Now let me describe this. This appears to be some sort of plastic molding that multiple electrical connectors are held in to. There appears to just be a wire harness going to this thing that the relay gets connected to. I tried to wiggle, I tried to pull, I tried to yank, and I can’t get the darn thing out! Seriously, I had no luck. I tried on the relay side. I can’t get my hands around the connector for the wire harness to try and pull the wire harness from the relay. It’s way to tight! Also I have a Chilton book and it confirms that it’s the correct relay. The only issue is that it just says disconnect the cable harness from the relay and then remove the relay. Doesn’t say how or provide details. I’m relay struggling with this. I tried to figure out how the clear white plastic piece is secured to the vehicle, to see if I could remove it to get a better angle at this thing, but couldn’t figure out how to disconnect it from the vehicle. Here are some pictures. Thanks for any help, or point me to a video on how to do this for THIS CAR. I see lots of other cars, this is much simpler. I believe 2002-2006 camry are all similar.
Notice the two red circles. I think the empty one is identical to the one that is holding my relay in. No wonder it’s so hard to remove this thing! I don’t see how I can do it!
It would seem that I have to remove the relay with the cable harness still connected to it from the white clear plastic molding thing (red circle is holding it in) then I should have a easier time to just disconnect the relay from the connector for the cable harness. But I don’t see how to do this.
Jeezoo @john.smith0909123_160324 you’re really diving in my man. I guess I will first ask what tools you are using. If its just your hands and maybe a screwdriver…you need some picks.
Also… I can count on one hand with at least 4 fingers left over on how many flasher relays I had to replace on just about any Toyota product. Possible? Sure… Probable? I dunno.
Lets back up and ask…what problem are you trying to solve here? Just because your signals are not flashing does not a bad flasher relay get you…
Please describe the problem you are trying to solve.
Younare not pressing down the latching tab are you? You need to press and pull and the same time for both parts. Connector body first, flasher second. As @Honda-Blackbird points out… picks can help a lot in tight spots!
@Honda-Blackbird I’m using my hand along with some plastic pry tools that I use to separate different parts of the dash etc… These types of tools
So I switched over to LEDs and experiencing hyper flashing when I use the turn signal, because the LED is consuming a significant less amount of power. I’m trying to insert a flasher relay with a potentiometer built into it so I can adjust the load into it so I can avoid using a load resistor
Which part is the latching tab? I don’t think there is one? Is it the piece I circled in red on the relay? I believe that the piece I circled in red on the relay sits inside the plastic molding piece that I circled in red.
I pull, tug, wiggle, and yank the flasher relay body (the yellow box piece in the picture).
I don’t have access to the connector on the relay, can’t get to it. But it does seem that the connector as parts that flex. I circled them in red, you can squeeze them in.
I haven’t even seen the mating connector and can’t get my hands around it.
@Mustangman I’m not exactly sure what your saying to do. So your saying to disconnect the mating connector of the relay that goes to the wire harness. Once the relay is no longer electrically connected to anything, I can remove the relay? I’m not sure how I can remove the connector from the flasher in such a tight space.
I’ll see if I can try again later today and get some more pictures. But yeah I found nothing online on how to remove it from this car.
There may be a latch on the right side of the grey part shown. It looks like a pry up latch pin. I spent a few moments looking at replacement parts (this often gives best clue of retention mechanism, if any) but couldn’t find one like blackbird shows. That would use the pry up or inward latch pin…
get yourself an automotive pick set. I helped my father-in-law pull the dash in his Passat a few months ago to replace the heater core. The picks were invaluable for getting some of those connectors apart. Those plastic pry tools are too thick, and they don’t have that nice point on the end.
So I just checked, there’s absolutely no clip or pin to remove. This is a real pain
The part that looks like a pry up latch pin is just this part of the relay There’s just some of indentation in the top.
John there IS a latch. That’s why you cannot get the part out. there is no reason to mold that open box section on the side of the new flasher if there is not lock. The thing you have circled need to be pried up, I’d guess. You use the pick (google “automotive pick tool” to see what I mean) through the hole to pull up the tab to remove the old flasher.
There is a locking tab on the harness with the white connector that you should remove to make clearance to remove the flasher. It is right next to the flasher at about the 2:00 position on in the picture. Depress the latch tab and the connector should pull free.
Hey thanks for the help! So sorry if this is a stupid question, but the part circled in red with a hole in it is connected to the flasher, it can’t be pried up without moving the whole flasher up. So it seems that I need an automotive pick or hook tool to go through the whole and come out on the other side of the flasher to hook onto it and then pull up? Kind of like this
It seems that I shouldn’t have to do this and i can just pull up with my hand. I’m not exactly sure what part you are saying is latching it in place, but yea there’s clearly something holding it in. Can you maybe circle the latch?
I understand what your talking about for the white connector to remove it to increase the space. But I think i have the issue is that the plastic molding is not like a box, there’s a piece sticking out holding the white connector in place, I highlighted it in yellow.
No pin. So if there is a latch catch on the socket, just insert an LGS (little green screwdriver) down that slot to push the relay tab outward and release the lock. Probably not needed, you just need to get a good purchase on the body and pull it out. Rocking can help. I have a pair of needlenose with a bent tip for grabbing stuff like this…
Must be to make the car look more modern. But so many car mods have no practical justification.
LED brake lights, on the other hand, may reduce rear-end collisions because of their faster response times, giving the following driver a fraction of a second more warning.
I understand now. So the latch is a tab on the mating connector, that goes into these holes on the connector on the flasher? What kind of LGS are you talking about exactly. Definantly sounds like I’ll need to get a hook/pick set
and look at the 2 photos there of the replacement flasher. You can see exactly how it is locking in. You must squeeze the two plastic bits that you can see on the side of the flasher in toward the body of the flasher.
As a side point, it seems unlikely that the thing you are trying to install will fit there. It’s completely different in shape.
I’m not sure where it’s getting hooked up to be honest. Can you circle it in the picture of the new relay? Thanks for the help. Also isn’t the part your saying to squeeze part of the connector to connect the relay to the cable harness, In which case I should be able to move the relay without issue? Could you maybe circle the part you are referring to because I think thats part of the cpnnector
In your first post you have 3 photos. In the third photo you have put a smaller red circle around the latching mechanism. I believe those two thin rectangular shaped bits there are the things which should be pressed toward the relay to release it. Once in a while you have to push them the other way, so don’t rule that out. The next person who posted after me, @Nevada_545, pointed out that you might have to push them with a tiny screwdriver. I use a plastic tool called a “black stick” or a spudger to do that because it’s a bit less likely to break things. Look on Ebay for spudger. Some are stainless steel, and I use the plastic ones because they are not going to scratch plastic car parts, but the stainless ones are probably stronger. Even if you get the latch released the relay will still be hard to pull out.
