The Toyota Landcruiser Owners Club

[rs101uk]

HI all,

I have a 98 4.2TD GX. My wife washed my spare key fob (sigh) and after drying out, the led on it worked again but it wouldn't open the car. Just to see whether I would be able to use the car with just the key if I had to, I opened the locked car with the key (from the passenger side - the driver's side door lock has never worked). I started the engine, the alarm sounded, but the car was still driveable (not immobilised).

The problem started from then, because there was no way the alarm could be stopped using the working key fob. Eventually I disconnected both batteries, left it for half an hour, and reconnected it again. It seemed fine, but some hours later the siren went off again after I had driven twice with a stop in the middle. I tried disconnecting the batteries again, and after checking on the web I tried all sorts of combinations of button pressing, ignition on and off, doors open or closed, without success. The false alarms have repeated, initially while driving the car or with it parked but unlocked. Yesterday the alarm went off after it had been parked locked for a couple of hours. No button pressing will stop it, although sometimes turning the ignition off and on temporarily shuts it up.

I found this site last night, and with it's help I have now identified the system as a TVSS 3B and located the alarm ECU under the central console. I have reprogrammed the defective key fob by pressing the reprogram button on the ecu, then pressing both fob buttons within the 5 second red led programming period. I also reprogrammed an old fob which Toyota said didn't work, selling me a new one for £120.

While I was celebrating having three key fobs, and tesing each of them again, the alarm went off. I decided to reset the ECU by pressing the program button twice within the 5 second red led. I then reprogrammed all three fobs again, but the alarm keeps going off.

Any ideas? I read somewhere that the car's computer can go into intruder mode, and needs resetting by Toyota. I have an aversion to paying main dealers, but perhaps that's the only way.

Sorry about the long first post!

[Google]

[potshot]

We had a similar problem (except we didn't wash the fob it just stopped working properly). We are trying to source a new ECU as we have been told ours is faulty.
The main agents in Exeter arn't really interested - as usual - and have told 'our man' the ECU for our LWB 98 VX Colorado is no longer available and neither is the model that was supposed to replace it. So he is trying to source one now - and helpful suggestions wuld be appreciated.

[rs101uk]

If yours is the TVSS 3B, I was quoted about £150 by Toyota World in Bristol for the complete system, which I believe includes the ECU, horn, two fobs etc etc. They wouldn't supply just the ECU.  Have you tried putting a new battery in the fob and reprogramming it? Or do you also have the random siren problem? I've "solved" my siren problem for the moment by disconnecting the siren - all the other functions are unaffected by this. Incidentally, I've since heard of two other 98 ish Toyotas developing the random horn problem. If you need help locating the ECU and/or reprogramming the fob, let me know.

[potshot]

That's brilliant thank you. yes we did all the battery replacements and rep[rogramming to no effect. We could use the keys to get in and drive but the alarm kept going off, thenth unit had put itself in 'intuder mode' i.e. all locked up.

[rs101uk]

That sounds bad, and not quite the same as my symptoms. I've not been unfortunate enough to get into intruder mode, and my key fobs open and close the doors. The car's behaving a bit like my old dog, who is so deaf she occasionally barks at nothing, just in case. Perhaps they are both past their best.

I have considered fiddling about with the switches on the ECU, just in case by some magic it will work ok afterwards. It's just irritating that there is no manual explaining the switch settings, or indeed anything about the operation of the alarm. I've had big arguments with my local Toyota dealers, who seem to consider that  my car is in fact theirs and as such I should not be allowed to touch it.  Funny really, as I seem to recall paying quite a lot for it.

[rs101uk]

Developments. Very touch wood at the moment, but having left the siren disconnected for some days, I reconnected it, and in the last 48 hours there have been no false alarms. Fingers crossed.

[vxtd]

wheres  the siren on these, mines been playing up too.

[rs101uk]

Take out the front nearside sidelight (one screw near headlight) and the siren is bolted inside the wing. You may be able to press the tag to release the wiring connector. I unbolted the siren and relocated it temporarily in the engine compartment so it is easier to connect/disconnect.