3 is a picture of the lock assembly from the other side. The red arrow points to the wire going into the lock assembly. You can barely see it. Also note the position of the black ‘lock’ itself right in the middle of the picture. This is UNLOCKED. Figure 4 is the same as figure 3 except the position of the lock in the middle of the picture (circled in red) is in the LOCKED position. This is quite easy to do by hand and this is the ‘hole’ I originally put the bungee cord into to secure the trunk lid while driving with that stupid piece of luan. For what it’s worth, all doors will lock just fine from the driver’s inside control. However, the dashboard ‘open door’ warning light does not go off. It stays lit and now on day 3 has drained my battery. The anti-theft alarm does not arm itself and the dome lights if set in the ‘door’ position, remain on. It’s my habit to keep these in the ‘off position’ all the time because if I leave the car door open for any length of time it has a tendency to drain my battery. Just to repeat myself in case you’re not sick of me yet, when I try the button on the key to lock the car, I just get the warning signal that a door is open(lasts for 10 seconds or until I hit another button). The back door actuator seems to be fine. Not sticking. It locks both from the drivers door lock button, or by inserting the key and turning it. All of the doors and windows will unlock (and roll down) using the remote keyless entry button on the key. This is the part I think I need: http://www.toyodiy.com/parts/p_U_200001_LE...GKA_8424.3.html One issue that comes up is if the part is the one I need and it’s the one pictured in my digital pictures I can only see the ‘clip’ end of it. The other end (or the wire anyway) goes into the lock itself which appears to be a closed system. I don’t’ see any way to take the lock itself apart to get to the part to replace it. Your advice is greatly appreciated.

ok. Thanks. Now how do I go about taking it apart? What am I looking for and how will I know it when I see it? Thank you!

Based on everything I've read, downloaded, searched this forum, etc., I think it might be the courtesy switch in the rear door. Does anyone know were that might be? Thanks!

Note: I just tried disconnecting the battery for a few seconds to see if that would reset anything. Didn't work.

It all started with a trip to Home depot for my husband to buy a door skin, aka 3/8" luan. It was 5' x 7' and I was wondering how the heck he thought I'd get this in my RX300. I got it in up to the back of the front seats and it was hanging out the back a foot and a half or so and I couldn't close the back hatch/door all the way. So... I got a short bungee cord from my toolbox and hooked one end through the bottom door latch ("U shaped bolt looking thing" on the back floor. This is what the door lock connects to.) and the only upper place I could get it to go was in the door lock itself. This meant 'moving with my hand only, the door locking mechanism so it 'closed' and i could get a hole to put the end of the bungee cord through. I thought everything was fine. I got home ok, took the bungee cord off, put the luan in the shop, then I had problems. I tried to close the back door and it jut hit on the latch but didn't close or lock. OOPS! So i opened the door and figured out the lock was still 'closed'. So I pulled up on the handle and the lock 'opened'. I successfully closed the rear hatch and thought I was fine. Until I hit the 'door lock' on the key. I just got the alarm that means a door isn't closed tightly and none of the car doors locked. I manually locked the rear hatch. That worked ok. I hit the 'lock' switch inside the drivers door and that locked all the locks ok (even the rear one). And I can still unlock the car with the remote key. However, there is the 'door open' signal on the dashboard and it won't go off. And I still cannot lock the doors with the key. Did I mess up a sensor or something? Does anyone know if there is a way to reset it? What should I do? Thanks! NM