Easy Way to Bypass Theft Deterrent System
 

Wife's '90 turbo Supra stranded her in a Home Depot parking lot. Wouldn't crank. Told her via phone to try locking/unlocking doors. No help. Told her to find and pull the "DOME" fuse from underhood fuse block, still no help.

I drive over, try everything I can think of including disconnecting battery for a while, no help. Left battery disconnected. Had car towed to local Toyota dealer--dropped off after they closed.

Next day Toyota mechanic hooks battery up, car fires right up. No charge, got free car wash too. But that is the LAST time this car is gonna pull that stunt. I don't need that complicated factory system-I have my own "jumper plug" that gets pulled out when the car is parked, and it won't start w/o the plug in place.

I've spend 2 days reading a lot of posts here on the TDS. If I simply jumper the wires together for the hood latch switch while the TDS is off, will that work as per a post from years ago? That is supposed to prevent the TDS from arming itself. Do I need to do anything more?

AFAIK, it works fine... and no, it wouldn't have changed unless Toyota techs have gotten very guerrilla in their methodology. ;) I've never tried it though, I have an aftermarket system which controls it... but it's easy enough to test.

Double check the diagram to be sure as to whether you jumper the two wires or sever them.

I cut the hood switch connector off and twisted the wires together. We'll see how that works. I can't tell by looking at the wiring diagrams if they're supposed to be twisted or separated in order to fool the computer into thinking the hood is always open and preventing it from arming the alarm.

The "security check" light never comes on--except when the key is first turned on, so the light bulb is good. But we have always locked the car using the inside door lock buttons--never from the outside key.

Tried twisting the hood switch together, worked OK for a week or so, then wife got stranded at a Costco. Took my 1-ton truck over, tried all the usual tricks-lock unlock everything many times, key on-off twice/three times--nothing worked. Disconnected battery for 30 min., no help.

Toyota dealer was only a few blocks away, so towed car over. Just as the service guy was about to start writing, told wife to try it one more time. Car fired right up!

I'm PMing you the details now.

Thanks. Turns out I *think* the problem is the automatic trans. neutral starting switch!

That'd do it.

You know, if i'd thought it was an auto we were talking about thats the first thing i wouldve said as mine needs the selector wobbling a bit sometimes before itll crank!

I was wrong--not the neutral switch. Believe it or not, wife got stranded again today! I'm lucky I got dinner tonight. Car has been starting fine ~8 times, then nothing. She tried shifting in and out of Park a few times, tried neutral, nothing.

Drive ~10 miles to tow her again, tell her to try it one more time. Car fires right up. This is with the hood switch wires twisted together, which is SUPPOSED to prevent the alarm from arming.

If it isn't the alarm computer, maybe it's the starter relay that's in the pass. side "kick panel". I took a look and it doesn't appear to be easy to get that panel off. I assume the kick panel is on the side at the floor, or is it the underside of the dash?

One thing's for sure, she won't drive this thing until I (we) solve it for good.

Ahh just gets stranger. But if the car always seems to start after towing (hence movement) i'd be inclined to wonder about a loose connection, possibly at the starter signal wire (the small spade terminal) since repeated tries usually coax a dodgy relay into working, just jumps out as funny it never tries till just after towing...